Skin Care: Part 1

Well, the cast strikes again. You would have laughed or possibly cried watching me do my makeup today. So I decided I would do a post on the most important part of makeup and that is skin care. You cannot have makeup that looks nice if the skin underneath is not cared for properly. I like the analogy of a cake. If you bake a cake and leave out the sugar or eggs, then put the frosting on before it’s ready then not only will the cake taste awful but it will look less than appetizing as well-no matter how high quality and tasty the frosting you use is. So let’s learn how to bake a cake right!

There are five components to skin care: Cleanse, Exfoliate, Tone, Moisturize, & Protect.

Cleanse

This step is just what you’d think-cleansing the skin. This includes not only cleaning the makeup off at night (which you should always do) but also in the morning when you wake up and before you put your makeup on. Think about your tables and fans and everything else in your house. Have you ever dusted your tables and then the next day there is dust on them again? That is what is attaching itself to your face every night and day as well. My friend likes to ask her clients how many times they have to clean their eyeglasses in a day. I know mine get dirty pretty quickly. That’s also what is falling on your face throughout the day. You just don’t ever want to skip cleansing your face in the morning. I hope it also goes without saying that you want to get your makeup off at the end of day as well. Leaving makeup on at night will not only increase your potential for breakouts but also ages your skin. Nobody wants either of those things!

To properly cleanse your face you want to use a cleanser that is for the face and specially formulated for your specific skin type. Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or acne prone skin there is a cleanser out there for you. For best results dampen your face then put the cleanser in your hands and suds it up by rubbing, then apply it to your face. To rinse, take a warm, damp wash cloth and gently remove the cleanser. This is to insure that all the makeup and other icky stuffs are off your face. You can also utilize the help of a battery powered facial cleansing brush. There are lots of those on the market from high end to affordable. If you do use a cleansing brush be sure to change the head every three months.

Exfoliate

This step is crucial to healthy skin as well, but you don’t necessarily have to do it every day but it is recommended no less than twice a week. Exfoliating is important to your pores’ cleanliness and turn over. Every couple of days your pores slough off (not to be confused with your skins renewal process which is 2-3 weeks) and if you don’t exfoliate and cleanse those pores when the skin within the pore sloughs off it can get stuck and clog your pores. Guess what happens then? Yep, blemishes. Exfoliating also helps get rid of dull, lifeless looking skin. You want to put the best skin on your face forward!

There are many exfoliating products on the market. Exfoliating doesn't necessarily mean harsh scrubs either. Using a gentle scrub made for sensitive skin is just as effective as those “seriously, we mean business” scrubs. If you suffer from rosasea or psoriasis, you may want to check with your dermatologist to see what he/she recommends for you. In cases of severely sensitive skin, a doctor my recommend a chemical exfoliant. Also if you use a cleansing brush that in itself helps to exfoliate your skin.

Come back Friday when I will address the last 3 steps of skin care. Below I have listed some products and product lines I recommend for cleansing and exfoliating!

*Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Cleansers

What I use:  Mary Kay 3-in-1 Cleanser for Combination to Oily Skin in the morning

Generic Brand of the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser at night in the shower

Cleansing Brush I use: Mary Kay Skinvigorate Cleansing Brush

Exfoliant:

What I use: Daily: Mary Kay 3-in-1 Cleanser contains gentle exfoliating beads

Evening: Garnier Clean+  Blackhead Eliminating Scrub (I love this!)

Skin Care Lines I Recommend:

Mary Kay

Garnier (one of my favorites)

Yes, to …. (blueberries, carrots, there are several)

L’Oreal

Simple

Aveeno

Mario Bedescu

Clinique

Fresh

There are many great high end as well as drug store brands. If you have any questions as to what is right for you go somewhere that has a consultant on hand.