Skin Care Basics

There are six basic steps for good skin care. These steps include cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating, toning, protecting, and nutrition. For the best looking skin all six of these steps must be addressed on a daily basis.

Step 1 – Cleaning Your Skin

Every skin type needs to be cleaned several times a day. Because of the frequency that you need to clean your skin it is important to use gentle cleansers. While you can use special salon skin cleanser, soap and water are a good stand by. However, if you have sensitive skin or dry skin soap may be too harsh for your skin. If you need a mild skin cleanser try a cotton cloth dipped in milk.

Step 2 – Moisturizing Your Skin

Your skin is faced with hazards every second of the day. Dry weather can suck the moisture from your skin, and so can wind. Sun can not only cause your skin to produce more oil, but it can also dry out your skin and burn it. Cold weather is another element that can dry and crack your skin, or if temperatures get too low it can even kill your skin cells. To counteract the damaging factors of your environment you need to use a moisturizer every day.

Step 3 – Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliation helps you to remove dead skin cells, built up debris, and other impurities from your skin. There are several products on the market that you can use for home skin exfoliating including microdermabrasion kits and skin scrubs. In addition to using over the counter products for exfoliating your skin at home you can also go to a skin care professional to get a salon style exfoliation treatment.

Step 4 – Toning Your Skin

A toner is used for two main reasons. The first reason is to remove any dirt, debris, or makeup that you cleanser left behind. The second reason that a toner is used is to restore your skins natural pH level. The type of toner that you use should be based on the type of skin you have. Read the label of your toner to see what type of skin it is designed for.

Step 5 – Protect Your Skin from the Sun

The sun can damage your skin in a number of ways. It can cause minor problems like oiliness or dryness, or it can cause severe damage like burns, blistering, and cancer. To protect your skin you need to use an SPF every day. You will also want to keep your skin covered when you are out in direct sunlight. Wear a hat to protect your scalp and face from strong sun rays, and wear long sleeved shirts to protect your arms, back, and torso.

Step 6 – Provide Your Skin with Proper Nutrition

The final step to caring for your skin is to provide your skin with the proper nutrition. The best way to do this is to eat a balanced diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole foods. Finally, eliminate processed foods and caffeine from your diet, as these things can not only create skin problems, but they also impair your overall health.