Physical Activity and Sports

  

A Guide to Taking Care of Your Skin

Your skin type matters
You may suspect you've got dry, oily, or sensitive skin, but does one really know your skin type? Knowing your true skin type can help subsequent time you’re within the cosmetics aisle. In fact, using the incorrect products — or maybe popularized Internet hacks — for your skin type could worsen acne, dryness, or other skin problems.


how to build your own skin care routine
how to treat specific skin concerns like acne or scars
which DIY skin hacks aren’t healthy, albeit they appear to figure
Building a daily skin care routine
No matter what your skin type is, a daily skin care routine can assist you maintain overall skin health and improve specific concerns like acne, scarring, and dark spots. A daily skin care routine has four basic steps you'll do once within the morning and once before you sleep.


1. Cleansing: Choose a cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin tight after washing. Clean your face no quite twice each day , or simply once, if you've got dry skin and don’t wear makeup. Avoid washing for that squeaky-clean feeling because meaning your skin’s natural oils are gone. Cleansers known to figure well for all skin types include Cetaphil and Banila Clean It Zero Sherbet Cleanser.

2. Serums: A serum with vitamin C or growth factors or peptides would be better within the morning, under sunscreen. At night, retinol or prescription retinoids work best. Makeup Artist’s Choice has an efficient vitamin C and E serum and retinol available.

3. Moisturizer: Even oily skin needs moisturizer, but use one that's lightweight, gel-based, and non-comedogenic, or doesn’t block your pores, like CeraVe’s facial lotion. Dry skin may enjoy more cream-based moisturizers like MISSHA Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream. Most brands will label their products as gel or cream on their packaging.

4. Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF quarter-hour before heading outdoors, because it takes a short time for sunscreen to activate. Darker skin tones really need more sun protection because hyperpigmentation is harder to correct. Try EltaMD’s sunscreen, which offers broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is suggested by the carcinoma Foundation.

Choose products that suit your skin type and sensitivity, and remember to read the labels. Some products, like retinol or prescription retinoids, should only be applied in the dark .

For all skin types
Stay hydrated.
Change pillow cases a minimum of once every week .
Wash or conclude hair before bed.
Wear sunscreen a day and apply quarter-hour before going out.
Start with a basic and straightforward routine to ascertain how your skin reacts. Once you’re comfortable, you'll then add extra products like exfoliants, masks, and spot treatments to spice up your skin’s health.

And don’t forget to skin test new products, especially if you think you've got sensitive skin. this will assist you identify potential allergies .

To skin test a replacement product:

Apply alittle amount of product on your skin during a discreet area, like the within of your wrist or your inner arm.
Wait 48 hours to ascertain if there’s a reaction.
Check the world at 96 hours after application to ascertain if you've got a delayed reaction.
An allergy may include irritation, redness, small bumps, or itchiness. If you notice these symptoms, wash the world you tested with water and a mild cleanser. Then return the merchandise and check out another that better suits your skin type.

DIY hacks to avoid (even if everyone does it)
People report wonders from using DIY hacks like juice and toothpaste for common skin problems like acne bumps and dark spots. Even award-winning actress Emma Stone claims her skin care secret is bicarbonate of soda . But the reality is these hacks may cause more long-term harm than benefit because they will damage your skin’s barrier.

Avoid these DIY hacks
Lemon juice: it's going to have citric acidic, but it’s far too acidic and may cause dark spots to seem after sun exposure. It also can dry and irritate your skin.
Baking soda: At a pH level of 8, bicarbonate of soda will stress your skin, significantly decreaseTrusted Source your skin’s water content, and cause dry skin.
Garlic: In raw form, garlic can cause skin allergies, eczema, skin inflammation, and watery blisters.
Toothpaste: The ingredients in toothpaste may kill germs and absorb oil, but they will also dry out or irritate your skin.
Sugar: As an exfoliant, sugar is just too harsh for the skin on your face.
Vitamin E: Topical application of vitamin E can irritate your skin and isn't proven to enhance scar appearance.
Some of these ingredients could also be all natural and cost-effective, but they aren’t formulated for your skin. albeit you don’t feel immediate side effects, these ingredients can cause delayed or long-term damage. It’s best to use products formulated for your face. ask your doctor or dermatologist before trying DIY applications on your skin.

How to treat skin problems
There are ways to tackle skin problems without damaging your skin. Just remember the amount one rule of skin care: Don’t pick! Picking at acne, blackheads, scabs, or other skin problems can cause open wounds or darker skin spots referred to as hyperpigmentation. Open wounds can cause infections, more acne, or scars. The deeper the wound, the more likely your skin will scar.

Here are some scientifically backed ways to treat problem areas.

Acne
Acne treatment depends on how deep or serious your acne is. Overall skin care is that the most vital step in treating acne, except for mild acne you'll use nonprescription products from your local drugstore such as:

salicylic acid (Stridex maximum strength acne pads)
benzoyl peroxide (Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 acne medication)
alpha hydroxy acids
adapalene
tea tree oil
Always apply sunscreen after using these products within the morning, since they will cause extra skin sensitivity.


For immediate, inflamed, and individual pimples, you'll also try acne patches or stickers. These are clear, thick patches that employment as spot treatments to assist promote blemish healing and stop infections. Like blister bandages, acne patches pull out the fluid, sometimes overnight. It’s best to use these before you sleep as makeup can’t cover them.

Sebaceous filaments
Sebaceous filaments are tiny, cylinder-like tubes in your pores that are whitish yellow. These are often confused with blackheads, but blackheads are literally a kind of acne that’s oxidized. Sebaceous filaments can make your pores look bigger, and you'll be tempted to get rid of them by pinching your skin or using pore strips. But these methods may have more side effects than benefits for your skin, especially if you don’t do them properly.

Overtime, you'll also cause:

irritation
open pores and infection
dryness
redness
peeling
Topical preparations containing retinol or retinoids can help keep pores clear and clean. you'll also find benefits from massaging your face with mineral or purgative for one minute.

Another way of removing sebaceous filaments is with an extraction tool. this is often alittle metal instrument with a small circle at the top .


The safest method is to possess an esthetician or dermatologist remove them for you, but you'll also do that at home:

Start with a clean face and instrument.
Gently press the revolve around the bump to ascertain if the filament comes out. take care as excessive pressure can cause bruising and scarring.
Treat the world with toner and moisturizer after.
Always sanitize your instrument with lotion before and after use to prevention infections.
You may also see extra benefits by applying peroxide after washing before extraction.

Blemishes, scars, and hyperpigmentation
Blemishes, scars, and dark spots can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to 6 months to heal and fade. Immediate treatment for scars and blemishes include using makeup and sunscreen to avoid further sun damage and hyperpigmentation.

Other ingredients known to assist fade scars include:

Silicone: Studies show that topical silicone can improve scar thickness, color, and texture. you'll apply silicone gel for eight to 24 hours per day. search for products with silicone dioxide listed as an ingredient.

Honey: Preliminary studies show that honey can heal wounds and scars. you'll want to use honey if you’re trying to find home treatment.

Vitamin C: search for this ingredient when buying creams and moisturizers. vitamin C works better when combined with other lightening ingredients like soy and licorice.

Niacinamide: Studies showTrusted Source that niacinamide can help reduce blemishes and dark spots, especially from acne. Topical two percent to 5 percent niacinamide is effective for people with lighter skin tones. a reasonable option is that the Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum, which costs $5.90.

Retinoic acid: One studyTrusted Source found that acne scars improved in 91.4 percent of individuals who applied a mixture of retinoic acid and glycollic acid . the standard also features a product that’s two percent retinoid for $9.80. Use products with this ingredient only in the dark .

Look for products with these ingredients and add them to your routine after washing your face. Don’t forget to always wear sunscreen after application to avoid sun damage and hyperpigmentation.

How to test your skin type reception
You can do a physical test to see your skin type. A home test measures sebum production. Sebum may be a waxy, oily liquid that comes from your pores. the quantity of sebum your skin produces can determine if your skin is:

dry
oily
normal
combination
Testing sebum production on a clean face is that the most accurate thanks to determine what quite skin you've got . Follow these steps:

Wash your face and pat it dry. Wait half-hour .
Gently press oil blotter or tissue on your face. Press the paper on different areas of your skin, like your forehead and nose, cheeks, and chin.
Hold the sheet to the sunshine to ascertain how transparent the paper is.
Test results Skin type
No transparency, but with flakes or tight skin dry
Soaked through oily
Different levels of absorption on different areas of the face combination
Not too oily and no flaky skin normal
Along with the above skin types, you'll even have sensitive skin, which doesn’t follow the sebum criteria. Sensitive skin depends on:

how fast your skin reacts to product application
how well your skin protects itself
how easily your skin turns red
likelihood of skin allergy
When to ascertain a doctor or dermatologist
You should see a dermatologist if your skin problems don’t get away with over-the-counter products. More severe acne, scarring, or other problems may have prescription treatment like oral antibiotics, contraception , or topical prescription retinoids. Your dermatologist may perform an extraction for deeper cysts or acne spots that are stuck underneath your skin.

Remember that your skin type can affect how products work. Using the incorrect product, even when natural, can cause breakouts, worsen blemishes, or cause redness. It’s best to seek out out what skin type you've got and build your skin care routine around that. you'll also take notes on product ingredients to ascertain if specific ingredients are causing unwanted skin reactions.