Essentials of Skin Care

Skin care should be very essential part of our daily routine. Skin is the largest organ of our body. Skin protects our body from free elements, present in environment, infections, pollution and weather conditions. It acts like a shield against harmful effect of our environment. There are many environmental and genetic factors which cause wear and tear to skin. Skin care is vital part of our fitness, health and beauty regime. It’s a mutual process; you protect your skin by caring and in return, skin will protect you. To take care of skin, you should have basic knowledge about skin and how to keep it healthy by following some simple measures in your daily activities.

Basics of Skin Care:

There is no age to start caring of skin; no matter how young or old you are. There are many factors like aging, sun, wind or other pollutants which play havoc on your skin. They can cause common skin conditions like dryness and itchiness in the skin, discoloration, age spots, wrinkling and sagging. You can start taking caring of skin, first by protecting your skin from these environmental factors.

Some simple measures like having healthy diet, performing daily exercise and proper rest are the foundations of blemish-free, healthy skin. In addition to these basic needs, you can have topical care of skin according to its type to make it smooth and glowing.

Healthy diet for Skin:

You daily diet should include food products which contain all the vitamins, nutrients and minerals, which are not only essential for your skin but also for overall health of your body. Vitamin A, C and E, zinc and proteins should be in adequate amount in your food. Skin needs these elements to repair and maintain it. Eat whole grain foods, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

For healthy skin you need to drink lots of water. Water can not be replaced by any other fluid. Water helps to cleanse out the system by flushing out toxins and keep your skin hydrated. Maintaining skin moisture from inside is very essential for preventing it from premature aging. There is effective tip for skin; mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water and drink it.

Sun Protection:

Exposing your skin to sun rays is very dangerous. Ultraviolet rays present in sunlight cause severe damage to the skin. You should take steps to protect your skin from damaging effects of sun rays. Sunrays cause skin to become dry, wrinkled, formation of age spots and skin cancer also. Apply sunscreen lotion or cream with minimum SPF 15. Reapply it after being in sun for few hours. You should not and you can not avoid sun light altogether as it is essential for your body; just avoiding sun exposure between 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. Wear full sleeves shirts, pants and wide-rimmed hat to protect yourself from sun rays.

Some other Tips for Skin Care:

Skin becomes dry with growing age, use of some cosmetics, medication or even frequent baths. Avoid using hot water for bathing. Do not use harsh soaps for cleansing your skin. You can use a mild soap which does not contain perfumes, parabens or dyes. Also, a sponge bath with warm water can thoroughly cleanse the skin without making it dry.

A daily skin Care Routine:

Apart from the fundamental skin care, you must follow an effective skin care routine for smooth and glowing skin. You should use skin care products which suit your skin type. A skin care routine does not consume much of your time; you just have to include it in your daily activities. Basic skin care routine for all skin types is to cleanse tone and moisturize.

Cleanse:

Cleansing of skin is very important to remove dust, debris, grease and pollutants which keep accumulating on your skin along with sweat. If you do not remove them from your skin, your skin pores will get clogged and give rise to various skin disorders. If you have dry skin, use a creamy cleanser and for oily skin, use an oil-free cleanser. Apply cleanser on the skin and rub it well gently and then after few minutes, clean it with wet cotton.

Toning:

After cleansing, apply toner or freshener over your skin to tone it up. It will help remove traces of cleanser leftover your skin and also make the skin tight and firm. Do not use alcohol based cleanser or astringent on dry skin. Rose water is the best natural and mild toner for all skin types.

Moisturizing:

Moisturizing of skin is the very important step of skin care routine. You need to moisturize your skin frequently to replace the lost moisture. Moisturiser helps to trap the natural moisture of skin. Avoid using creamy and thick moisturizers for oily skins.