Monday, March 22

Basic skin care - skin care routine

Basic skin care routineOily skin causesOily skin - treatments

Basic skin care in a routine manner is very essential for healthy and youthful appearance.

Our skin is the most exposed organ of our body getting continuously harmed and damaged in a routine manner in our daily activities.
This continuous routine exposure to elements coupled with various internal factors causes it to loose its tenor, develop wrinkles, dryness and dermatitis and age.
Taking daily basic care as a routine helps in retaining the healthy appearance of the skin for longer time. In basic care to keep skin healthy we have to work on three aspects.
The first and foremost of basic care being protecting it from damages and also controlling damages (This topic is discussed in detail in another post). The second aspect of basic care will be to confirm to a daily routine of actions.
The third aspect of basic care will be to treat and overcome the effects of damages (This topic is discussed in detail in another post).

Basic skin care routine

Skin formation is a continuous routine process and the uppermost layer (epidermis) dies and is sloughed off continuously. Being an exposed organ it picks up dust and dirt, especially when sweating or wearing make up.
These dirt particles keep accumulating on it and along with dead cells mix with the sweat and sebaceous gland secretions forming a filthy foul smelling layer.
The fungi and bacteria thrive well and start growing, in these moist oily conditions giving the skin bad odor and can cause infections.
So we require to clean our skin very often to get rid of these debris and to keep it healthy. Now the question is how we go about cleaning and taking care of it. There are tried out ways for basic routine cleaning like cleansing, toning, moisturizing and exfoliating.

Routine basic care: cleansing and washing

Cleaning of skin regularly is a basic routine required to remove the dirt from accumulating and choking the pores.
Care must be taken to use very mild soaps as harsh soaps with high pH have the drying effect on the skin robbing it of its natural moisture and removing its acid mantle.
As the basic pH of the top layer is around 4.5 - 6, the soap also must be around the same values and never above neutral levels (pH 7).
Moisten the skin with warm water. Take care to avoid cold or hot water as this tend to dry the natural moisture and stress the cells.
Work up soap lather with your palms and massage the lather on the skin.
Take care not to rub the soap bar directly as pores may get choked by the soap.
Rinse your face thoroughly with splashes of water or with wash towel. Take care to see that no remnants of soap remain.
If soap sticks on and then dries up, it will produce reactions. As a routine use a soft towel to blot and dry the skin. Alternatively you can use mild natural cleansers available at drug stores.
As a routine cleansing once in a day before bed will do. Cleansing too often can also make your skin dry.
In the morning rinse your face with lukewarm water.

Basic care routine: toning

You can use skin toner to tighten it and close the pores by its astringents.
Toner makes up for the loss of acid mantle during cleansing, softens any persistent cleanser and restores the pH balance.
Avoid toners with alcohol base as over long use they may affect the elasticity by affecting the collagen below the epidermis.
 If you are going to use products having active ingredients, it is better not to use the toners as they may reduce and prevent penetration into skin.

Basic care routine: moisturizing

Routine application of moisturizers is one of the basic steps in keeping our skin healthy, plush and supple. People with oily skin have lesser requirement of moisturizing as the sebum itself locks in moisture and function as moisturizer.
People with dry skin require to moisturize with oil-water emulsions.
The moisturizers with petroleum products (mineral oils) must be avoided as they may give harmful effects on the long run.
If persons with oily skin require to moisturise they may use oil free humectants like honey, collagen, glycerin and glycol.

Basic care routine: exfoliation

Exfoliation is a basic step in keeping the skin free from the debris of dead cells. In nature, skin undergoes exfoliation continuously in a routine manner.
Young people exfoliate their outer layer of dead epidermis (stratum corneum) faster and only a thin layer of stratum corneum remains.
Their epidermis cleans up in routine cleansing care and do not require to exfoliate by any further treatments. However people in middle age have this exfoliation process slowdown, affecting basic cleansing care and have thicker layer of stratum corneum remaining, giving the skin a dull and lifeless appearance.
Persons with very oily epidermis also tend to accumulate thicker layer of stratum corneum and require routine care and exfoliation.
Exfoliation, once or twice in a week will suffice for most of the people. Depending on the resultant condition the frequency may be reduced or increased. α hydroxy acids, β hydroxy acids, enzyme peels, retinoids, scrubs and certain microdermabrasion methods are popular exfoliation basic skin care procedures available.
beauty salon
Beauty salon (enlarge)
Instead of starting on basic routine with any product or treatment for exfoliation on your own, consult a dermatologist at least once for advice on best exfoliation method for basic routine care for the type of skin you have.
Following above routine of basic care, you can have healthy and youthful skin appearance.
Image: DaquellaManera


Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.

Thursday, March 18

Skin care - Wrinkle free skin care - elasticity of skin

Wrinkle free skin is a sign of youth and health. Care must be taken in our food habits and in our lifestyle to keep skin wrinkle free and also to maintain its elasticity.

Elasticity of skin and its care

Skin is the largest organ of our body, accounting for about 15% of our body weight.
Elastin and collagen are two proteins concentrated in the dermis region of our skin giving it texture, tone, elasticity and wrinkle free appearance.
Elastin is a protein in connective tissue and it helps the tissues to resume their earlier free state after stretching (elasticity).
Elastin makes the skin to return to its original free position when pinched.
Elastin is composed primarily of amino acids alanine, glycine, valine and proline.
Elastin has more elasticity than collagen. Along with collagen it forms the structure basis and matrix of the dermis giving it elasticity (making it wrinkle free).
Collagen is the strongest protein in our body, giving our body and dermis their durability, strength and elasticity.
The subcutaneous fat just under the dermis further gives it its filled out wrinkle free look.
With aging the subcutaneous fat gets reduced giving the skin a loose and flabby look.
Collagen begins to deteriorate with aging and the dermis starts to thin out and sag loosing its elasticity and wrinkle free look.
With aging elastin also starts to break down and elasticity is lost.

Wrinkle free skin care

Young skin is typically wrinkle free and show elasticity as we see in young children and healthy young adults.
With aging slowly it stops being wrinkle free. Understanding the processes involved in the damages to its structure altering its wrinkle free state we can slow down its aging process.
If we take the following simple efforts we can slow down the wrinkle formation and loss of elasticity.

First rule in wrinkle free skin care is reducing the exposure to sun

Take care to avoid exposure to sun as sunlight contains harmful Ultraviolet rays which are the root cause of aging and loss of elasticity of the dermis.
Though we may not realise the bad effects immediately, over years it has a devastating effect on the elasticity and tone of dermis.
Take care to avoid visits to the tanning beds as these also produce the same bad effects, wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Take care to use sun-shield like sunscreens to reduce the exposure.
Take care to wear hat, use umbrella and some protective clothing if you have to go out in the sun.

Cutting down alcohol, smoking and coffee is required for wrinkle free skin care

Take care to reduce alcohol as it interferes with antioxidant activities and promotes cell damage and loss of elasticity.
You might have noticed alcoholists look older than their real age and have wrinkles on their skin.
Also take care to stop smoking and reduce coffee in take as these also interfere with collagen synthesis and antioxidant utilisation by the body.
Apart from causing cancer and lung diseases, smoking increases the free radical activity in the body and skin and leads to oxidative damages of the cells.
Old woman with young baby boy
Old woman with young baby boy

Right food for wrinkle free skin care

Finally what we consume is going to show up on our body especially our dermis.
Take care to reduce fats in food and avoid junk food as these add to freeradical activities in the body.
Consume fruits, fruit juices and vegetables to get vitamins and minerals in sufficient quantities to take care of elasticity of your dermis.
Take care to increase the intake of nutrients containing antioxidants.
Take care to follow these precautions and preventive measures to protect the elasticity of your skin and keep it wrinkle free for a longer time.

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.