The Art of Skin Care:

Skin Types

*Normal- Well balanced skin is not considered to be oily nor dry.

*Dry- Skin that is dry and problematic, inability to keep/produce its own moisture. 

*Oily- An overproduction of oil glands, causing the skin to be continuously oily (grease)

*Combination- Imbalance of dryness and oils in various areas.

*Sensitive- Reacts with sensitivity and prone to being inflamed. 

We would all like to have a product that fixes everything at once but that has yet to be invented. However, one thing all skin types have in common is the need to be moisturized. Now, In order to treat your skin properly & get the best outcome, the first step is to know your skin type, your area(s) of concern, products you have used in  the past and what your ultimate goal is.

Above I have listed the skin types, you may find that you have more than just one area of concern and that is quite okay. Many people have normal to dry skin and lean toward mainly moisturizing while others are afraid to moisturize because their skin is already producing too much oil. Lets move ahead and break each type down into categories and how to take care of the skin your in based on what is problematic for you.

Normal skin type:

When working with normal skin type, it may sound like the easiest thing to do but is it really quite that simple? No, not really! A person with normal skin still have the occasional breakouts that is usually caused by clogged pores or what I like to call hormonal perfect skin interference. In order to be ahead of the game, daily exfoliation is a necessity in y book, it cleans those pores which will prevent them from clogging resulting in less breakouts. I believe it is wise to do a gentle pre wash with luke warm water to open up those pores followed by a light exfoliate in a circular motion followed by a rinse with cool water  (not COLD) to help those pores to close up just enough to keep dirt out but let the moisturizer sink in. 

Got Dry skin: 

Dry skin can be super irritating, can we fix that? Most certainly! When we think of dry we think MOISTURIZE, and that is exactly correct to a point. Looking for a great moisturizer? Consider SkintoSkin Moisturizing Aloe Face Cream, it penetrates the layers of the skin treating underlying dryness which results in a more smoother and softer outer layer ( I use this product). To improve your skin even more, the absolute and best secret is one that cost almost nothing, HYDRATION by way of increasing your water intake. You will be surprised to see what a difference a little extra H2O can make in a weeks time. Increasing your water intake coupled with a great moisturizer can change more than you can imagine. 

Oil Overload:

Arggg the oily pore! So you cleanse your skin in the morning, you feel great you look great until a few hours later when the surprise of unfriendly oil decides to pay you  a visit. Problem areas of oil tends to be above the brows, on the forehead, nose and chin and even the cheeks at times. What can ya do, are there any fixes for this issue? Well, you may have heard all bout the milk of magnesia take the shine away trick, and it might just work but who wants to be sitting on the pooper stooper at the end of each day? Yep, Milk of Magnesia can be absorbed through the skin and I would NOT recommend it be used for something other than its intended purpose. Well what are my other options? I can speak first hand on this one, what has worked wonders for me are products such as S2S African  black soap facial cleanser with tea tree extract.

Combination skin:

Now this skin type can be tricky, oily skin in the center and dry on the outside or visa versa? How do you handle this type of problem? Simple, here's a trick --exfoliate the centerline just a little more than you would the outer areas. Why? Think about it, the more oil there is simply means there is an overproduction in that area. Exfoliating that area more means clearing those oily buildups which is necessary. Now if you have sensitive skin, be careful with this because you do not want to irritate that area so do this step gently. On the areas that are prone to being dry, after washing and moisturizing use a product with an oil base such as Vaseline to lock the moisture in. There are various products that are not heavy that  can be used to achieve this and one great one is the good ole     Bio-oil. (pssst Vaseline also keeps skin smooth and youthful over time).

Sensitive skin:

A great product for sensitive skin is Cetaphil, I recommend following up with Olay Regenerist  for moisturizing. Keep this routine going and you will see the results as long lasting, simple yet satisfying.  

Additional treatments to consider for problematic skin:

Scar & Hyperpigmentation:

Scaring

One of the most sought after treatments for acne resulting in scaring are peels,:

Azelaic acid peel

Mandelic Acid Peel

Chemical Peels ( ex: Lactic,  Sylicyclic, Glycolic)

Hyperpigmentation:

Utilize those Sunscreens  

Vitamin C 

Retinoids

Niacinamide

Kojic Acid Soap

Hydroquinone.

blackheads- We want to give the skin a good steam to open up the pores, once you get access to these troubled pores that are hanging on to back/white heads utilize products such as xxxx to grab them and pull them on out. If you have a lot of black/whiteheads n you nose, follow these steps and use Biore it works wonders

1) Steam 

2) Face peel mask Biore nose strips

3) wash/exfoliate

4) Apply Toner

5) Moisturize

pimples- A chemical peel, good sunscreen ( prevents discoloration, skin tends to be more sensitive after peels)  and moisturizer. 

acne scars- Mederma, Kelo Cote

acne treatment- benzoyl peroxide is a great product when speaking the language of acne, Use as directed because this can cause the skin to dry out as it dries out your  pimples. 

Glycolic Acid Peels-

Ranges from mild such as 30% and up to 80% i would not suggest doing this at home as you might cause more harm than good resulting in a chemical burn and hyperpigmentation. Glycolic peels, lactic acid peels and salicylic peels are commonly seeked out to aide in glowing skin along with the benefit of reducing fine lines and wrinkles. See a dermatologist or esthetician for a skin consultation in order to know which is best for your skincare concerns. I love these, I do a glycolic acid peel faithfully each month and it does shrink my pores and keeps my skin goldenly glowing.  

Proactive Solution- Has been on the market for quite some time, I found these products to bring everything under the surface up and then clear them out. Sometimes they work great, but if it is not for you then the next best thing is to see a dermatologist because your problematic skin just might be hormonal.

hormonal acne ( my 19yr old daughter HAD this for years) - Clascoterone  (RX needed) speak to your dermatologist for more information and options.

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