The Best Skin Care Product?

There is really nothing like a best skin care product. There really canít be anything like ëThe best skin care productí, because skin care products work differently for different people (based on the skin type to some extent). A product that is the ëbest skin care productí for one person might end up being the worst for another person. So, a more logical question to ask would be ëWhat is the best skin care product for my type of skin?í. However, this still is not completely logical. We tend to segregate people into 4 groups based on their skin types ñ i.e. dry skin, oily skin, normal skin and sensitive skin. However, this classification is just too broad to be used definitively in determining the best skin care product. We can say ëbest skin care product for a dry skiní or ëbest skin care product for an oily skiní are better statements than just ëbest skin care productí. But really, that is what it is ñ ëbetterí; still not accurate.

So, it really comes to rephrasing the question to ñ ëWhat is the best skin care product for meí. Yes, this is exactly the question that you should be asking, and unfortunately there is no easy answer for this. Arriving at the best skin care product for self will need some effort on your part.

First of all, you need to understand how the skin care products work. This is simple. You can consider all skin care products to be composed of 2 types of ingredients ñ Active and inactive. The active ingredients are the ones that actually work on your skin. The inactive ones just help in delivering these active ingredients to your skin. Both the ingredients need to work for your skin, in order for the product to be effective (and move on to become the best skin care product for you).

Besides the ingredients, the way you apply your skin care products is equally important. In fact, this is even more important. If you do not know how to apply skin care products, you might forever be hunting for the best skin care product for yourself, when that has already passed you. Moreover, itís also important to decide on the frequency of application (of the skin care product). The environmental factors – temperature, humidity and pollution level, also affect the selection of best skin care product. Here are a few rules that you could use to ensure that your best skin care product is really the best for you:

• Cleanse your skin before applying that best skin care product.
• Use a makeup remover instead of plain water and remove your makeup before going to bed.
• The effectiveness of active ingredients is reduced when applied over another product e.g. over moisturiser. So apply that best skin care product first and then apply a bit of moisturizer if needed.
• Apply the products on moist and warm skin.
• You will have to experiment with a few products before you arrive at the one that is the best skin care product for you.
• Do not exfoliate too much or too hard.
• Vary your skin care routine as per the seasons (winter/summer etc), changes in environmental factors and changes in your skin type

Note that the best skin care product cannot be determined overnight. Itís only through experiment (and awareness) that you can find the ëBest skin care productí (for you).

What is Natural Skin Care?

Put simply, ënatural skin careí is caring for your skin in a natural and chemical-free way. ëNatural skin careí advocates enabling the skin to take care of itself (without any assistance from synthetic materials/ chemicals). ëNatural skin careí is about inculcation of good habits in the way you lead your day to day life. A lot of natural skin care measures are actually the same as those for body care in general.

So letís see what these natural skin care measures are.

Well the first and the foremost natural skin care measure is ñ ëDrink a lot of waterí.  Around 8 glasses of water is a must everyday. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, in a natural way. It helps in the overall upkeep of the body and promotes good health for all organs (not just skin).

General cleanliness is another inexpensive way of natural skin care.  Daily shower, wearing clean clothes and sleeping on a clean mattress/pillow are all part of general cleanliness. After all, clean skin is the key to keeping the skin disorders at bay.

Regular exercise is the next thing on the cards. Exercise increases the flow of blood that helps in getting rid of body toxins and keeping you healthy.  Exercise also helps in beating stress which is the worst enemy of good health.

Healthy food and eating habits are also recommended for natural skin care.  Some type of food (e.g. oily food) is know to cause acne and should be avoided as much as possible. Your diet should be a healthy mix of various nutrient providing foods. Raw fruits and vegetables are known to provide freshness to your body and help in getting rid of body toxins.

A good sleep is also instrumental in maintaining good health and in beating stress. As a natural skin care measure, a good sleep delays slacking of skin.

Beating stress is another natural skin care therapy. Stress causes overall damage to body and health. Drinking a lot of water, getting a sound sleep and exercise has already been mentioned as stress busters. Indulging in a warm bubble bath, listening to music and playing your favourite sport are also good ways of beating stress. Yoga is yet another way of beating stress; it is fast gaining popularity amongst the masses.

Avoiding excessive exposure to sun (by wearing long sleeved clothes, hat and umbrella etc), is another natural skin care strategy. Sunscreen lotions are also recommended as necessary.

A lot of traditional and home made natural skin care products/ measures are also known to be very effective. Such measures are not only natural and easy-to-follow, but also relatively inexpensive.

Besides that, a lot of natural skin care products are available in the commercial market. These include things like lavender oil, aloe vera etc., which donít have any side effects.

Top 10 Skin Care Tips

Healthy skin is really one of the most important ingredients for beauty-enhancement. This article on skin care tips is an effort to bring the 10 best skin care tips to you.  The list of skin care tips has been restricted to 10 because anything more that that would not only be difficult to remember, but also shadow the more important skin care tips. So letís see what these top ten skin care tips are:

• Knowing your skin type is one of the most important skin care tip. This is important because not every skin care product suits everyone. In fact, all the skin care products specify the type of skin they cater too.
• Drink a lot of waterí. This will not keep your skin moist but will help in overall upkeep of your health (and in turn your skin). It might seem a bit awkward to some, however, this is an important skin care tip.
• Cleanse your skin regularly (1-2 times everyday).  A very effective skin care tip that helps in getting rid of the dirt and other harsh elements from your skin. Cleansing is especially important when you have been out of your house (and hence exposed to pollutants, dust etc). This skin care tip also advocates the use of Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin)
• Be gentle, after all itís your skin. Donít scrub/exfoliate too hard or too often. Similarly, donít apply too much or too many skin care products. A must-to-follow skin care tip.
• Keep your skin moist at all times. This is one of the most important skin care tip.  Donít let your skin get dry. Dryness causes the outer layer of your skin to break, leading to a rough and unattractive appearance. Use moisturisers/ emollients. Moisturisers work best when applied while the skin is still damp.
• Avoid the use of soap on your face. Soap should only be used from below the neck. A small but important skin care tip.
• Use sunscreen to protect yourself from sunís harmful UV radiations. You can use day-time moisturisers that have sunscreen built into them. Use them even when itís cloudy. UV radiations are known to cause skin cancer, so follow this skin care tip without fail.
• A bit of exercise and good sleep are essential too, not just for skin care but for your health as a whole. Lack of sleep can lead to formation of wrinkles below your eyes and lack of exercise can cause your skin to slack. Moreover, exercise and sleep also help in beating stress.  So besides being a skin care tip, this is also a health care tip.
• Treat skin dilemmas with care.  This skin care tip is about not ignoring any skin dilemmas. Consult your dermatologist before you go on to use a skin care product (lest you do end up harming your skin even more).
• Beat the stress. The harmful effects of stress are known to everyone, however, sometimes stating the obvious is essential too (and hence this skin care tip found its place here). Yes, stress harms skin too. So, take a break or indulge in a warm bubble bath or just get good sleep.

The Facts of Oily Skin

To start the discussion on oily skin care, itís imperative to first understand the cause behind oily skin. Put simply, oily skin is a result of excessive production of sebum (an oily substance that is naturally produced by skin). As is known to everyone, excess of everything is bad; so excessive sebum is bad too. It leads to clogging of skin pores, resulting in accumulation of dead cells and hence formation of pimples/acne. Moreover, oily skin spoils your looks too. So, ëoily skin careí is as important as the ëskin careí for other types of skin.

The basic aim of ëoily skin careí is the removal of excessive sebum or oil from the skin. However, oily skin care procedures should not lead to complete removal of oil. ëOily skin careí starts with the use of a cleanser.  However, not all cleansers will work. You need a cleanser which contains salicylic acid i.e. a beta-hydroxy acid that retards the rate of sebum production. Cleansing should be done twice a day (and even more in hot and humid conditions).

Most of the oily skin care products are oil-free; however, it is always good to check the ingredients of the product, before you actually buy it. This is especially important if a product is marked as ësuitable for all skin typesí, instead of ëoily skin care productí. ëOily skin careí is also dependent on the degree of oiliness, if you arenít too oily, so some of these ësuitable for allí- type of products might be work for you too. For extremely oily skin, only oily skin care products are suitable. Your oily skin care routine can include an alcohol based toner (for an extremely oily skin). This can be the second step in your oily skin care routine i.e. just after cleansing. However, excessive toning can harm your skin.

The next step in your oily skin care routine can be a mild moisturiser. Again, the degree of oiliness of your skin will determine whether you need to include this in your oily skin care routine. If you do decide to include a moisturiser, be sure to use one that is oil-free, wax-free and lipid-free.
You could also use a clay mask (say once a week) as an oily skin care measure.

As far as the oily skin care products go, you might need to try out a few before you arrive at the one that is really suitable for your skin.

In case these measures donít give you the desired result, consult a good dermatologist for advice. He could prescribe stronger oily skin care products like vitamin A creams, retinoids, sulphur creams etc , which can help counter the problems of oily skin.

No More Dry Skin

Dry skin cannot be ignored. Dry skin leads to cracking of the upper layer of skin and gives it a real bad appearance. The main causes of dry skin include: dry climate, hormonal changes, too much exfoliation and treatment of other skin disorders. Moreover, dryness could be the inherent nature of oneís skin. Whatever be the cause, ëdry skin careí is very important (but not very difficult).

ëDry skin careí starts with moisturisers, the most effective remedy for dry skin. Generally moisturisers are classified under 2 categories based on the way they provide ëdry skin careí.

The first category includes moisturisers that provide ëdry skin careí just by preserving the moisture within the skin e.g. Vaseline. These moisturisers are relatively inexpensive and are readily available (even at grocery shops).

The second category includes moisturisers that work by drawing moisture from the environment and supplying it to the skin. This is a very effective way of ëdry skin careí in humid conditions. The moisturisers that provide ëdry skin careí in this way are also called humectants. For proper dry skin care, you must use a non-greasy type of moisturiser, as far as possible. Humectants fall in this category. The ingredients of humectants include propylene glycol, urea, glycerine, hyaluronic acid etc

ëDry skin careí is not about just using moisturisers but also using them properly. The best ëdry skin care procedureí is to cleanse the skin before the application of moisturiser. You can make your ëdry skin careí even more effective by applying the moisturiser while the skin is still damp (after cleansing). Also, make sure that you use soap-free products (especially on your face, neck and arms). Exfoliation does help in dry skin care, by removing the dead skin cells. However, donít exfoliate too hard. Your dry skin care procedures/products should also take care of sun protection. Avoid too much and too direct exposure to sun (simply by using an umbrella/hat etc). Use a good sunscreen lotion before going out. A lot of moisturisers provide sun protection too, along with dry skin care.

You also have natural products for ëdry skin careí i.e. products that provide ëdry skin careí in a natural way (without the use of synthetic chemicals). These dry skin care products supply lipid enhancements to the skin, hence enabling moisture retention within the skin. Another, important thing for ëdry skin careí is the temperature of water you use for shower or for washing your face ñ Use warm water; too hot or too cold water can cause dryness too.

ëDry skin careí is also about being gentle with your skin. You should avoid harsh detergents and alcohol based cleansers. Also, after a face wash, do not rub your towel on your face, just pat gently to soak the water off.

On the whole, dry skin care is really simple for anyone who takes that seriously.

Skin Care Products

Packaging is as important as the gift itselfî ñ itís something that most of the gift manufacturing companies follow very closely.  The same holds good for you too. Your outer-self i.e. your skin is as important as your inner-self. A lot of people do realise the importance of skin care. Well, this is one reason why there are so many skin care products in the market and most of the skin care products seem to do pretty well. We generally tend to associate skin care to just good looks. However, there is more to it than just that. There are multiple benefits associated with a healthy and glowing skin.

Firstly, it has a good effect on you yourself. It makes you feel fresh and energetic. You are able to do more work and are quicker with everything you do. More importantly, the freshness adds to your enjoyment and makes your day. So a healthy skin too plays its part in building confidence. Yes, you can take most of the credit for having achieved that (however, do leave a little for the skin care products too).

Moreover, this flow of positive energy is experience by people around you too and you observe that even they are friendlier with you. You get more respect from others. They are more responsive to your queries. They themselves experience the freshness that you are exuding. They love working with you and for you. Yes, thatís how it works. Some people might even go ahead and ask you about the skin care products you use (you might or might not reveal those secret skin care products to them). Thus, a healthy skin can be instrumental in creating a pleasant and friendly environment around you. On the other hand, carelessness or negligence on this front can make you look unattractive and dull. You will not only look dull but also feel dull. Your work efficiency is reduced. Even the people you meet might not be as friendly. In fact, it might lead to the aging process getting started much earlier.

Thus the importance of skin care cannot be ignored. However, skin care is not that difficult at all.  There are a lot of skin care products available and you can choose the ones that suit you the best. There are various ways in which skin care products are classified and the knowledge about these classifications will help you understand them better and make a selection.

• The first categorisation is based on the skin type ñ so you have skin care products for oily skin, skin care product for dry skin, skin care products for sensitive skin etc.
• Another way is to categorise skin care products based on their use e.g. you have moisturisers, cleansers, skin care products for exfoliation, toners etc.
• Then you have skin care products for treatment of various skin dilemmas i.e. skin care products for acne, skin care products for stretch marks, skin care products for anti-ageing  etc.
• Another classification is based on the ingredients e.g. herbal skin care products, synthetic skin care products, cosmetic skin care products etc.

However, skin care products are not the only way of skin care. You also need to build some basic skin care procedures in your day to day life (as we discuss in the other article on personal skin care).

The Most Common Skin Conditions

A glowing and healthy skin is an asset. Skin is not all about beauty but also health. So, skin care treatment should be treated with all seriousness. If you develop a skin related dilemma, you need an appropriate skin care treatment. Skin care treatment, for any skin disorder, starts with actions that are aimed at prevention of the disorder (what we can also call as proactive or preventive skin care treatment). Building and following basic skin care procedures is what one could classify as preventive/proactive skin care treatment. Skin disorders can occur even if you have followed this preventive skin care treatment. Preventive skin care treatment just reduces the probability of occurrence. Letís check the skin care treatment for some of the common skin conditions.

Acne is one of the most common problems. Again, the first type of skin care treatment is to control acne and prevent it from getting worse. So avoid tight clothes; they are known to cause body acne by trapping sweat. Do not touch the blemishes over and over again (rather donít touch them at all), you might end up aggravating the condition. Also, do not try to scrub too hard or squeeze them. Use of mild cleansers is a recommended skin care treatment for acne. Obtain an over-the-counter skin care treatment for faster treatment of acne.

Skin care treatment of dry skin is generally easy. Moisturisers, applied in the right way and in the right quantity, are the best form of skin care treatment for dry skin. For best results, apply moisturiser while your skin is still damp. Also, do not apply too much or too little moisturiser. In exceptional cases, where you donít notice any improvements in 3-4 weeks, you might have to visit your dermatologist for skin care treatment of your dry skin.

Brown spots, which appear on sun-exposed areas of skin i.e. face and hands, are caused by over-exposure to UV radiations. As a skin care treatment for brown spots, use a sunscreen lotion which has a high SPF (sun protection factor), say 15.  This should be used irrespective of weather ñ sunny/cloudy. Another form of skin care treatment is covering up the exposed areas with clothing (caps, full sleeved shirts/t-shirts, and umbrella).

Also, if the general skin care treatment or the over-the-counter medication is not working for you, you should immediately consult your dermatologist for professional skin care treatment. You should also inform the doctor about the skin care treatment that you have undertaken till that time. So take the details of the till-date skin care treatment (and products) along with you. Based on the skin condition and the details of your till-date skin care treatment, the dermatologist will prescribe a skin care treatment e.g. oral antibiotics, chemical peels, retinoid etc and you will be on your way to recovery.

Acne Treatments

Acne is a menace. However, itís not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories:

• Preventive or general acne skin care products
• Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products
• On-prescription acne skin care products.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.  Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules.  However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin.  Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.
So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.

About Acne

Acne is defined as a diseased condition of the skin that involves the hair and oil glands. It is characterised by pimples, black/white heads, reddishness and cysts. Face acne can spoil your appearance to a great extent and body acne can really ruin your day by making you very uncomfortable. Considering acne as a minor problem, some people tend to totally discard the topic of ëAcne skin careí. However, the importance of ëAcne skin careí cannot be undermined in any way.

Acne skin care should really start much before the acne actually appears. ëAcne skin careí is more about being proactive than reactive. Acne skin care is about being aware of preventive measures. Acne skin care is – following daily skin care routines with complete discipline.  So letís have a look at how ëacne skin careí can be applied to our daily routine.

ëAcne skin careí starts with the most basic thing – cleanliness. So morning showers are the most basic way of keeping the skin clean. In fact, a lot of people take night showers too (that not only helps in keeping your skin clean but also provides relaxation to your body and enables a good sleep). If you are living in a hot and/or humid place, a night shower becomes a must. In fact, a shower is recommended after any activity that causes high levels of sweat to develop. Itís a very effective ëacne skin careí technique.

However, acne skin care is not about just showers. Acne skin care is also about wearing clean clothes and sleeping on clean pillows. Moreover, too tight clothes can cause sweat to accumulate quickly; so soft and comfortable cotton clothes are recommended, especially if you already have acne.  In the same sense, ëacne skin careí also advocates regular cleaning of your make-up brush and any equipment that you use on your body.

Besides that, you should also use a mild, water-soluble, oil-free and soap-free cleanser for keeping your face, neck and arms clean. Cleansing is the most important part of any acne skin care routine. Cleaners are the easiest and the most effective way of removing dirt, grease, pollutants and excess oil from your skin; thus reducing the probability of acne  occurrence.  Acne skin care also recommends removing your make up using a make up remover, and this should happen before you go to bed (not in the morning).

If you already have acne, do not try to touch them or squeeze them; it can lead to permanent scars. ëAcne skin careí advocates gentle cleansing and cleaning of the affected area using an over-the-counter medication and a clean/soft cotton pad. There are various acne skin care creams and lotions available over-the-counter (a lot of these acne skin care products are actually cleansers). However, if these ëacne skin careí measures donít give you the desired results, contact a dermatologist for ëacne skin careí advice and treatment.

Caring for Sensitive Skin

ëSensitive skin careí is governed by a few basic rules. However, even before we delve into the rules for sensitive skin care, itís important to understand what a sensitive skin is. Sensitive skin is one which is unable to tolerate any unfavourable conditions (environmental/other), and which easily gets irritated on contact with foreign materials (including skin care products). For this reason, some products are especially labelled as sensitive skin care products. The degree of sensitivity can however vary from person to person (and depending on that, the sensitive skin care procedures vary too).

Generally, all skin types respond negatively to detergents and other chemical based products. However, the damage starts generally beyond a defined threshold (or tolerance level). This tolerance level is very low for sensitive skin types, leading to skin getting damaged very easily and quickly.  Sensitive skin care products either avoid the potential irritants or keep them at very low concentrations.

Here are a few tips for sensitive skin care:

• Use sensitive skin care products only (i.e. the products that are marked for sensitive skin care only). Also, check the instructions/ notes on the product to see if there are specific restrictions/warnings associated with the product).
• Even within the range of sensitive skin care products, choose the one that has minimum preservatives, colourings and other additives
• Do not use toners. Most of them are alcohol based and are not recommended for sensitive skin.
• Wear protective gloves when doing laundry or other chemical based cleaning.  If you are allergic to rubber, you can wear cotton gloves below the rubber ones.
• Another important tip for ësensitive skin careí is to avoid excessive exposure to sun. Apply sunscreen lotion before getting out in the sun.
• Avoiding exposure to dust and other pollutants is also important for sensitive skin care. So, cover yourself adequately before going out.
• Use hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic moisturizer as a sensitive skin care product (if there is none specifically labelled as a sensitive skin care product)
• Use soap-free and alcohol free cleansers. Cleanse your face whenever you return from spending time out doors.
• Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard. It can cause reddishness and even inflammation.
• Do not leave the makeup on for too long. Use hypoallergenic makeup- removers.

So, sensitive skin care is very different from the normal skin care. Sensitive skin care is more about being careful with your skin (both in terms of sensitive skin care products and protection against environments atrocities on skin).