July 08, 2011Skin Care

Many people take their skin for granted. The skin has several basic needs. First, it needs to be kept as clean as possible. Second, the skin needs to be protected from sunlight and other environmental insults. The skin of the face needs even more attention than the rest of the body because the face has more oil glands, especially the central forehead, eye areas, nose and chin. One needs to perform a brief morning regimen for the facial skin and a longer regimen before going to bed. Once you have your skin care regimen down, it will only take five to ten minutes a day.

Morning Facial Care:

• In the morning you should clean your face with luke-warm water and a creamy cleanser or purifying gel wash. Avoid bar soap because this strips the natural moisturizing factors from the skin, leaving it feeling very tight and dry. Do not rub the skin dry. Instead, blot it gently with a towel. Your morning facial care can be done in the shower or at the sink.
• Next, you should tone the skin on the face. Toning the skin helps remove any residual cleanser or make-up that may have been left behind. A toner also helps restore the natural pH level of the skin, leaves your skin clean, clear and ready to be hydrated.
• Next, apply a moisturizer or day cream such as Xtend-Life Age-Defense Day Cream. This should be specialized to your skin type. A moisturizer leaves the skin feeling softer and smoother. It also helps smooth away fine lines and dryness. A sunscreen can be applied on top of the moisturizer.
• Next, apply your make-up (if you choose to wear make-up). Your foundation should match your skin tone. Never use a darker foundation than your skin tone; it should look natural.

Evening Facial Care:

• The evening starts like the morning. First, you should clean your face with luke-warm water and a creamy cleanser or purifying gel wash.  These skin cleansers will remove your make-up at the same time you wash your face.
• A toner should then be applied. Any trace of make-up remaining will be removed (the easiest way of applying a toner is to put it on a cotton pad).
• Now, while your face is still wet, you should exfoliate. Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells, which cause the face to look dull. The build up of dead cells can also contribute to blockage of the pores causing acne. Also this build up of dead cells will not let the products you are using penetrate the skin and work to their full capacity. Exfoliating will brighten the skin and give it a more healthy glow. Massage gently and rinse well. This can be done every night or 1-2 times a week all depending on the type of exfoliant.
• Finally, apply a moisturizer such as such as Xtend-Life Restorative Night Cream to your face, which is specified for your skin type. A firming eye cream should also be used around the eye area.

Facial Care Tips:

• Never go to bed with your make-up on. Make-up that is left on overnight clogs the pores and prevents the skin cells from shedding, which may cause blemishes and/or blackheads. The skin needs to breathe over night.
• Waterproof make-up is most easily removed with a gel cleanser.
• The most important thing that you can do for your facial skin is to avoid sunlight or use liberal amounts of sunscreen. Sunlight causes the skin to age and causes skin cancer which is the most common malignancy in humans. The most common location for these tumors is the face. If you do not believe that the sun ages your skin, then look at the skin under your upper arm and compare it to the skin on your face and the back of the hands.
• Alpha hydroxy acid applied daily will help prevent acne out breaks if you have acne prone skin.
• If you have acne and the above measures do not help, see your dermatologist. There are many prescription treatments for acne.