Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It provides the first form of natural protective defence to bacterial, fungal or any other substance that may try to invade you. The skin is made up of several layers and it can take around 15 days in younger people and up to 45 days in older people for the base layer to move through to the outer most layer. This outer most layer is the layer of skin that you can see. To know if a particular skin care product has actually had any affect can take this full cycle to show any results.
The skin is regarded as a person’s life - “they tried to save their skin”. Because the skin is so vital to us it is important to look after it correctly, the following advice is provided to try and help you to make the right choices in your daily skin care regime.
Part One Identifying Your Skin Type
Answer the following questions to try to help you identify the type of skin that you have. This will determine which products will be most beneficial for you to use.
1. How often do you experience blackheads or spots?
a) Frequently b) Sometimes c) Not very often
2. Describe the size of the pores of your skin
a) Large and obvious b) Only noticeable in the T zone area (around the forehead, nose and Chin) c) Hardly noticeable at all
3. Does your skin ever feel tight or dry?
a) Not very often b) Sometimes c) Frequently
4. Do you ever have flaky skin?
a) Not very often b) Sometimes c) Frequently
5. Shortly after cleansing does your skin ever appear shiny?
a) Frequently b) Only in the T zone c) Not very often
For each ‘a’ you give yourself 1 point For each ‘b’ give yourself 2 points For each ‘c’ give yourself 3 points.
What your score means: 5-10 points – Your skin is normal to oily. The lower your score the more prone to oiliness your skin will be. 11-15 points – Your skin is normal to dry. The higher your score the more prone to dryness your skin will be. This should help you to decide which skin care products will be most suitable for your skin type. For more advice see Part Three.
Part Two Daily Skin Care Routine
Why cleanse your skin? It is important to cleanse your skin each morning and each might. Start by selecting a good quality natural facial cleanser. A facial cleanser will help to clear away all impurities that your face picks up, but without drying out your skin. How to cleanse your skin. If you are wearing eye makeup, remove this first. Then apply your natural cleanser with your fingertips, using gentle upward and outward movements. Rinse the cleanser from your face using warm water.
Why tone your skin? Using a toner refreshes the skin and helps to refine the texture of your skin. It also removes any final traces of your cleanser. How to tone your skin. Soak a cotton wool pad with toner and then when wipe gently over your skin, using an upward movement and avoiding the eye area.
Why moisturise your skin? It is important to replenish moisture that has been lost from the skin. This moisture can be lost due to things such as the weather, pollution and air conditioning. You will need to choose a skin moisturiser dependant on your skin type and the time of year. You will probably find that you need a lighter moisturiser for your skin in the summer months. How to moisturise your skin. Apply your moisturiser gently with the tips of your fingers and smooth on to your face and throat using upward circular strokes. When using a specialised eye cream ensure that you apply it before your moisturiser. Use only a small amount of eye cream and pat it gently on to this delicate area.
Part Three Which products to choose
The following is a guide to help you choose the best combination of natural and organic skin care products for your skin:
