Facial Skin Care: What everyone should know for healthy skin!

There are no magic potions that can make your spots and pimples disappear overnight.

There is no elixir of youth that can turn back the hands of the clock and give you back the firm, unlined skin of your youth. But there is a way by which you can rejuvinate your skin and bring it back to good health.

Dermatologists, cosmetologists and beauty therapists all agree on the fact that taking regular care of skin is the only way of avoiding problems and delaying the ageing process.

So cleanse, tone, moisturize and nourish your skin everyday. Within a week you will be amazed to see the results. The skin has tremendous powers of self-regeneration when properly cared for and it is never too late to start.

Cleansing
Whatever the texture or type of your skin, it requires thorough cleansing. If we could have a look at uncleaned skin through a magnifying glass, we would realise the absolute necessity of a proper cleansing routine.

Before it is cleansed, the skin surface is covered by a film of dirt, stale sweat, oil deposits, stale make-up and other pollutants. All these are potent skin irritants. They not only upset the normal balance of the skin, but also hamper its natural functions.

Cleanse your skin, according to your skin type. Splash your face with water then massage with a gentle facial wash and work it up to a lather for about 30 seconds. Take the opportunity to lightly massage your skin, as this will boost the supply of blood to the surface of your skin - which means a rosier complexion.

Rinse away with clear water until every soapy trace has been removed from your skin. Then pat your skin with a soft towel to absorb residual water from the surface of your skin.

Toning
Toning is necessary for all skin types. It follows immediately after cleansing and helps to refresh the skin. A good way of toning the skin is to keep cotton wool pads soaking in a bowl of skin tonic in the refrigerator.

After cleansing the skin, wipe with the skin toning pads and then pad the skin briskly. This stimulates the blood circulation to the surface. Gentle stroking movements can also be followed.

Moisturizing
The most important part of the skin care routine is moisturizing. Smooth your skin with moisturizing lotions. Dot onto your face, then massage in with your fingertips with light upwards strokes.

This will leave a protective film on the skin, allowing make-up to be easily applied and ensuring there is a balanced moisture content.

Nourishing
Nourishing is a way of supplying emollients to the skin so that it can hold moisture better and performs its other functions.

Use the nourishment cream with Vitamin A, which is of utmost importance to the skin helping to relieve dryness and maintain skin elasticity and the nourishing cream with Vitamin E (anti-oxidant) which helps in minimizing cross linking damage

Skin toners helps to improve blood circulation to the skin surface and gives the skin the glow that is associated with its good health.

Natural skin toners completes the skin cleansing routine and tones up the skin leaving it fresh and clean.

In a way toning completes the cleansing process by removing every trace of cleanser and other residue.

Skin toners also helps to close and refine the pores. This of particular importance to oily skin and enlarged pores.

Alcohol based astringent are sometimes recommended for oily skins. Some are harsh on the skin. if there is any burning sensation, discontinue use.

Stick to herbal skin toners containing rose, honey or mint.

A skin tonic containing rose is ideal for improving skin texture. If you have an oily skin wipe the skin a few times during the day with a rose skin tonic. This helps to remove oily secretion and keeps the skin free of grime and stale sweet deposits.

Sometimes a quick tonic helps to refresh the skin between a hard days work and a social evening. It helps to relax and refresh.

Apply a face mask that is suited to your skin type and lie down with your feet slightly raised. Place cotton wool pads soaked in rose water over your closed eyes. Relax for 10 minutes. It can really help to rejuivinate you and bring sparkle back to your tired eyes.

After washing off the mask, pat your skin briskly with skin toners using cotton wool pads. You will feel totally renewed and refreshed. The fragrance of rose helps to soothe the nerves and induce relaxation.

The type of skin you have depends on the activity of the sebaceous, or oil producing glands.

Normal Skin: Balanced Skin. It is neither oily nor dry. It has a translucent, soft, smooth texture and a healthy glow.

Dry Skin: The sebaceous glands are less active. The skin lacks both oil and moisture. It is fine textured and fragile as it is vulnerable to changes to temperature and humidity. It flakes easily and develops early lines and wrinkles.

Oily Skin: The sebaceous glands are over active. The skin has a greasy shine. The texture is coarse due to enlarged pores. It is prone to clogged pores, blackheads, pimples and acne.

Sensitive Skin: Sensitive skin can be easily irritated. Typical reactions are itching, burning, chafing and stinging. After a wash a wash it feels dry and itchy in places. By midday there are flaky patches and some redness. Occasionally break out in spots.

Combination Skin: The skin has a greasy area, while surrounding areas are dry. The T-zone consists of forehead, nose and chin are usually greasy. The cheeks and area around eyes are dry. This is the most common skin type.

Apart from these, there are other types which are exaggerated versions of the main types, they have been dealt with separately under skin problems, ageing skin, and so on.

The skin ages for a number of reasons. It will naturally age with increasing loss of flexibility as collagen and elastin within the epidermis slowly becomes less elastic.

Also it has been proven that sun light speeds up the ageing process of the skin caused by UVA and UVB wavelengths from the sun. The other external factors such as the free radical produced in the vehicle exhaust gases, dirty industrial processes and smoking can further speed the ageing process of otherwise healthy skin.

But one need not worry as plants and fruits that are available in abundance play a major role in the protection of the skin. Plant oils may be used to form a protective moisturizing layer that reduces water loss from the epidermis of the skin and hence increases the hydration of the skin. This increases the 'plumping' of the tissues, contributing to a smoothing of the wrinkles.

Best Tips on getting Anti Aging Skin
The rejuvenation of the skin has also become an important aspect of modern cosmetic care. Many professional techniques are used. These range from plastic surgery for total or partial face lifts, chemical peeling, collagen implants, and laser therapies and so on.

We have been working with natural substances for skin rejuvenation, as we found that natural extracts, used in specialized treatment, help to minimize the signs that we associate with ageing.

You can use a clinical procedure consisting of specialized cleansing and toning, followed by use of the some good mask, which has been endowed by modern techniques and perfected by the substitution of herbal extracts. It should have the extracts that are known to stimulate the regeneration of new cells.

Among these are Malkangni and Padmaka (Himalayan Wild Cherry), Saffron, Aloe Vera, Rose, Bael, Mint and so on. The mask ingredients are applied on the skin and allowed to harden. As it hardens, the mask generates heat and creates the ideal temperature at which the skin's capacity to absorb products is enhanced.

The heat increases blood circulation to the surface. As the mask cools down and becomes hard, it tightens the pores and tissues, sculpting the jawline. It also helps to minimize wrinkles, improve muscle tone, skin elasticity and revitalizes the skin.

The mask acts as a complete cosmetic treatment, because it helps to improve the skin's normal functions. It restores balances, improves cell respiration and speeds up the process of cell renewal.

In fact, it is a mini face-lift. When the mask is hard, it comes off in one piece, leaving the skin tighter, rejuvenated and porcelain-like.

You can try out some of these recipes for home remedy facials. Most of the ingredients should be in your kitchen right now.

Almond Scrub

Perfect for normal to oily skin. Use a small amount on moistened skin and always use an upward stroke to apply.

* 1 1/2 tsp. finely ground almonds

* 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

* 1 tsp. rolled oats

* 1 drop sandalwood

* 1 drop rosemary

* 1 tsp. glycerin

Strawberries and Cream Astringent
(for oily or blemished skin)

* 1 handful strawberries

* 1 heaping T. heavy cream

Mash strawberries by hand or in a blender.
Add heavy cream and mix well.
Spread thickly on face and neck (a shaving brush is handy for this) and let your skin benefit for 10 minutes.
Tissue off, then splash face and neck with cool water.

Blemished Skin Mask

* 1 tomato, ripe, chopped

* 1 tsp. lemon juice

* 1 TBSP. instant style oatmeal or old fashioned rolled oats

Blend everything until just combined.
Apply to the skin, making sure the mixture is thick enough to stay on the blemished areas.
If necessary add a little more oatmeal to thicken the mask

Herbal Facial Mask
(Cleans and Tightens Pores)

* 1 tbs. honey

* 1 egg

* 1 tsp. crumbled dried chamomile flowers

* 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh mint

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Apply the mixture to your face and neck.
Let dry about 10 to 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Oily Skin Cleanser

* 2 tablespoons of cornstarch

* 2 tablespoons of glycerin

* 1/2 cup

Mix until smooth.
Heat in a double broiler pan.
Heat until thick and clear; it will have the consistency of pudding. Do not boil.
Cool completely, Use in place of soap to cleanse your skin.
(If jelly is too thick, you may thin it by adding a little water, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.)

Homemade Facial Mask for sensitive skin
Warm a small pot of honey in a double boiler, then test a small amount on your hand to make sure it's not too hot.
When warm, apply the honey generously over your entire face.
Leave the mask on for 15 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly with warm, then cool water.

Here you can also learn a little about the chemical option in skincare therapy for more chronic and severe skincare problems.

Basics of acne treatment

a) Topical agents- Acne can be treated effectively with topical agents, although the response sometimes is very slow.

b) Cosmetics- Abstain from cosmetics causing skin irritation. Use water-based and non-comedogenic cosmetics.

Avoid greasy ointments and vegetable oils, parabens, lanolin, glycol, alcohol, petroleum oils and oleic acid in cosmetics.

c) Oils- Oils, like coconut oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil (soothes and heals scars) and tea tree oil (fights infection due to it's antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties) are good for acne.

c) Diet- Avoid fried, greasy and sweet foods and foods with iodine (fish and iodized salt).
Include extra doses of vitamin A in your skincare diet after consulting a dietician.

d) Cleansing and exfoliating- Develop a regular habit of skin cleansing. Remove all your make-up at bedtime. Exfoliate with a gentle scrub 3-4 times per week.

e) Hydration- Drink 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day. Increase intake of water rich fruits and vegetables like cucumber, melon etc. Water flushes out toxins from the body and opens up blocked pores.

f) Humidity- Avoid excessive humid conditions like saunas or cooking in a poorly ventilated kitchen.

g) Picking- Do not pick the pimples and blackheads.

h) Stress- Beat stress. Try the relaxation and deep breathing techniques of yoga.

i) Sun- Avoid unnecessary sun exposure. Use proper protection like a sunscreen.

j) Exercise- Exercise to relieve stress and improve blood circulation to fight acne-causing bacteria more efficiently.

Treatment of different types of acne:

1) Mild acne:
Topical agents like gels and lotions are best for mild acne. For convincing improvement, it might take several weeks of continuous use. Suitable topical agents might be-

a) Benzoyl peroxide (cream, lotion or gel)- Due to excess oil secretion, the pores are clogged and become nests for bacteria which is responsible for inflammation and swelling. This medication eradicates the bacteria and removes dead cells from the skin

b) Retinoic acid- This is a very mild topical agent and in some cases might take as long as over a month to show results. At first it aggravates the acne and then slowly treats it by removing the dead cells.

c) Sulfur- This medication helps to heal blemishes.

d) Salicylic acid- This medication cleans up the pores, removes dirt and oil and is specially effective for treatment of blackheads.

e) Azelaic acid- (non-toxic and very mild) Due to it's antibacterial properties, this medicine attacks the bacteria that causes acne, reduces inflammation with it's free radicals and restores the skin's structure. It also removes persistent dark spots left behind by acne.

2) Moderate acne:

In addition to the above-mentioned medicines, this type of acne needs some oral antibiotics which are-

a) Ibuprofen- This medicine is non-steroidal and fights inflammation.

b) Isotretinoin- This drug, derived from vitamin A, is very effective in fighting persistent or relapsing acne and scars made by acne.

It markedly reduces sebum production, kills acne-producing bacteria and combats inflammation.

If sole use of topical agents fail, then this medication can be used in combination.

c) Spironolactone- This medicine, an anti-androgen, has a direct effect on the sebaceous gland reducing sebum production and comedone formation. It is generally prescribed for females.

d) Tetracycline- This antibiotic kills acne bacteria and is quite effective for cystic acne but not for blackheads.

e) Doxycycline- This antibiotic is used for killing acne bacteria. It is generally more effective than tetracycline.

3) Severe acne:

Individuals with severe acne need help from a dermatologist and also oral medications.

It takes quite a long time to determine whether it is moderate or severe acne. Accordingly determining the treatment method is also delayed.

First, oral isotretinoin is tried with the patient.

If no positive result is shown within the next few weeks, then high dosage of oral antibiotics or anti-androgens (in case of females) can be used for long term, sometimes a year to treat this kind of acne.

Vitamin care for Skin

Vitamins are essential for good health, growth and important metabolic processes of the body. A deficiency of Vitamins over a period of time leads to specific diseases.

Vitamins have been divided into two groups - the water soluble vitamins, like Vitamins C and B-Complex and the fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K.

The body can store fat-soluble vitamins. The B-Complex Vitamins consist of 12 Vitamins that form a complex. Being water-soluble, Vitamin B Complex, like Vitamin C, is present in the water content of fruits and vegetables.

They are sensitive to heat and are destroyed in cooking. Ensure adequate supply of the B Complex Vitamins and Vitamin C by taking raw fruits and vegetables daily.

A s far as the external appearance is concerned, the old adage "internal health for external beauty" always holds good, more so today, in the face of scientific research.

Let us see the benefits of nutrients on the appearance.

Vitamin C for skin

Vitamin C is essential for the health of collagen, the supportive tissues of the skin. It has an action on connective tissue and is essential for collagen synthesis.

Therefore, it helps to keep the skin firm and resilient and delays the formation of wrinkles and lines. It also strengthens the immune system and protects the body from degeneration.

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, like oranges, lemons and grapefruit and also in amla, tomato, beetroot, sprouted grains and green leafy vegetables.

Studies conducted on citrus fruits indicate that the bioflavinoids in the pith acted like estrogens, the female sex hormone. Estrogen is responsible for healthy skin and hair.

The exact action of the actual fruit cannot be duplicated by vitamin supplements.

Vitamin A and regeneration of Skin

Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining the youth of the skin, as it helps the process of cell regeneration. It keeps the skin soft and smooth. Vitamin A can be obtained from milk, fish, Carrots, cabbage, papaya.

Benefits of Vitamin B Complex on Skin

B-Complex Vitamins promote and protect the good health of the skin and hair, along with minerals like iron, iodine and copper. They restore health and lustre to the hair and may even play a role in delaying greying.

In fact, adequate quantities of vitamins and minerals keep age-related changes at bay.

Nutritionists agree that diets that are high in the B-Complex Vitamins can help to cure hair problems like dandruff and brittle hair, apart from checking hair loss and promoting growth.

Wholegrain cereals, soya beans, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, yoghurt and Brewer's yeast are rich sources of Vitamin B-Complex.

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