Five Common Skin Care Mistakes To Avoid

Five Common Skin Care Mistakes To Avoid

The key to an effective skin care routine is to keep it simple. If you're spending so much time morning and evening on skin care that it's exhausting - you're going overboard. Likewise if you're spending a fortune on drawers full of bottles and jars only to be persuaded by the next new miracle product again and again. Cut back, keep things to a minimum and your skin will thank you for it. Embracing simplicity in your skin care routine will help you avoid mistake number one.

#1 Assuming more is better.

As with make-up and perfume, slathering on skin-care products will not improve their performance. Many women assume that if a little of something is good, more will be better. But falling into such a pattern of thinking can even be dangerous for your skin. Products like over-the-counter skin peels can be very effective, if used according to the instructions provided - but can easily irritate your skin and cause lasting damage if not used carefully.

#2 Using Soap

But be careful not to go too far toward the ascetic with skin care. Soap is definitely to be avoided - even if it makes skin care quick and simple, the convenience is not worth the drying effect soap will have on your skin. It strips your skin of its natural oil barrier. Switch to a gentle cleanser as soon as you can.

#3 Cleansing Only Once a Day

Many people have a routine that they follow diligently every morning and then don't cleanse at night. Not cleansing at night will leave your skin's pores clogged with the make-up and sunscreen from the day, not to mention the dirt and grime that has settled onto your skin as you rushed through the day. No matter how tired you feel - cleans your skin when you get home.

#4 Not Drinking Enough Water

What you put inside your body will have immediate and lasting impact on the appearance of your skin and drinking lots of water (8 glasses a day!) will help your body to help itself. Your skin, the largest organ in your body, isn't just there to keep your insides together. It also works hard to regulate temperature, help eliminate toxins from your system and a myriad other jobs. Drinking a lot of water can help flush out your system, improve your digestion and hydration. Your first step in any skin care regime should be to pay more attention the hydration and nourishment you provide for your body. If you ignore this aspect of skin care, no cream or lotion will be able to cover up the damage.

#5 Being Careless About Sun Protection.

Sun damage is a leading cause of aging and slapping on a bit of sun-cream in the morning before you dash out the door will do very little to help you avoid the photo-aging effects of UV. Stay out of the sun in the middle of the day as much as you can, wear a wide brimmed hat and apply a high quality, high SPF sunscreen often to protect your skin.

Michael Russell

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Good Skin Care is Important

Good Skin Care is Important

Good skin care is essential to graceful aging. Babies have smooth, soft skin that is wrinkle free and moist. Over time harsh elements in the environment wear on the skin making is dryer and tougher. With age comes wrinkles and sagging in the skin. Good skin care can slow down the harmful effects of time and the environment.

Before good skin care can be attempted, it is important to have a thorough understanding of how the skin operates. Skin consists of three layers. The inner most layer is the subcutaneous tissue. The tissue in the subcutaneous layer contains fat cells, which insulate the body. The middle layer is the dermis. The dermis contains the connective tissues.

The outermost layer of skin is called the epidermis. The purpose of the epidermis is to protect the inner skin from environmental contaminants. Cells in the epidermis continuously travel from the inner most part of the epidermis to the surface, flaking off once they reach the top. The cells in the epidermis become thinner over time. Less collagen is produced causing skin to lose its elasticity. This causes the skin to sag and wrinkle.

The number of sweat glands also decrease over time leading to dryer skin. As people age, cells in the subcutaneous layer become smaller also contributing to the sagging and wrinkling. UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight thin the epidermis even more. They also contribute to a faster breakdown of collagen in the dermis.

Good skin care requires cleansing and moisturizing. Cleansing is essential to remove dirt and dead skin cells. It helps to prevent pimples or acne. Cleansing, however, can dry out the skin. Cleansing removes the oil on the skin, which retains moisture. As a result moisturizers are needed to restore water to the skin and protect the skin.

Special liquid cleaners are recommended over using traditional bar soap. Liquid cleansers can be made with moisturizer to combat the drying agents in the cleansers. The type of cleaner chosen depends on the skin type of the person using it. Vitamin E is often included in good skin care products as it helps moisturize the skin.

It also maintains elasticity. The type of moisturizer used is important as well. A heavier moisturizer should be used at night while a thinner, lighter moisturizer is recommended for daytime use.

Good skin care requires a lot of effort. A regime of cleaning and moisturizing should be followed everyday in order to be effective. Avoiding exposure to the sun and tanning is ideal to prevent the harmful effects of radiation. Application of sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 is helpful as well. Smoking should be avoided.

A healthy diet is beneficial in improving the elasticity of the skin. Drinking water is essential to good skin care. Water helps the body function better. It also cleans the pores from the inside. It re-hydrates the skin, which helps the skin stay moist. Keeping good habits in addition to good skin care will help the skin age gracefully and beautifully.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Skin Care

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Benefits Of Coconut Oil – Homemade Skin Care And More

Benefits Of Coconut Oil – Homemade Skin Care And More

Coconuts are solid, oval shaped, fruits produced by the palm tree. Palm trees are found in more than eighty-six countries around the world, mostly located in the tropics. Some people refer to the coconut tree as the "tree of life" because of the rich vitamins and minerals found in coconuts. Coconut oil is extracted from coconuts. This natural oil is a solid fat, white in color, appears crystalline and offers a multitude of benefits. The benefits of coconut oil include:

Prevents pre-mature aging of skin

Repairs damaged skin tissue

Wards off sun damage

Helps bring back youthful appearance

Helps prevent yeast infection in skin

Aids in removing dead skin cells(

Helps eliminate plantar warts / athlete's foot (when mixed with garlic)(

Helps keep connective skin tissue strong and supple

Protects against liver spots on skin(

Helps reduce chronic skin inflammation

Soothing for wounds(

Combats wrinkles, skin discoloration, wrinkles(

Assist in treating psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis (

Reduces roughness or dry skin scaling

Soothing for chapped or irritated lips(

Firms, softens, smoothes and moisturizes skin

Helps prevent acne, herpes and warts

Softens hair

(Conditions scalp(

Helps get rid of dandruff

Has an antiseptic, antifungal and anti-bacterial property

High in anti-oxidants(

Contains health promoting nutrients

Protects against arthritis, heart disease, cancer and diabetes

Aids in digestion

Strengthens immune system

Stimulates metabolism(

Helps yield a fluffy lather in soap

Improves thyroid function

Escalates energy levels

Has an anti-viral property(

Has stress relieving aroma

Many commercial skin care products such as soap, lotion, and cream, are made with cheap refined vegetable oils. Sometimes chemical solvents are used during this refining process. During this refining process, anti-oxidants are stripped away allowing skin to be vulnerable for free-radical generation, causing skin to age faster. Instead, coconut oil is high in anti-oxidants penetrating the underlying skin tissues preventing and protecting against the formation of free radicals. Virgin coconut oil is non-hydrogenated containing a lauric acid, a natural anti-microbial proven to fight viruses and bacteria.

Some commercial body care products tend not to, even, use cheap refined vegetable oils. Instead, they use something worse such as mineral oil and byproducts of refined oil. Also, foaming agents and surfactants are often added to commercial soap to generate lather. These chemicals are known to cause allergy and skin sensitization.

Many commercial soaps are now including chemically produced, unnatural, anti-bacterial agents, like Triclosan, in order to claim the soap has anti-bacterial properties. Triclosan is an environmental toxin in its own right and is still completely legal to add to commercial soap! Now that is a skin care concern!

How is coconut oil used? It is found in a variety of bath and body products. It is found in many foods and used for cooking or frying. It is used as massage oil for relieving stress, tension or anxiety. It is used in a variety of ways.

There is natural homemade goat milk lotion, handcrafted with virgin coconut oil and other natural ingredients. This homemade lotion comes in a variety of natural fragrances including: lavender, juicy orange and peppy citrus. It also comes, Au natural, unscented with no added fragrance. This natural homemade lotion is extremely mild and gentle. It soothes and moisturizes dry skin, dry itchy skin, sensitive skin, dry flaky skin and more.

Natural homemade goat milk soap, containing coconut oil, is available in bar and liquid varieties. This homemade soap comes in natural fragrances such as: orange tree, peppy citrus, peppermint coffee, lavender, aloe and oats and, even, a unique alpaca wool felted soap! It also comes au natural, unscented, with no added fragrance.

Natural goat milk soap is extremely healthful for many different skin types. People with psoriasis, eczema, dry flaky skin, acne and more notice the difference between using natural goat milk soap and regular commercial soap the very time they use it! Goat milk soap is extremely mild and gentle with healthful skin care properties. This natural homemade soap, made with coconut oil, offers nice bubbly lather compared to commercial soap using foaming agents and cheap mineral oil.

You do not need to use commercial skin products that use cheap refined vegetable oils, cheap mineral oils, foaming agents, surfactants, unnatural, chemically produced, anti-bacterial agents and more. Instead you can find homemade skin care products using natural coconut oil and other natural skin care ingredients. The coconut oil benefits are multiple and healthful!

By: Susan Katchur

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Five Things Essential to Skin Care

Five Things Essential to Skin Care

By Michael Russell

Skin care is a delicate matter. Skin is baby soft when we are born and becomes dryer, rougher and more saggy as time goes by. Hormones can cause pores to clog, which will result in pimples and acne. Age causes skin to sag and wrinkle.

The environment and life choices such as smoking can further the damage. Five things in particular are useful in fighting the effects of time and our surrounding on our skin.

All skin care routines should begin with a good cleanser. It is important to take note of what kind of skin you have. Some people have oily skin while others have dry tight skin. Some people have a combination of both types. There are also many people with sensitive skin.

Many cleansers are specially formulated to fit any skin type. Excess oil on the skin can lead to an increase in pimples. Dry skin feels extremely tight immediately after cleansing. Dry skin may flake off. Combination skin will feel oily in the T zone and dry elsewhere. Good skin care requires cleansing in the morning and at night.

Moisturizer is the second thing that is essential to skin care. Moisturizer helps to restore natural oils washed away during cleansing. Lotions used on the body should not be applied to the face. Certain moisturizers are specially formulated to protect against wrinkles as you age.

Some moisturizers contain sunscreen to help protect against the sun during the day. Different moisturizers should be used at night to revitalize the skin while you sleep. Moisturizer should always be a part of any skin care routine.

Water is the third thing that should be included in any skin care regimen. It is recommended that you drink 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday.

Water is needed to help the body function properly. It also helps to cleanse the pores and keep skin looking vibrant and radiant. Water helps to keep the skin hydrated from the inside.

Exercise is also important to skin care. Many experts agree that exercise can improve the look and feel of skin. Exercise improves circulation and helps to flush out toxins.

It helps to deliver nutrients to the skin and encourages the production of collagen, which reduces wrinkles. Exercise is also effective in reducing stress, which can in turn reduce acne. It is important to remember to cleanse immediately following exercise to prevent the pores from getting clogged.

Diet is the final essential ingredient in a good skin care regimen. Like water, a healthy diet keeps the body functioning properly. Diet is also responsible for delivering important nutrients to our skin.

Vitamin A obtained from low fat dairy products will help keep skin looking vibrant. Antioxidant rich foods such as berries will help skin appear younger. Healthy oils help keep the skin hydrated. Green tea, whole grains, salmon and nuts are all beneficial to skin as well.

Good skin care doesn't come easy. With these 5 things, skin will be healthy, vibrant and younger for a long time to come.

Michael Russell

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Some Simple Acne Skin Care Advice

Some Simple Acne Skin Care Advice

There are various things that you can do to assist in keeping your acne under control. Although there is no total system that will work for everybody regarding getting rid of acne, there are a few basic routines you can follow that can help you to control it.

If you are one of the lucky minority then you may even be able to prevent it from occurring to you altogether. However for most individuals, executing these simple steps will in any case, reduce the degree with which it occurs.

In any event, handling your acne is something that you should take responsibility for if you are to have any likelihood of curing it at all.

Correct Cleansing.

Since acne is mostly triggered by bacteria that enters the pores on your face, the basic thing that you need to do is to prevent this from occurring. Although there is no way to prevent bacteria from getting onto your face, it is feasible for you to eliminate it before it becomes a problem.

You ought to purchase a top quality cleansing product. There are lots on the market but you want to search for ones that have antibacterial qualities to them. Usually you can uncover antibacterial preparations especially intended for acne care.

Bear in mind that no matter how correctly you clean your face there will always be at the very least, some bacteria existing there. The bacteria that causes acne happens naturally on your skin so the intention here is not to strive to entirely do away with all bacteria from your skin.

The theory is that by significantly reducing the presence of bacteria the probability of your acne taking place are also reduced.

A supplementary step in the reduction of skin bacteria is to use good exfoliating products. Dead skin on the surface of your skin can play a part in your degree of acne also.

They can in fact obstruct your pores and add to the essential conditions for acne to crop up from the outset. These dead skin cells can be utilized by bacteria as source of food so that they can multiply and also offer the bacteria a suitable environment in which to thrive. Getting rid of this exhausted skin is extremely effortless to do using exfoliating skin care products which are easy to find.

As a closing statement on cleansing keep in mind that skin having acne is already in a irritated state. Both skin cleaning and the removal of dead skin must be completed quite gently utilizing quality products. Never give in to the temptation to rub the skin roughly as this will only aggravate the situation.

For some acne sufferers, just washing the skin properly is adequate to drop the quantity of acne that develops. For other acne sufferers, though, this is not sufficient. Such individuals should look for the guidance of a skin specialist or find a good acne treatment program.

In the field of addressing and clearing acne, there are scores of programs available that can help. The most helpful thing that you can carry out, though, is to take care that you utilize them on a regular basis as suggested. Not everybody can own a flawless complexion, but many people will experience help in these products to prevent acne as well as acne remedies.

By: Rob Robilliard

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