All About Facial Skin Care

All About Facial Skin Care: ‘Facial skin care’ is more a matter of discipline than anything else. A facial skin care routine is what you need (and you need to follow the facial skin care routine with complete seriousness). So let’s check what comprises an effective facial skin care routine.

Well, very simply, a facial skin care routine can follow the following 4 steps:

* Cleansing
* Toning
* Exfoliating 
* Moisturising

Cleansing is the first thing in facial 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 facial skin care routine) and evening (on a standalone basis). Water soluble cleansers are the best for inclusion in your facial skin care routine.

All About Facial Skin Care Tips

Toning is the next in a facial skin care routine. However, this is the optional part of the facial 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 facial skin care routine, you can using toning occasionally i.e. when you have been exposed to particularly harsh environment/pollution.

Facial Skin Care

Exfoliation is again, kind of, optional step in everyday routine for facial 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 facial skin care routine because of the natural tendency of skin to replenish the skin cells every 3 or 4 weeks. As a facial 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.

All About Facial Skin Care Routine

The next thing in facial skin care is moisturising. In fact, moisturising is the most important part of facial skin care routine. Moisturisers prevent your skin from getting dry. Dry skin is really undesirable since it cause the upper layer skin to break, leading to dead skin cells. Again, use light upward strokes to make the moisturiser more effective. Moisturisers work the best when applied on warm and damp skin. So do not try to remove all the moisture in the previous steps of facial skin care routine.

Besides the normal facial skin care routine, you should also exercise the following for facial skin care:

* Use proper make-up remover instead of just washing it away
* Pay heed to your skin type and the environment, when choosing facial skin care products.
* Before you start using a new facial 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.

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1. Acne Skin Care Routine
2. Acne And Its Treatment
3. Flawless Skin Secrets

Acne Skin Care Routine

Acne is defined as a diseased condition of the skin that involves the hair and oil glands. It is characterised by pimples, black/white heads, reddishness and cysts. Face acne can spoil your appearance to a great extent and body acne can really ruin your day by making you very uncomfortable. Considering acne as a minor problem, some people tend to totally discard the topic of ‘Acne skin care’. However, the importance of ‘Acne skin care’ cannot be undermined in any way.

Acne skin care should really start much before the acne actually appears. ‘Acne skin care’ is more about being proactive than reactive. Acne skin care is about being aware of preventive measures. Acne skin care is - following daily skin care routines with complete discipline.  So let’s have a look at how ‘acne skin care’ can be applied to our daily routine.

Best Acne Skin Care Routine

‘Acne skin care’ starts with the most basic thing - cleanliness. So morning showers are the most basic way of keeping the skin clean. In fact, a lot of people take night showers too (that not only helps in keeping your skin clean but also provides relaxation to your body and enables a good sleep). If you are living in a hot and/or humid place, a night shower becomes a must. In fact, a shower is recommended after any activity that causes high levels of sweat to develop. It’s a very effective ‘acne skin care’ technique.

Acne Skin Care Routine

However, acne skin care is not about just showers. Acne skin care is also about wearing clean clothes and sleeping on clean pillows. Moreover, too tight clothes can cause sweat to accumulate quickly; so soft and comfortable cotton clothes are recommended, especially if you already have acne.  In the same sense, ‘acne skin care’ also advocates regular cleaning of your make-up brush and any equipment that you use on your body.

Best Acne Skin Care Routine Regimen

Besides that, you should also use a mild, water-soluble, oil-free and soap-free cleanser for keeping your face, neck and arms clean. Cleansing is the most important part of any acne skin care routine. Cleaners are the easiest and the most effective way of removing dirt, grease, pollutants and excess oil from your skin; thus reducing the probability of acne  occurrence.  Acne skin care also recommends removing your make up using a make up remover, and this should happen before you go to bed (not in the morning).

If you already have acne, do not try to touch them or squeeze them; it can lead to permanent scars. ‘Acne skin care’ advocates gentle cleansing and cleaning of the affected area using an over-the-counter medication and a clean/soft cotton pad. There are various acne skin care creams and lotions available over-the-counter (a lot of these acne skin care products are actually cleansers). However, if these ‘acne skin care’ measures don’t give you the desired results, contact a dermatologist for ‘acne skin care’ advice and treatment.

Related Posts:

1. Acne And Its Treatment
2. Actinic or Solar Keratoses
3. How To Clear Skin

Acne And Its Treatment

Acne And Its Treatment: Acne is a menace. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around.

We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories –

* Preventive or general acne skin care products
* Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products 
* On-prescription acne skin care products. 

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores.

Acne And Its Treatment

Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Acne And Its Treatment

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne).

Acne And Its Treatment

You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.  Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules.

Overview Of Acne And Its Treatment

However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin.  Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.

So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.

Related Posts:

1. Skin Care For Dry Skin
2. Natural Skin Care Tips
3. Skin Care For All Ages

Skin Care For Dry Skin

The number of people with skin problems has been increasing in recent years. Moreover, there is a notable increase in people who admit to having sensitive and dry skin. There is a bit of difficulty finding a scientific definition for “sensitive skin” as there are many differing, measurable criteria for its definition.

However, normal skin can develop a higher sensitivity when exposed to the following stimuli : sunburn; heavy skin-peeling; occupationally-related above normal exposure to water, alkalis and solvents, internal illnesses such as the increased skin dryness seen in age-related diabetes or the general itching that can accompany kidney diseases and psychological factors like stress.

Skin Care For Dry Skin

Dry skin is especially common in children under 10 and older people over 60. Between 10 to 50 years of age, the number of women with dry skin is markedly more than in the case of men. The common characteristic of dry skin are light scaling, tightness and sometimes, itching. Basically, there are two types of dry skin – normal dry skin and extreme dry skin. In both types, the cause is essentially a deficit of natural moisturizing factors. A rarer form is atopic dry skin, in which a disturbed fatty acid metabolism of the skin contribute a major role.

Cleaning and Care of Dry Skin

To restore your dry skin to its normal physiological condition, pay extra close attention to your cleansing and skincare routine. In choosing cleansing products for dry skin, here are few pointers to bear in mind :

* Make sure the cleansing preparations are made up of mild cleansing complexes with re-oiling agents that remove fat-soluble (lipophilic) dirt particles.

* The cleansing substances’ supply of lipids should promote and ensure an intensive replenishing of skin oils.

* The fatty-acid constituents of the re-oiling agents should also be similar to the skin’s natural oils to blend especially well into the horny skin layer, thereby restoring the protective lipid film during washing and helping to maintain your skin’s natural pH balance.

Choosing Skin Care Products

It is important to choose skincare products that contain various active ingredients that reinforce the skin’s own protective functions. Here are pointers and ingredients to watch our for :

* For example, skincare products that contain the antioxidant Vitamin E are effective in preventing, or at the very least, delaying skin aging. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that hinders the oxidation of poly-unsaturated fatty acids, thus helping to firm up the cell membrane and delay cell-aging.

* Choose skincare products that protect the skin from damaging environmental influences such as dryness and colds. Where the skin condition has been disturbed, choose skincare products that contain moisturizing agents and substance that will help normalize the skin, heal it and prevent diseases. For example, as a Vitamin B derivative, Dexpanthenol is said to enhance wound healing and cell-formation. Vitamin C in citric acid form is also a popular skincare substance that is used mainly because it helps in wound-healing and cell regenerations.

* Those with especially sensitive-skin or skin affected by neurodermatitis should choose skincare products suitable for deodorant-intolerant skin.

* The skincare products’ efficacy should have been objectively and comprehensively evaluated and the confirmed in clinical studies.

Skin Care For Dry Skin

Healthy skin, for the most part, results from a balance of moisture and oils and the physiological pH-value (acid mantle of the skin around 4.5 – 5.75) of the skin’s surface. Always remember to choose cleansing and skincare products that are quickly absorbed into the skin and activate the various regenerating metabolic processes of the skin cells.

Causes of Dry Skin :

* Biological skin ageing

* Chemical and medicinal influences

* Climate and environment

* Genetic disposition

* Hormonal influences

* Illness

* Light-induced skin ageing

Next Post: 

Very Dry Skin On Face

With too many roles for woman to juggle in today’s fast paced, high pressured lifestyle, there is very little time for her to pamper herself.

With tension, worries, anxiety and age, the skin become less active leaving it drier, fragile, prone to wrinkle, lines near the eyes and mouth and losing the youthful colour and glow.

Very Dry Skin On Face

Failure of oil glands failing to release enough oils to moisturize and protect the skin results in dry skin. Environmental causes like dry air, harsh wind, hormonal imbalance, usage of aggressive chemicals, cosmetics or excessive bathing with harsh soaps saps the moisture from the skin making it dryer, flakier and chapped during winter.

Caring for Dry Skin

- Cleanse and Moisturize: The dry skin should be cleansed with a cold cream and alcohol-free skin fresheners to remove the cream. Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion For Very Dry Skin On Face. After cleansing, the skin needs a lubricating emollient or a moisturizer when the face is damp after the wash.

Very Dry Skin On Face

- Splash your face with cold water or gently wipe the skin with rose water to tone the skin nicely.

- Avoid using highly alkaline soaps and detergents like washing sodas and powders.

- Avoid the sun, harsh winds and hot baths. Use oil-based creams and make-up products only. Use soft towels or wash cloth to avoid irritation to the skin while wiping it.

- Smoking deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients it needs for good health making the skin dry and leathery.

- Chapped or cracked skin – increase consumption of water. Keep chapped areas well lubricated and protected from the elements using a good nourishing cream or moisturizer.

Very Dry Skin On Face

- Use creamy, mild, pH-balanced products such moisture based cream gels, lotions, etc for dry skin care.

A well balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts provides the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for healthy skin. Drinking water and reducing solar exposure to a minimum is also beneficial. Garlic, onions, eggs and asparagus help to keep the skin smooth and youthful. Carrots, apricots, rich in vitamins A, C keep the skin supple. Increase intake of foods like leafy raw green veggies, dairy products like yoghurt, milk. Lessen fried foods, soft drinks, sugar, chocolates, junk foods, alcohol, caffeine and other foods that have diuretic effecting causing the body and skin to loose fluids, vitamins and essential minerals.

Next Post: Newborn Baby Dry Skin

Natural Skin Care Tips

There are so many things to keep track of for people who are honestly concerned about their health and well being. We have to think about the things we are eating, the portions we are eating, how much and what kind of exercise we are getting, and how well we are sleeping. There is so much to keep track of lately that I honestly had never given my skin care regimen much thought until I recently met with my dermatologist and closest friend. He suggested that the single most important key to better health for me was making the switch to a natural skin care system.

Natural Skin Care Tips

As soon as he said ‘natural skin care’ I’ll admit that I was preparing myself to hear something really hippy and wacky from my friend. I thought that he was going to give me some special seeds that would eventually grow into special plants that I could then rub all over my face and that would be my natural skin care method. I was wrong. My friend and I began discussing the wisdom of taking the time to put healthy and natural products into our bodies but then not taking the time to care about the products we were using on the outside of our bodies.

Natural Skin Care Tips

I had never thought much about the skin care products I was using on my skin, but I guarentee you that I never once thought to make the change to natural skin care products of any kind. I only thought about the immediate and visible affects of a product on my skin, I never took time to care about the affects that I wasn’t seeing or about the long term affects of a skin care system on my skin.

Meeting with my dermatologist that day changed how I’d forever view my skin. He said to think about the ingredient list on the container of any product as a prescription. He said that I was putting all of those products on my body and that many of them were soaking in well beneath my skin.

Natural Skin Care Tips

I should be just as concerned with what I am putting on my body as I am with what I’m putting in my body. So he and I came up with a great natural skin care system to use.



I’ve been using all natural skin care products on my skin for the past few months now. And while I honestly cannot tell that much difference in the way my skin looks, I am confident that I am doing the inside of my body a huge favor every time I choose natural skin care over other options.

Next Post: Very Dry Skin On Face

Skin Care For All Ages

American women are taking better care of their skin, seeking out sophisticated serums and lotions that will prevent or lessen signs of aging. With today’s technology and medical advances a longer life span demands even greater discipline and understanding for anti aging skin care. Serious skin care regimes include cleansers, moisturizers, body lotions, eye cream, and sunscreens.

Skin Care For All Ages

The skin around the eyes is the most prone to premature aging, showing signs of stress with wrinkles, crows feet and sagging. Rapid weight loss can also cause wrinkles by reducing the volume of fat cells that cushion the face. Relax; a tense face encourages the formation of wrinkles, especially around the outer eyes, bridge of nose, and on the forehead. By the age of 20 early signs of damage and wrinkles in skin are visible.

Skin Care For All Ages

Protecting your skin from exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the most significant thing you can do to prevent wrinkles, sagging, and discoloration. UV light creates free radicals, which induce lipids peroxidation, which leads to skin damage, wrinkles and skin cancer. Both UVA and UVB rays cause damage leading to wrinkles, lower immunity against infection, ageing skin disorders, and cancer. Did you know that dermatologists can identify the side of the face you sleep on just by looking at your wrinkles.

Botox injections have been used to reduce wrinkles on the face, and remove the frown lines on the forehead. Produced by bacteria, Botox is a chemical agent, which has the ability to paralyze these muscles, and thus reduce or “soften” wrinkles. Retinoids are also clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and may boost skin-firming collagen production.

Skin Care For All Ages

When vitamin C is properly delivered into skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture. In addition, regular use of cucumber peels and lotions prevents pimples, blackheads, wrinkles, and dryness of the face. Cleansers are also an essential skin care product since they aid in the removal or dirt, make-up and dead skin cells from the skin. By far, the most important skin care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen, but most people do not use sunscreen correctly.



Young people are realizing the necessity of following an anti aging skin care regimen that incorporates quality of physical, psychological and spiritual health. In order to keep the skin healthy – take care of it and your daily regimen of skin care will take care of you. Drink plenty of water in your daily skin care regimen, especially after exercising. A good skin care regimen need not take hours every day, but must be, without fail, be attended to every day.

Drink plenty of water in your daily skin care regimen, especially after exercising. In fact, skin care and protection should be an essential part of your health, fitness, and beauty regime. If you are thinking about a skin-rejuvenating treatment of any type, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your plastic surgeon.

Next Post: Natural Skin Care Tips

Actinic or Solar Keratoses

Solar Keratosis (also called "Actinic keratosis" and "senile keratosis") is a premalignant condition of thick, scaly, or crusty patches of skin. It is more common in fair-skinned people and it is associated with those who are frequently exposed to the sun, as it is usually accompanied by solar damage. They are considered as potentially pre-cancerous, since some of them progress to squamous cell carcinoma, so treatment is recommended. Untreated lesions have up to 20% risk of progression to squamous cell carcinoma.

Actinic or Solar Keratoses

Progressive development of these lesions occurs when skin is exposed to the sun constantly and thick, scaly, or crusty areas appear. The scaly or crusty portion is dry and rough. The lesions start out as flat scaly areas and later grow into a tough, wart-like area.

A Solar Keratosis site commonly ranges between 2 and 6 millimeters in size, and may be dark or light, tan, pink, red, a combination of all these, or have the same pigment as the surrounding skin. The lesion may appear on any sun-exposed area, such as the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, backs of hands, forearms, or lips.

Solar Keratoses Classification

Solar Keratosis may be divided into the following types:

*Hyperkeratotic actinic keratosis
*Pigmented actinic keratosis
*Lichenoid actinic keratosis
*Atrophic actinic keratosis

Actinic or Solar Keratoses Prevention

Preventive measures recommended for actinic keratosis are similar to those for skin cancer:

*Not staying in the sun for long periods of time without protection (e.g., sunscreen, clothing, hats)
*Frequently applying powerful sunscreens with SPF ratings greater than 30 and that also block both UVA and UVB light
*Wearing sun protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts, long skirts, or trousers
*Avoiding sun exposure during noon hours is very helpful because ultraviolet light is the most powerful at that time

Actinic or Solar Keratoses Treatment

Best: Aldara cream 5%

5-fluorouracil appears to be the most effective treatment.

Various other treatments may also be used including:

*Ingenol mebutate gel for treatment of the trunk and extremities or the face and scalp, respectively. Duration of therapy is 2 days for the 0.05% gel and 3 days for the 0.015% gel
*Diclofenac sodium gel, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Recommended duration of therapy is 60 to 90 days
*Cryosurgery, e.g. with liquid nitrogen, by "freezing off" the actinic keratosis
*Photodynamic therapy: this new therapy involves injecting a chemical into the bloodstream, which makes the lesions more sensitive to any form of light. Laser, notably CO2 and Er:YAG lasers, a Laser resurfacing technique is often used with diffuse actinic keratosis
*Electrocautery: burning off actinic keratosis with electricity
*Imiquimod, an immune enhancing agent for topical treatment
*Different forms of surgery

Regular follow-up after the treatment is advised. The regular checks are to make sure no new lesions have developed and that old ones haven't become thicker.

Next Post: Skin Care For All Ages