Get the Right Skin Care for your Skin Type
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Fashion & Beauty
Skin care products can be costly, discover the secret to achieve healthy, smooth skin from home with these great DIY treatments.
Know your skin type
All skin types benefit when you cleanse, tone, and moisturise twice a day-once in the morning and again before bedtime. In addition, two simple DIY treatments - steaming and exfoliating - can help make your skin look spa-pampered. Before you embark on a do-it-yourself skin care regime, it's important to know your skin type and how best to care for it. Skin experts classify complexions into four general types: normal, dry, oily, and sensitive. They also recognise that mature skin requires special care as women transition through menopause and beyond.
- Normal skin is clear, supple, and soft, neither too dry nor too oily. It is not overly sensitive to the sun, climate, or the environment.
- Dry skin looks dull, feels tight after washing, and needs constant protection and moisturising to avoid flaking and peeling.
- Oily skin might feel soft and supple, but it looks shiny and needs to be cleansed several times a day. Pores are larger than those of either normal or dry skin. This type of skin is often prone to blackheads and pimples.
- Sensitive skin reacts badly to sunlight or irritants. It burns easily and may develop rashes, blotches, or spots when exposed to new substances, such as the chemicals often found in commercial skin-cleansing products.
- Most people have a combination of skin types. For example, basically normal with some oily areas on the forehead, around the nose, and on the chin, and maybe some dryness around the eyes.
The right skin care regime
- Cleansing: Choose a cleanser based on your skin type, and perform this essential daily ritual gently to remove makeup and grime.
- Toning: After cleansing, use a toner to remove cleanser residue and close the pores.
- Moisturising: Based on your skin type, choose an appropriate moisturiser and smooth over face, neck, and décolletage twice a day.
- Steaming: Once or twice a week, give your face a 10-minute steam cleaning. Steaming works naturally to improve microcirculation to the skin's surface. It also flushes out toxins and debris by opening pores and makes it easier for your skin to absorb the essential oils and aromatic herbs in the water.
- Exfoliating: Once a week, go over the skin with a simple, homemade scrub blend. This will remove dead skin cells, promote circulation, and improve clarity and radiance.
