BEAUTY : Know your skin type

For a woman to have a good skin, she has really to start taking care of her skin early in life so that the skin maintains its youthful look even later in life. I started the 3 routines of cleansing, toning and moisturizing twice a day, morning and evening 10 years ago when I was introduced to that routine by an old aunt of my very good friend. I knew the importance of the routine one day when a stranger seating next to me on a plane asked my age, when I told her she was shocked! She said I looked much younger and I went smiling all the way thanking my friend for introducing me to her aunt and my cousin for introducing me to Oriflame natural products, which I use religiously. First thing any person yearning for a beautiful skin is by keeping their skin clean. Rather than using soaps on the face, its better to use mild face wash according to skin type. These bar soaps that we use are very harsh on our faces and cause pre-mature ageing that is why we are advised to first know our skin types then we can follow a routine and use products that are compatible with our skins. Normal skin People with this type of skin require least care for their skin type. In the morning wash it with clear water then do a normal skin cleaning and caring routine. If the skin has no clear indication of oiliness and dryness then the skin type is normal. Caring for normal skin-normal skin requires a normal cleaning, toning and moisturizing with products meant for dry skin only. Masking the face for normal skin can be done twice a month to maintain the suppleness and freshness of the skin. Dry skin This type of a skin is also requires a lot of care, if not well taken care of the face looks patchy and red more especially in the mornings and evenings. The texture of this type of skin is unusually thin and is visibly dry. It requires face wash and creams that are specially made for dry skin type. A good night cream while going to bed is a must for this skin or else one will wake up in the morning with the face pulling all sides for lack of moisture. The only advantage with this skin is that it hardly breaks into acne and pimples. Drinking lots of water to hydrate the skin is a must too, as it requires lots of moister as the body produces less sebum than required by the body. Combination skin This skin type is neither dry nor oily. It is mostly oily on the nose area and a bit patchy on the cheeks. Combination skin can be very tricky since one would not know whether to use products for dry skin or oily skin. It is advised to use the cleansers most on the oily part of the face, then toning and moisturizing can be concentrated more on the dry area. Steaming can be very good for this kind of skin since it will spread the natural oil on the entire face which is very healthy for the skin. Most people have combination skin but are not aware. Sensitive skin This skin type is the most problematic of all, since it is sensitive to almost all the soaps, cleansers, toners, moisturizers dirt, sun and dust It gets itching, redness and patches on it. This type of skin breaks out easily and gets itchy when anything is applied on it, then turns red leading to patches all over the face. One has to be very careful while using anything on sensitive skin, meaning if you apply anything on it and the irritation starts immediately, and then wash it off with clear water. There are mild skin products as face wash, cleansers, moisturizers and face packs specially made for sensitive skin, so choose wisely when buying the products or risk having big pimples like wounds on your face. Remember that perfumed soaps and lotions or any perfumed product on a sensitive skin is a no-no. In our bid to look beautiful and have a face that looks healthy and young, always read the contents of the products that you are buying for your face and skin. Any product which contains mercury and bleaching substances are not good for our skins, faces and health. I have seen many women spoil their beautiful faces to eradicate the natural black skin, to gain the yellow pale skin only for them to develop skin cancers later. Other bleached faces of women also tend to bring hair all over the face, thus turning the woman into a mongrel. My dear sisters and some brothers too, stop using bleaching products; they only make one look ugly. If you follow the above given steps then your skin and face will age naturally and beautifully, rather than forcing your skin to age prematurely with the harsh products. Ends

Lifestyle

BEAUTY : Know your skin type