Skin Care 101

Obtaining healthy skin is not always simple and neither is the commitment to WANT to do so. As an Esthetician, I understand not everyone cares about their skin's wellness or how it's presented to others but I do know for those who seek ways in finding what works for them and their skins issues IS the easy part. Overall maintenance on a day to day basis is a commitment that can not be neglected if you truly desire finding your "happy face". It takes determination and work, like most things in life that are worth our time.

Daily care for our skin is crucial so I want to share 11 SIMPLE ways to obtain it. Here's how;

1. Cleanse your face with a daily cleanser (NOT SOAP) every night before bed. This is also a GREAT time to apply your corrective or preventative creams & serums. Let your skin work hard while your body is at rest. Anything you put on your face or collect (dirt, bacteria, make up) during the day should be removed with a gentle cleanse before bed. If not, bacteria will continue to grow overnight. If you do wear eye make up, be sure to remove it with an eye make up remover. The eye area is the thinnest skin on our bodies, it must be dealt with gently.

2. Exfoliate at least once per week. Keep your exfoliant in the shower where you will not forget to use it. The steam from the shower will aid in this much needed process. You are simply removing dirt & dead skin cells and promoting new cell turnover, keeping clean pores and an overall fresh appearance.

3. Moisturize your skin daily. Be sure to use a moisturizer that is made for the face and not the body. Don't confuse lotion for the body with a face moisturizer. These are two completely different products and lotion with perfumes and fragrance should NOT be used on your face. Allow your Moisturizer to dry before applying any other products like SPF. Even better if the moisturizer you are using has SPF in it.

4. Use Sunscreen! An SPF of 15 or higher every day, all year round, no matter where you live. SPF for the face and body are also different. Most body SPF's are thicker and greasy. DO NOT use body SPF on your face. Find an SPF specifically for the face, catering to your skin type. Protection from the suns harmful UVA and UVB rays are crucial in fighting the aging process. Allowing daily damage without protection is accelerating the aging process. DO NOT SUNBATHE EVER! Also, when you are planning on spending time outside for long periods of time, reapply your SPF every 60 to 90 minutes. Sweating and getting wet does break down the SPF, so be sure to reapply for optimum protection. This rule is especially crucial for toddlers and children.

5. Drink water!!! I can not express this enough to my clients and everyone I know. Keeping our bodies hydrated from the inside out is so crucial for our organs to function properly and since the skin is our bodies largest organ, water consumption is key. Our bodies are 2/3 water and our bodies need for water consumption is second ONLY to oxygen. Therefore, we need to consume between 70 and 90+ ounces daily to give our body what it needs. Lack of sufficient water intake can cause irritability, fatigue, aches and pains, dry, sallow skin and a decrease in mental performance. Drink up!

6. Get plenty of sleep. Allow your body sufficient time to rest and re-energize so you are always functioning at your highest level. I sleep between 8 and 9 hours every night and never look or feel tired. I do understand most adults try to convince themselves they only need 4 to 5 hours of sleep but try getting a little more each night and you will soon discover the positive differences. Couldn't hurt!

7. Clean linen. Replace or clean your sheets and pillow cases once per week. Twice if you can make time to do so. Cleansing our faces before bed to only lay them upon a dirty pillow case is like putting a dirty diaper on a clean baby's bottom. It makes no sense! Try flipping your pillow over after a few days if you choose to change your linen only once per week.

8. Wipe down your cell phone, household phone and work phones every day. Keeping these devices clean will also keep your face clean. The more people that share a phone, the more often it should be wiped down. Common sense strikes again!

9. Clean your sunglasses or spectacles. When anything sits upon our face, it collects what ever is on the surface of our skin and also from the hands that touch them. Use of these items, time after time, will build dirt and bacteria that will not magically become clean. YOU MUST CLEAN these items yourself.

10. AVOID touching your face. Think about how many objects we touch on a daily basis; money, doorknobs, elevator buttons, other human hands, and shopping carts, just to name a few. You have no idea what or who these objects have come in contact with before you touched them. Do you want the unknown bacteria or germs on your face? Probably not! Some individuals have a nervous habit of touching their face during conversation or when feeling stressed. Make serious efforts to eliminate touching your hands to your face while conversing and become a step closer to preventing unnecessary bacteria buildup.

11. DON'T SMOKE!!! ANYTHING!!! Smoking thins the skin and accelerates aging (wrinkles and sagging) that is irreversible! Smoking also narrows your blood vessels and impairs blood flow to your skin, depleting it of oxygen, nutrients and vitamins. Smoking damages collagen and elastin, which are the fibers that give our skin strength and elasticity. Also, it smells and the odor is offensive to ALL non-smokers!

So now you all know I'm OCD with my skin care and no longer wonder why my skin looks the way it does. Join me in relishing a "happy face".