‘Skin care’ is more a matter of discipline than anything else. A skin care routine is what you need (and you need to follow the skin care routine with complete seriousness). So let’s check what comprises an effective skin care routine. Well, very simply, a skin care routine can follow the following 4 steps:
* Cleansing
* Toning
* Exfoliating
* Moisturising
Cleansing is the first thing in skin care routine. Cleansing helps in removing dust, pollutants, grease and extra oil from your skin, thereby preventing damage to your skin. Just spot your face and neck with a good cleansing lotion or cream and gently massage it into your skin using upward strokes. Use a soft face tissue or cotton wool to wipe your face in a gentle patting fashion (do not rub). Cleansing should be done at least twice a day i.e. morning (as part of complete skin care routine) and evening (on a standalone basis). Water-soluble cleansers are the best for inclusion in your skin care routine.
Toning is the next in a skin care routine. However, this is the optional part of the skin care routine. Mostly, proper cleansing can compensate for toning. Toning helps remove all traces of dirt, grease and excess cleanser. Instead of making it part of your daily skin care routine, you can using toning occasionally i.e. when you have been exposed to particularly harsh environment/pollution.
Exfoliation is again, kind of, optional step in everyday routine for skin care. However, exfoliation is necessary at least once a week (or twice, depending on the skin type and the environmental conditions). Exfoliation finds its place in skin care routine because of the natural tendency of skin to replenish the skin cells every 3 or 4 weeks. As a skin care technique, exfoliation helps in removing the dead skin cells that block the pores, thus assisting the skin in the natural process. However, excessive or harsh exfoliation can cause damage to your skin; so you need to balance it out.
The next thing in skin care is moisturizing. In fact, moisturizing is the most important part of skin care routine. Moisturizers prevent your skin from getting dry. Dry skin is really undesirable since it causes the upper layer skin to break, leading to dead skin cells. Again, use light upward strokes to make the moisturizer more effective. Moisturizers work the best when applied on warm and damp skin. So do not try to remove all the moisture in the previous steps of skin care routine.
Besides the normal skin care routine, you should also exercise the following for skin care:
* Use proper make-up remover instead of just washing it away
* Pay attention to your skin type and the environment, when choosing skin care products like Mary Kay Beauty Care Products
* Before you start using a new skin care product, test it by applying it on a short patch of skin e.g. ear lobes.
* Never rub your skin too hard.
* Use sunscreen lotions for protection against sun