If your daily routine usually involves using lots of different creams and lotions, then it might be time to simplify things. A skin care regime that’s long and complicated can cause problems to the skin, such as damaging the skin barrier, which is one of the reasons the skin might dry out or get spots and rashes. The ingredients in skin care products aren’t always kind to the skin as the can have chemicals that might cause damage. One safe way to take care of your skin is to use natural cleansers, exfoliants, and moisturisers.
We should use creams that are right for the age of our skin, because what worked for us when we were twenty, won’t necessarily be right for our skin in its thirties, forties and older, so we should reassess the products we put on our face. As we get older our skin will change, we might have had pimples in our teens and maybe oily skin at twenty, by thirty we are usually showing fine lines and wrinkles on the face and in our forties and older our skin can show age spots, become drier and less firm.
Thick heavy creams won’t necessarily hydrate the skin any better than thinner, lighter creams. They sit on the face clogging up the pores and trapping dead cells, which will result in pimples and leave the skin looking dull. A serum is a much lighter option to hydrate the skin with its concentrated ingredients. Weekly exfoliation will remove the dead cells and revitalise the skin, giving it a healthy glow.
Our lifestyle can also have a negative effect on the skin, although we can amend certain lifestyle choices to help keep it in good condition.
- Smoking will dehydrate the skin and cause wrinkles as well as being bad for our health.
- Excess alcohol causes blood vessels on the face to dilate, resulting in red spidery veins. Excess alcohol consumption can also exacerbate pre-existing skin conditions such as rosacea.
- Stress can have a negative effect on the health of our skin so we should work on reducing our stress levels. Exercise and meditation are great stress relievers and can help to improve our overall health and quality of life.
Any exposure to the sun has an ageing effect on the skin so we should always wear a high factor sunscreen, even when it’s not sunny. Sun damage is the single greatest cause of ageing and can result in freckles, sun spots, pigmentation, wrinkles and at worst it can lead to skin cancer. While much of the damage is permanent, treatment can lessen some signs of sun damage that cause you to look older.
A professional treatment can help keep the facial skin in tip-top condition. Regular facials to remove dead, dull skin can really lift the complexion. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels can hydrate and brighten the skin, reduce lines and wrinkles and erase sun spots.