An Affair With Facial Skin Care

Maybe you have a sparkling wit and a personality that can charm the birds off the trees, but would it not be great if your face were as smooth and shiny as an apple's?

The good news is having an impeccable skin is now within your reach! Try a skin care routine that can do wonders for your facial skin. We will share with you some DOs and DON'Ts here. Be patient. Even Rome was not built in a single day. There is work for you to do to get that lovely complexion you want.

It is not very difficult nor complicated. A good facial skin care routine basically consists of four processes--cleansing, toning, exfoliating and moisturizing. Let us try to understand what each of them is all about and how we go about them.

1. Cleansing. The first step in any skin care regimen aims to remove from the skin extra oil, pollutants, dust, and grease. Once you have picked a good cleanser, you gently apply it on your face using cotton wool or a soft face tissue. Dab gently; do not rub. Use upward strokes. This should be done twice a day, that is, in the morning and at night. Experts agree that water soluble cleansers work best on most skin types.

2. Toning. Cleansing may or may not be followed by toning. Toning's primary purpose is the complete removal of all traces of excess cleanser, grease, and dirt cleanser from the face. This stage is optional since thorough cleansing might be sufficient. However, you may opt to tone your skin after your having been exposed to the elements.

3. Exfoliation. Exfoliation assists the skin in its natural process of removing dead skin cells, a process which prevents dead skin cells from blocking the pores. However, experts agree that daily exfoliation may be too much as it can damage the skin. Once or twice a week is ideal. Skin type as well as the prevailing environmental conditions in your area should help you determine how often you need to exfoliate.

4. Moisturizing. Probably the most crucial portion of the facial skin care program, moisturizing prevents dryness of the skin. Dry skin leads to breakage of the upper layers of the skin, causing the skin to exhibit a dry, wrinkled, and flaky look. Once you have selected the best moisturizer for your skin type, you dab it on a warm and damp skin with light upward strokes, just like you would do with cleanser.

Your regular facial skin care program is now complete. But if you do not want to leave anything to chance, here are a few additional steps to having a great skin:

If you wear make-up and want to wash it away, a proper make-up remover should be used to ensure that your face is free of all traces of make-up. Whenever you have to be exposed to the sun, wear a sunscreen lotion or cream for skin protection As much as possible, avoid direct sunlight. When using a new product, test it for allergies by rubbing a small amount into a patch of your skin, like earlobes. If redness and itching follow, do not use the product. Never rub your skin intensely when applying anything. Always use cotton wool or soft face tissue.