Great looking Skin
By Wendy James
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 Great skin is something that
nearly everyone can cultivate. Our skin is
affected by our:
. Genes
. Inner nutrition - what we eat and drink
. Exercise
. General health and well-being
. Emotional health, and
. Outer nutrition - how we take care of our skin
While we can't alter our genes, we can improve our
skin by making the necessary adjustments in the
areas we can influence. Read on to discover the
basic components of a healthy outer nutritional
plan for your skin.
If you seriously want great skin the very first
thing to do and wear a hat and good quality
sunscreen when out in the sunshine. Having said
that, let's move on to understand the next three
basic foundations to great skin.
If you want your skin to look and feel great,
careful cleansing is very important. This should
be done first thing in the morning and last thing
at night to remove pore-clogging dirt. Don't
cleanse enough and you could find yourself prone
to spots. Cleanse to often and you could be
stripping away essential oils and be susceptible
to dry skin or even eczema. Understanding your
skin type (normal, dry or oily) and using a
cleanser to match is the best foundation for great
looking skin. Remember to rinse your face with
warm water after using a cleanser, as any residue
will continue to work on the skin if not
completely removed.
Our grandmother's used soap and water…isn't that
good enough? Soap is not very good at removing
makeup because it does not contain enough oils to
dissolve the staying power that most cosmetics
have today. Remember the 'tight' feeling after
your have washed your fact with soap? Soap can be
very drying on your skin and may wash away
essential oils. Another reason not to use soap is
that it is not matched to the natural balance of
our skin. Soap is generally alkaline, whilst skin
is naturally acidic.
The second step to great outer nutrition for your
skin is to tone. Toners are designed to remove any
last traces of cleanser, while also helping to
tighten and refine pores and prevent the build-up
of dead skin cells. After toning your skin should
fee and look revitalized and refreshed, and ready
to be moisturized. Again you will need to apply a
toner that matches your skin type.
The third foundation step is to apply moisturizer
to help restore the moisture loss caused by the
drying effects of sunlight, central heating, wind,
cold and pollution. A good daytime moisturizer
would contain a sunscreen and will be easily
absorbed into the skin. At night you should use a
richer, more nourishing cream, as this is when
your skin more readily absorbs moisture.
Despite the plethora of products on the market and
the myriad of additives…. the most important
ingredient of any moisturizer is water! If water
is just splashed on the skin it will not say
there. Moisturizers are basically oil and water
emulsions which contain a humectants (a substance
added to another to make it moist), which attracts
water and helps 'fix' it in the upper layers of
the skin.
Moisture that is lost firm the skin needs to be
replaced quickly so that the surface of the skin
is kept both soft and smooth. The living cells in
the layers need water so that they will not
shrivel up and die. A moisturizer can protect the
skin by providing a varies between the skin and
the external environment. It also prevents the
loss of moisture from the deeper layers of the
skin.
Should people who have oily skin use a moisturizer?
Moisturizers are particularly recommended for
people with dry skin but everyone can benefit from
using a moisturizer. You simply need to ensure
that you choose the correct moisturizer for your
skin type. People with oily skin should choose a
moisturizer that hydrates their skin whilst
helping absorb any excess oil.
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