Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Daily Skin Care Routine

There are many different types of special treatments you can use for the many situations your skin may encounter. But it is important to have a focal point: cleanse, tone, and moisturize your skin. This fun­damental part of your skin-care routine is performed on a daily basis in the morning and in the evening. Everyday triggers such as sunlight, scratches, pimples, or even rashes can prompt the overproduction or underproduction of melanin, causing dark or light discolorations. To avoid the discolorations, you must treat your skin with great care.
Cleanse : To remove dirt, excess oil, perspiration, and makeup, most women of color should cleanse the face twice a day. The tools you select for washing are impor­tant. Think gentle. First, choose a mild, nonirritating cleanser. Avoid cleansers that contain abrasive granules for exfoliation. These harsh particles don't clean out pores and they can aggravate and irritate the skin, causing redness, or worse, darkening of the skin or hyper pigmentation. If you have acne, scrubbing with the granules can actually dramatically worsen an acne outbreak.
Pull your hair back with the headband. Splash your face with tepid water and apply your cleanser evenly across the underside of your fingertips. Massage with an upward movement, working in a gentle, yet firm circular movement. Begin at the throat and work your way up to the cheeks, across the T-zone, and finish with the forehead and temples. Splash with cool to tepid water to rinse your face.
Tone: Apply an acid-containing solution to restore the pH balance and protective shield. For dry skin, use a mild fresh­ener-toner. For oily skin, use an astringent preparation. Alternative: Instead of using a freshener, you can splash your face with plenty of water.
Moisturize and Protect: While your skin is still moist immediately after applying your freshener, alcohol-free astrin­gent, or water, apply your daytime moisturizer using a gentle patting and smoothing motion. (If you have extra-dry skin, apply a rich night cream in the evening.) Begin at your chin and work your way along the nose to the outer cheeks then up to the temples and fore­head.

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