raasm007

Subject: Proper skin care
Proper skin care: Cleanse, moisturize, protect

Your skin is among your body's most conspicuous
features. It helps protect you against the environment
and plays a major role in your appearance. But your
skin needs regular care and attention in order to
remain healthy and attractive. Taking good care of
your skin — including proper cleaning, moisturizing,
use of sunscreen and shaving — can help prevent
skin-related problems, such as dry or rough skin, deep
wrinkles, liver or brown spots, and skin cancer.



Cleaning your face: Be gentle


Cleaning is an essential part of caring for your
complexion. Whatever your skin type — oily, dry,
balanced or combination — the key to cleaning is to
treat your skin gently.



When washing your face:

Remove eye makeup. Use a soft sponge, cotton cloth or
cotton balls and moisturizing cream to avoid damaging
the delicate tissue around your eyes. If you wear
heavy, waterproof makeup, you also may need to use an
oil-based product such as petroleum jelly.
Use lukewarm water. Avoid washing your face with very
hot water, which can dry out your skin.
Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps — those most capable
of stripping oil from your skin — can leave your skin
dry. These products don't contain additives such as
moisturizers or moisture retainers. Products
containing lauryl sulfates are harsher than products
containing sarcosinates, sulfosuccinates and
cocoamphodiacetates. A mild cleanser, typically
labeled as such, may also be a good choice.
Avoid irritating additives. If you have sensitive
skin, avoid products containing perfumes or dyes.
These can irritate your skin and may possibly trigger
an allergic response.
Use your hands to wash your face. Instead of using a
washcloth, which can be abrasive, wash your face
gently using your fingers.
Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Use a soft cotton towel
to dry your face.
Generally, wash your face once in the morning, once in
the evening and after exercising or engaging in
sports. If your skin is very dry and easily irritated,
washing once a day may be enough to remove sweat and
oil from your skin. If your skin is oily or prone to
blackheads or acne — and you live in a warm and humid
environment — you may need to wash it more frequently
than twice a day. Otherwise, twice a day may be
enough, especially if you use soaps or other cleansers
designed for oily skin. These products strip more oil
away from the skin and aren't as likely to contain oil
or moisturizers.

You may also consider using a toner or astringent
after washing your face. These products, which remove
oil and soap residue, help make your skin feel tight
and clean. They're generally drying and may contain
water, alcohol or witch hazel, propylene glycol or
salicylic acid. Some people find them to be too drying
and irritating. Others find that they work well in
removing excess oil.


Acne



Bathing: Avoid drying out


Bathing is essential to good hygiene. But bathing
removes natural oils from your skin, which can result
in dryness and irritation. To minimize the drying
effects of bathing, follow these steps:

Bathe once a day. Bathing once a day is generally
enough to maintain good hygiene. If your complexion is
very oily, you live in a warm and humid environment or
you're physically active, twice a day may be more
appropriate. If you have dry skin, bathing every other
day may be best.
Use warm water and limit bath time. Hot water and long
showers or baths remove even more oil. Limit your bath
or shower time to about 15 minutes or less. And use
warm, rather than hot, water.
Use appropriate soaps. Choose mild, superfatted soaps,
which are products that have oils and fats added to
them just after the soap manufacturing process. Add
bath oils, which are very moisturizing, to your bath.
Consider using a soap substitute. These products vary,
but may include a mild synthetic detergent or an oil
mixed with a wetting agent (surfactant). They
typically come in a bar, gel or liquid form, and are
less drying than are deodorant and antibacterial
detergents or soaps. If you have dry or sensitive
skin, use soap only on your face, underarms, genital
area, and hands and feet.
Pat dry. After bathing, gently pat or blot your skin
dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on the
skin. Immediately moisturize your skin with an oil or
cream.


Moisturizing: Hydrate your skin


Moisturizers help maintain your skin's natural
moisture levels, which the environment and your
lifestyle frequently deplete. Moisturizers work by
providing a seal over your skin — to keep water from
escaping — or by slowly releasing water into your
skin.

Apply moisturizers immediately after taking a shower
or bath, as this helps to trap water in the upper
layers of your skin. You may like the feel of an
oil-in-water cream, such as Cetaphil or Vanicream. If
you have dry skin, consider using a heavier,
water-in-oil moisturizer — such as Eucerin or Nivea —
rather than a light, disappearing moisturizing lotion
that contains mostly water. If your skin is very dry,
you may want to apply an oil, such as baby oil, while
your skin is still moist. Oil has more staying power
than moisturizers do and prevents the evaporation of
water from the surface of your skin. If your skin is
oily, you may prefer to skip moisturizing.

During the winter months, you may notice that your
skin is drier. This is due to lower relative humidity,
with a combination of cold air outside and dry heat
indoors. Keeping the air in your home somewhat cool
and humid may help, so consider purchasing a
humidifier.


Home humidifiers: Soothe your nose, throat and skin




Facial moisturizers help hydrate the skin on your
face. The moisturizer that's best for you and the
frequency with which you need to moisturize depend on
your skin type, your age and whether you have specific
conditions such as acne or wrinkles. If you have oily
skin, choose a light, oil-in-water product. Or, you
may prefer not to moisturize. For sensitive skin,
select products that have a good proportion of oil and
water, rather than those that are primarily water.
Look for products free of heavy dyes, perfumes or
other additives. During the daytime, use a moisturizer
with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to
help protect your skin from damaging ultraviolet rays,
which can cause wrinkles, dark spots, rough skin and
skin cancer.



Shaving: Gently remove hair


Shaving is a common and inexpensive way to remove
unwanted hair. However, shaving can cause skin
irritation, especially if your skin is thin, dry or
very sensitive.

If you shave with a blade razor, always use a sharp
blade. If you're a man, soften your beard before
shaving by applying a warm washcloth to your face for
a few seconds. Then use plenty of shaving cream to
further soften the hair. Pass the blade over your
beard only once, in the direction of hair growth.
Don't reverse the stroke, as it can cause a skin
irritation called razor burn. If you're a woman, use
cream or lubricating gel when shaving your legs. Shave
in the direction of hair growth, and not against it.

If you use an electric razor, know that this method
also can be irritating to your skin if done too
vigorously. Move the razor gently over your skin.
Electric razors work best — and are least irritating —
when used on hair that is dry, stiff, and free of
perspiration and excess oil. If irritation does occur,
use a lotion that doesn't contain either ethyl or
isopropyl alcohol. Alcohol and alcohol-based products
may feel cooling due to the evaporation of the alcohol
from the skin, but they don't really help irritated
skin. If you nick yourself while shaving, apply alum —
a natural mineral with antiseptic properties — to stop
bleeding and soothe irritation. Alum is available
over-the-counter in block or stick forms.


Laser hair removal: Zapping unwanted hair



Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: How it helps your
skin


Good skin care involves more than just using the right
soap and moisturizer. Your lifestyle also plays an
important role in your skin's health and appearance.
Follow these lifestyle tips for healthier skin:

Eat a healthy diet. Your body needs adequate amounts
of protein, vitamins and minerals in order to keep
your skin healthy. Eat a diet rich in fruits,
vegetables and whole grains. And drink plenty of water
to help keep your skin hydrated.
Exercise. Exercising improves blood circulation, which
in turn may improve your skin's tone and color.
Sleep well. If you're not getting enough sleep, or the
quality of your sleep is poor, your face will show it.
A lack of sleep may turn your complexion puffy,
lackluster and sallow.
Quit smoking. In addition to putting you at risk of
heart disease and cancer, smoking may cause your face
to age prematurely.
Protect yourself from the sun. Dark skin can tolerate
the sun better than fair skin can, in that it absorbs
less harmful rays. However, any complexion can become
blotchy, leathery and wrinkled from continued sun
overexposure. Overexposure also increases the risk of
skin cancer. Use sunscreen generously, wear protective
clothing, and try to avoid sun exposure between 10
a.m. and 4 p.m.

Ready to start a fitness program? Take these 5 steps
Sleep tips for the perpetually awake
The dark side of tanning: How the sun damages your
skin

December 19, 2003

Hope this is helpful to the members

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iWonder

nice ... thanks for the info m8

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