It's Time to Take Care of Your Skin!
WHAT IS SKIN?
skin is your body's largest organ, covering every single surface of your body. It is continually repairing and renewing itself. When you are young , the main complaints are greasy skin and acne. But as you grow older, the skin gets dry and the challenge is to counteract the dryness of the skin. However, you can have beautiful skin no matter what your age, race or color. The secret is to understand how your skin functions, and how to treat it correctly.
FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN:
The skin has several important functions.
1- It provides a protective barrier from all outsides environmental influences, and exposure to disease organisms such as harmful bacteria and infections, wind and ultraviolet rays from sunshine.
2- It acts as a thermostat, retaining heat or cooling you down with sweat.
3- It acts as a waste disposal. certain waste is expelled from your body 24 hours a day through your skin.
4- It provides you with a sense of touch.
5- The skin is the main body's organ of sexual attraction.
The skin has three layers. The inner most layer is known as the hypo-dermis, the middle layer is called the Dermis, and the outer layer is known as the Epidermis.
THE EPIDERMIS:
This is the top layer of skin and the one you can actually see. It protects your body from infections and help to seal in moisture. It's built up of several layers of living cells which produced at its base. They quickly die and are pushed up to the surface by the arrival of new ones. These dead cells eventually flake away, which means that every new layer of skin is another chance to have a soft, smooth and glowing complexion. The lower levels of living cells are fed by the blood supply from underneath, whereas the upper dead cells only need water to ensure they're kept plump and smooth. The epidermis is responsible for your coloring, as it holds the skin's pigment.
THE DERMIS:
The dermis is the layer that lies underneath the epidermis, and it is composed entirely of living cells. It consists of bundles of tough fibers which give the skin its elasticity, strength and firmness. There are also blood vessels which feed vital nutrients to these areas.Whereas the epidermis can usually repair itself and make itself as good as new, the dermis will be permanently damaged by injury.
PROTEIN FIBERS (COLLAGEN AND ELASTIN):
Collagen and elastin are fibers that make up the supporting structure of the skin. Collagen gives skin its firmness while elastin keeps skin tight. Both of these fibers are plentiful in young skin and start to break down with natural aging and as a result of sun exposure.
SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE OR HYPO-DERMIS:
The subcutaneous tissue is a layer of fat and connective tissue that houses larger blood vessels and nerves. The size of this layer varies throughout the body and from person to person.
How to Identify Your Real Skin Type!
To determine the type of skin you have, wipe your face with a dry tissue when you wake up in the morning. If there is oil on the tissue, the skin is greasy type. If there is grease on the center panel only, then it is a combination skin. If there is no grease on the tissue at all, it is either a dry or a normal skin. If the skin is left feeling stretched or too tight, shiny and parched, it is dry skin. If the skin feels smooth, supple and elastic, it is normal skin. It is important to know the type of skin you have, as it plays a major role in determining the strategies for skin care.
TYPES OF SKIN
There are five major types of skin.
1-NORMAL SKIN:
Normal skin has an even tone, soft, a smooth texture, no visible pores, or blemishes and no greasy patches or flaky areas. This type of skin has a clear fine textured, supple and smooth surface which is neither greasy nor dry. It glows with an inner health which stems from good blood circulation and excellent health. There may be occasional pimples in women just before menstruation due to increased hormonal activity, which makes sebaceous glands overactive. Acne is, however not a problem for people with normal skin. It is beautiful, but it needs care if it is to last. Neglect can lead to signs of aging and wrinkling.
SKIN CARE FOR NORMAL SKIN:
The only care to this skin requires is cleaning it twice a day with a mild baby soap and water and toned with something mild, like rose water.At night, to keep your skin's normal moisture-balance apply a thin film of homemade moisturizer.
Any time your skin becomes slightly oily or slightly dry in any area correct these tendencies by following the advice given regarding these types of skin.
Follow every cleansing with a mild freshener to keep pores tight and to remove traces of cleanser clinging to the skin. Use an astringent with low alcohol content.
Avoid direct heat on the face including that from blow dryers.
Always use a mild oil-based moisturizer under makeup to help retain surface moisture.
Guard against the drying aging effects of the sun by using the makeup products that contain a sunscreen.
Once every two weeks, stimulates the circulation and smooth the surface of the skin by using the non-drying mask.
2-OILY SKIN:
Oily skin is shiny, thick and dull colored. Often a chronically oily skin has a coarse pores and pimples and other embarrassing blemishes. It is prone to blackheads. In this type of skin, the oil producing sebaceous glands are overactive and produce more oil than is needed. The oil oozes and gives the skin a greasy shine. The pores are enlarged and the skin has a coarse look.
CAUSES OF OILY:
Heredity
Diet
Hormone levels
Pregnancy
Birth control pills
Cosmetic you use
Humidity and Hot weather
Because of the hormonal shifts of adolescence, oily skin is prevalent problem among teenagers, but it can occur at any age. In general skin tends to become dryer with age. The flow of sebum (oil) increases during adolescence and starts decreasing with age. During pregnancy and menopause, hormonal imbalances can also upset the oil balance and increase the activity of sebaceous glands.
SKIN CARE FOR OILY SKIN:
The great advantage of oily skin is that it ages at a slower rate than other types of skin.
Oily skin needs special cleansing with plenty of hot water and soap to prevent the pores from being clogged. Avoid harsh products that strip your skin'oil and encourage flakiness. They can cause a reaction known as reactive seborrhea . Where the oil glands work overtime to compensate for the loss of natural oils.
Avoid skin care products that leave your skin feeling taut and dehydrated. They cause the upper layers of the skin to shrink. This restricts oil flow through the pores leading to blockages and breakouts.
Keep your skin very clean. Limit washing your face to two or three times a day. Too much washing will stimulate your skin to produce more oil.
Choose your cleanser with care. Use a pure soap with no artificial additives. Try an antibacterial cleansing lotions or lightly medicated soap,and use it in combination with a water rich in minerals, not tap water. Do not use cleansers or lotions that contain alcohol. After cleansing, apply a natural oil-free moisturizer to keep the skin supple.
Use hot water when washing your face. Hot water dissolves skin's sebum (oil) better than lukewarm or cold water.
When cleansing, massage your face well with your fingertips, using upward and outward motion. Be careful not to rub soap into the skin, it can clog pores.
If your skin is scaly, you can correct the problem by using deep cleaning exfoliant on alternate nights and following the treatment with a light coat of moisturizer. Try using a clay or mud mask. If your skin is sensitive, use white or rose-colored clay.
If your skin is extremely oily, three or four daily cleansings may be in order and little or no moisturizing necessary before you are 30 years old. After that point, the skin around your eyes and mouth and on your throat may benefit from a nightly moisturizing. Plus a mere touch of moisturizer in the morning.
Use a light antiseptic night cream from time to time if you wish, and apply a clarifying mask one or two times a week.
Before applying make-up, use an antiseptic day cream with active ingredients that diminish sebaceous secretions. Look for the benzyl peroxide in the list of active ingredients.
3-DRY SKIN:
washing unless some type of moisturizer or skin cream is applied. Chapping and cracking are signs of extremely dry, dehydrated skin. This type of skin is tightly drawn over the bones. It looks dull, especially on the cheeks and around the eyes. There may be tiny expression lines on these spots and at the comers of the mouth.
CAUSES OF DRY SKIN:
The oil glands do not supply the enough lubrication to the skin. As a result, skin becomes dry and dehydrated.
Skin gets exposed to the elements especially in winter.
Dry skin could be due to a genetic condition.
Poor diet. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin-A and the B-vitamins, can also contribute to dry skin.
Environmental factors such as exposure to sun, wind, cold, chemicals, or cosmetics, or excessive bathing with harsh soaps.
Serious skin complications can arise for people with diabetes.
A number of medicines have the side effects of drying out the skin. They include drugs for:
Acne and other skin conditions, like retinoids.
HOW TO CARE FOR DRY SKIN:
Wash with a soap-less cleanser when you shower. Gentle soaps that are free of fragrance are a great option. Products with deodorant or antibacterial additives can be harsh on skin.
Short warm showers on baths that last no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Afterwards, gently pat dry and moisturize your body.
Sun damage is one of the main cause behind dry skin, wrinkles and roughness. You can help prevent that damage by wearing a broad-spectrum SPF-30 sunscreen year-round and dressing right.
The simplest moisturizing products can soothe the dry skin. Petroleum jelly makes a great moisturizer.
Moisturize your hands every time you wash them so that evaporating water doesn't draw even more moisture from your dry skin.
Ointments and creams are more effective and less irritating than lotions. Look for a cream or ointment that contains an oil such as olive oil, or jojoba oil. Shea butter also works well.
4-COMBINATION SKIN:
Combination skin is a combination of both oily and dry skin. There is a greasy center panel consisting of nose, forehead, and chin and a dry panel consisting of cheeks, mouth and the areas around the eyes. If you are unsure of your skin's oily and dry areas, press a tissue to your face an hour after washing it. Any greasy patches on the tissue signify the oily areas.
HOW TO CARE FOR COMBINATION SKIN:
Because your skin-type has a combination of dry and oily patches, you need a twin approach to skin care. Treating your entire complexion like oily skin will leave the dry areas even drier and tighter than before. In the same way, treating it only like dry skin can provoke excess oiliness and even a breakout of blemishes. This means you need to deal with the different areas of skin individually with products to suit. This is not as complicated and difficult as it sounds, and the result will be a softer, smoother, and clearer complexion than before!
Choose an oil-based eye make-up remover to clear away traces of eye make-up from this delicate area which is prone to dryness. Splash with cool water afterwards to rinse away any excess oil.
Use a foaming facial wash in the morning to cleanse your skin. This will ensure the oily areas are clean, and that the pores on your nose are kept clear to prevent blackheads and blemishes. In the evening, switch to a cream cleanser to ensure the dry areas of skin are kept clean and soothed on a daily basis. This will give you a balance between excess oiliness or excess dryness in your complexion. Massage well into your skin, concentrating on the drier areas, then gently remove with cotton-wool(cotton)pads.
To freshen your skin, you need to buy two different strength of toners, to deal with the differing areas of skin. Choose a stronger astringent for the oily areas, and a mild skin freshener for the drier ones. This is not as expensive as you think, because you will only need to use a little of each. Sweep over your skin with cotton-wool (cotton) pads.
Smooth moisturizer onto your entire skin, concentrating on the drier areas. Then blot off any excess from the oily areas with a tissue. This will give all your skin the nourishment it needs.
5-SENSITIVE SKIN:
A sensitive skin is a thin or a fine textured skin. It reacts quickly to both heat and cold; therefore, it sunburns and windburn easily. It is commonly dry, delicate and prone to allergic reactions. It may have fine broken veins across the cheeks and nose. There are varying levels of sensitivity. If you feel you can't use any products on your skin without irritating it, cleans with a solution of glycerin and rose water. These should soothe it.
SPECIAL CARE FOR YOUR SENSITIVE SKIN:
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