Purely Personal Skin Care

Your skin is not the same across the seasons of the year.  In the winter it becomes dry and flaky.  Summer offers challenges from the sun and heat and in the rainy season (if you have one) the humidity adds moisture to your skin.

As the summer season draws to a close it’s a good time to update your skin care regimen and prepare the for the colder months.  Here’s a good tip.

Exfoliate: Exfoliation removes dead skin cells with a combination of glycolic acid and salicylic acid.  The combination improves skin texture and tones while minimizing the appearance of pores.  The salicylic acid penetrates into the pores and effectively dissolves oil and debris.

A good exfoliator will combine some botanicals, such as camomile and eucalyptus, to soothe and calm skin inflammation and irritation caused by the acids.  After exfoliating, your skin will have a certain glow and smoothness.

Make sure your exfoliate is alcohol-free as the alcohol will dry out your skin.  As always, read the ingredients when purchasing any skin care product.  You have a better chance for success with your skin care products if you use dermatologist-formulated products.

Exfoliate once a week in the winter after you cleanse and then, of course, moisturize with a rich moisturizer designed to fight the elements.

How about the long term damage sun exposure can cause with its concomitant skin cancer and wrinkle-producing concerns?  Most sun screens do an excellent job of absorbing UVB rays, but may not do as well with UVA rays.  Many of the newer sunscreens will screen both.  The best will usually contain zinc oxide.  Zinc oxide is the white “stuff” you often get with sun protection.  The better, dermatology formulated sun screens provide the zinc oxide in very small particles and you will never have the “white” look as you apply and later perspire.  Titanium dioxide is another fabulous ingredient to look for in your sun protector.

An ideal sun screen for daily use also includes a moisturizer.  All you need to do in the morning is apply your sun screen to your face and you’re protected against UVA and UVB rays and able to fight the wrinkle-producing component of sun exposure.  You can also find a sun screen with a slight tint and avoid using make up while you’re out in the sun.

If a sunscreen has a label offering 15 SPF you can expect your skin will have absorbed only an hours worth of ultraviolet sunlight, having been used over a 15 hour period.

Sun protection is particularly important for children, as 85% of sun exposure damage occurs before the age of 18.

Make a bath a spa experience.  Gather your supplies - body scrub, foot scrub, pumice stone and razor.  Coconut oil based sugar scrubs, scented with delicate essential oils – all natural ingredients – make a bath a bathing experience.  Take some time to soak a bit – maybe read a book or magazine and allow your skin to soften and get ready for the tingly feel of a sugar scrub.  Your skin will glow and you’ll feel as though you’ve been to the spa.

Shaving is a delight as the coconut oil in the sugar scrub lubricates the skin and allows the razor to glide over the surface of your skin.  This is a multi-use product that is a pleasure to use.  You’ll feel soft and lightly scented – a truly lovely experience.

You lather with sunscreen, don a hat and shirt that’s SPF protected.  What is the area most of us forget to protect?  The lips.  However, faithfully applying and reapplying sun block to the lips keeps them kissably cancer-free.  Amazingly, the lips are a common spot for squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer.  And, guess what?  The lower lip is the more likely target as that’s where we get more sun exposure.

Please be picky about what you lather with.  Dermatologist formulated sunscreen or SPF-fortified lip balm is your best bet.  Apply and reapply several times a day, especially after eating, swimming or kissing.  Some dermatologists believe that shiny lip gloss focuses more UV rays on your lips – skip the shiny gloss for outdoor activities.

When we think of skin moisturizers, a lot of us think of the cold winter weather first, and how skin becomes chapped and dry. However, summer can be just as bad as winter for skin due to exposure to the sun. It’s important to keep skin moisturized with skin moisturizer.

There are several different kinds of sunblock that can also serve as skin moisturizer, and these can work to protect against sunburn, but won’t help as much with hydrating the skin and preventing it from cracking and peeling. For people who live in humid areas, moisturizing might not be as necessary, but for people who live in the desert or in areas with dry weather, moisturizing is essential. It’s also important to keep chapstick on hand, because the lips can become burned by the sun’s rays in addition to the skin. In fact, sunburns on the lips can be even more devastating than on the other areas of the body, so always put on chapstick, and make sure it is the correct SPF to protect against the sun.

Algae Peptides are derived from inter-tidal waters of the Hawaiian Sea.  They are used to moisturize the skin.  They contain extremely small molecules which can penetrate barriers in the epidermis (outer skin).  Algae Peptides cause tightening and firming of the skin, thereby lessening fine lines and wrinkles.

Because they are sea extracts they intensify hydration.   5% algae peptides in a moisturizer increases moisturizing by 128%!  They also increase collagen synthesis which lessens the appearance of fine lines and acne marks and results in thicker, firmer skin.  Great addition to an anti-aging moisturizer. Amazing, all the way from Hawaii.

When searching for moisturizers, look for algae peptides as a key ingredient.  Shop for dermatologist formulated skin care products and you will find the right ingredients in the right proportions to be the most effective.

Wow!  What a discovery I made the other day – all natural sugar body scrubs with a silky coconut oil base.  These sugar scrubs make you feel tingly all over.  Body scrubs act as exfoliates as well as moisturizers.  After the removal of dead skin, which occurs as you gently rub the scrub all over your body, you rinse and then gently pat dry with a nice fluffy towel.  The delicate scent stays with you.  In addition, your body feels soft and moist as the coconut oil remains in the skin.

All body scrubs are not alike.  Wonderful natural sugar scrubs, using many exotic ingredients are designed to produce healthy, happy skin – the skin you’re in.   There are ingredients that can only be found by the most knowledgeable naturopathic doctor who is familiar with the effects of each one.  Scents infuse the oil and add to the delicious feeling of well being you have after indulging in this at home spa-like treatment.  Other sugar scrubs include face and feet – the facial scrub uses brown sugar as it is a little gentler on the skin.

If you wish to treat yourself to something fabulous, try a scented, natural sugar body scrub.  I did and I will again.

>

25kuhmc3sg

Your daily skin care regimen should always include complexion protection.  Sunscreen can also include facial moisturizers, peptides and antioxidants to boost skin firmness and soften texture.  Facial sunscreen can be much more than most over-the-counter products offer.  Micronized Zinc Oxide must be included in an effective sun screen/sun block and as an active ingredient, look also for titanium dioxide.  Zinc Oxide got a bad name in the past as it left an opaque white cream where applied.  Now that it’s micronized, it is equally effective but spreads and absorbs to make it easy to use under make up or just on its own.

Protect your skin from daily sun and wind damage that results in age spots, dry skin and wrinkles.  It can include a facial moisturizer as well as micronized zinc for a powerful product resulting in smooth skin that is protected from UVA/UVB sunrays.  Some sun screens are slightly tinted so you don’t need make up at all.  Rejuvenating peptides and high grade silica combine to help your skin look brighter and smoother.  Choose carefully when choosing a facial sunscreen.  Apply it under makeup in the morning and then reapply when exposed to the suns rays.

Does drinking eight glasses of water a day keep my skin moist?

Answer:  No.  Despite years of having this drummed into our heads, this is not true.  It is good to keep your body, including your skin hydrated, however the outermost layer of skin does not absorb water since it is made up of dead skin cells.  The moisture level of the skin is affected by external factors, such as cold or hot air, dry heat and by the number of oil-producing glands you have. The aging process is another factor.  So, if you want to hydrate your skin, exfoliate it weekly with a sugar scrub or other exfoliator to remove dead skin then apply a rich moisturizer while your skin is still damp.

Want to hydrate your insides, by all means drink your eight glasses of water a day.