Your Basic Skin-Care Advice

Example of Skin Care Products

Once you've picked which products you want to try - and are willing to try with them for at least a month you can use these basic skin care rules I've learnt from years of blogs, vlogs, friends and mags. This is why (touchwood) that my skin is in such good condition. 

Cleansing

We all know that girl with the perfect glowing pure complexion that looks like not a single product has touched it. If I left my skin like her.. let's not even think about it. Shudder. But anyhow, morning and evening rituals are essential. Your pores need to be cleaned so they can breathe and work as they were intended too. Having clean pores also means that the products you put on your face can be absorbed. If you clean your skin too aggressively you can upset it and cause inflammation and sore patches, you can also trigger your oil glands to mass produce. It's a good idea to follow basic cleansing with some toner, especially if your skin is oily. Witch hazel is a good alternative if you prefer more natural products.  
   If you don't wear a lot of make up, then using your hands to cleanse should be fine. Get your hair out of your face and off of your neck, and then in a circular motion work your cleanser into a lather across all of your face. Spend equal time on your cheeks, chin, your upper neck, behind your ears (!) and along your hairline where residue build up. This process should take about a minute, don't just lather up and rub it on and think that's it. Be sure to rinse it off well, don't leave any on your face. 
   If you wear a lot of make up, like I do, you will need extra help. You can use an exfoliating cloth, a Clarisonic face brush (my next new purchase, hopefully!) or make up remover and cotton wool. 

Exfoliating

If you run your finger along the edge of your face you'll feel it's a bit rough, this is due to clogged pores. Dead skin cells, oil, dirt and make up are all things that can be clogged into your pores and this causes blemishes and spots. You want to prevent this build up so that the skin underneath can breathe. Once a week, make up free, I'll scan my face for roughness and then use my exfoliator. If your skin is sensitive, you'll still need to exfoliate but to make it extra gentle, dilute your exfoliator by mixing it with cleanser. If your skin looks red or raw, don't exfoliate 

Moisturising

My Moisturiser 

Even if you have oily skin, you'll still want to use a light, oil-free moisturiser across all zones of your face and your neck. Ensure that you trap most of the moisture by applying it to damp skin. If you tend to have drier, flaky skin, exfoliate and slather on the cream immediately. Moisturising in the winter is essential, especially if you live somewhere colder!

When To Seek A Doctor's Opinion

Since there's not a lot you can do about serious skin conditions of the inside in, if you have a condition such as skin-cystic acne, painful eczema (ding!) or psoriasis (ding again) - you should absolutely see your doctor. Don't pick at your face or do a little research and think you're ontop of it. Your doctor will know what's going on and will work with you to find the right combination of products (some might be prescription) to help you sort out your skin. 

As always I have to add a little note - Don't quote everything you've read in this post, no matter how much you exfoliate and moisturise, if you don't get some rest your skin will suffer. You can't stay out all night and expect your face to be ok with you the next day. There's a reason it's called beauty sleep. 

Enjoy! 

DKH - Find Your Beauty