Beginning Skin Care: Moisturizers

I have a rule of thumb, if you clean/scrub your face,  you need to moisturize your face. They go hand in hand. You're taking off dirt, makeup, smog, and the natural moisture your skin produces. When you clean your face, you have to put moisture back in it.

This is going to be a somewhat short blog as the same questions apply in finding the right moisturizer as with the cleanser: what type of skin do I have, is it sensitive skin and what age is it.

Having hoped you found the right cleanser, the product should have its matching moisturizer. This should go on your face after you wash it. Very simple, right? I only put that question as I have had a few beautiful women who told me after they washed their face, they put on some sunscreen and that's all. I was also seeing them due to acne issues. Sunscreen is not moisturizer, its sunscreen. Yes, find a face product with SPF in it (if you don't have a sensitivity to it), but also use moisturizer.

There are also part specific moisturizers, mainly eyes. It is important to note this as the eyes are extremely delicate. Collagen starts breaking down under the eye as young as 20! There are several moisturizers on the market to target specific problems around the eyes: wrinkles due to loss of collagen, under-eye puffiness and under-eye darkness are some of the major ones.

A final thought is that the moisturizer you put onto your skin is just one type, you also need to hydrate as well. Diet affects our skin, and not being hydrated can dry out our skin even if you have naturally normal skin. 

Next up, making a skin care cocktail.

Until then, think Pink!

Beginning a Skin Care Regimen - Soap

I know growing up I always saw that pink bottle of Oil of Olay in the medicine cabinet. My mom used it and when I started buying my own skin care products, it was the first thing I bought. Granted, while my mom was a beauty consultant with Mary Kay, I used those products, but afterwards I was left on my own.

I hear a lot of different things when I ask people what they do to take care of their skin. Good ole' soap and water is high on the list. I understand, I did it too, followed by Oil of Olay. It wasn't until I turned 25 did I see some changes in my face. Acne was coming back, I had lines around my eyes, skin discoloration and I didn't like what I saw. I tried so many different products (a point I will come back to later), and never found anything that worked until I started using a skin care line, just the one line.

Back to soap and water. I think of the recent Dove campaign. These pink little tabs are supposed to represent our skin and how different kinds of body washes scrubs it away. Its a great picture of what can happen using the wrong product on your face.

To start in a skin care regimen, start thinking face cleanser instead of soap. Soap is for your body. It isn't as delicate as your face and it isn't the first thing people see, including you when you look into the mirror. Face cleansers come in so many formulas that it can make you dizzy. So, what to use?

Start with this question: is my face usually dry, normal, or oily? 

Dry faces are the ones that are constantly "thirsty", skin flakes off, redness and irritated, and can be itchy. Oily, its just after you wash your face and within minutes you already have some oil coming out. There is also the combination skin, which is usually the T bone being oily (across the brow and down the nose) and the rest of the face normal or slightly oily. Most of us have a kind of "combination skin", but the oil doesn't spring out of our face like those with truly oily skin. Keep to the normal skin care lines. That leaves normal, which is neither dry or oily.

Next question: how sensitive is my face?

If you are under a dermatologist care, you have sensitive skin. If you find: regular,  high fragrance cleansers, antibacterial, and/or cleansers with alcohol cause a reaction, you probably have sensitive skin. 

Last question: how old is my face?

Even though the age on your drivers license says one thing, your face could say another. Factors such as the environment, sun exposure, smoking, diet and genetics can all affect the age your face is showing.

Next, look at the products out there that state the type of skin you have. Then, find the ones that have complete skin care, starting from cleansers, moisturizers and creams to specialized skin care and make up and then use the entire line. Those products are made to work together (more on this later). Then, start using it, everyday, twice a day. Just cleaning your face with the right formula will change everything. 

Next, moisturizers. Until then, think Pink!

Beauty Matters

I have had a long think about this blog. Some people feel beauty is superficial, inner beauty is more important than outer, we should just get comfortable in our own skin, etc. I feel that beauty isn't at all superficial, that it is inner and outer beauty that matters, oh and we should get comfortable in our own skin. The getting comfortable part I am still working on, but at least I'm working on it.

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.  Charles Kingsley

I talk to women every day, at work, at the store and online. Beauty matters always come up, skin care issues, weight problems, self-esteem and how they think others see them are the topics that come up. If we actually could see ourselves in the beauty we were made in, psychologists would be out of a job. Since we are not in a perfect world, most of us have had struggles that have put stigma's on us.

Skin care is easily solved, there is a plethora of products out there to help with. Underweight, overweight or even the perfect weight, we will never see ourselves properly due to bad self-esteem. Self-esteem problems can lead to eating disorders which in turn lead to weight problems and skin issues. All of these I will revisit in another blog.

Beauty saves. Beauty heals. Beauty motivates. Beauty unites. Beauty returns us to our origins, and here lies the ultimate act of saving, of healing, of overcoming dualism. Matthew Fox

As I continue working on this blog, my main purposes are to educate, illuminate and inspire all those that come on. Of course I want feedback, questions and ideas for topics.

Always remember:

Beginnings. I have decided to write this blog due to my interest in skin care, head and heart care, and, most importantly, I love to write. So, anyone out there, if you have a question on anything or have a discussion item, feel free to ask.