Basic Daily Skin Care

Basic Daily Skin Care

People often ask me what have you learned that you didn’t know before about caring for your skin? Skin care is a personal journey. How much effort are we willing to put into taking care of our skin? I have always been in search of the elusive zero maintenance care regime. My mother gave me a sobering lesson in my teenage years when I once asked her for a low maintenance haircut. She responded, “Really? Let’s be honest, you want zero maintenance and that does not exist”. And so please recognize that when I comment below that something is “always a good idea”, that is my own personal code for “I choose to skip this step, but it will help your skin”.

Skin care is divided into two regimes.  Morning routine should be about protection and evening routine should be about repair and healing.

Morning Routine in Three Easy Steps:Clean, Prime, Protect.

1. Clean

Begin the morning with a fresh face. Most children do not need a cleanser, just lukewarm water is sufficient.  A gentle skin cleanser of your choice that has buzz words like “non comedogenic, fragrance free, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide” will help skin that is prone to blemishes (pimples, black/whiteheads). Investing in an electronic face cleanser brush is good way to encourage people to spend more time washing there face, but not necessary. If a cleanser is used it should be applied for at least 15 seconds to work. Following your cleansing routine with a toner is always a good idea.

2. Prime

A product with Vitamin C should be topically applied prior to SPF (sunscreen) application. Vitamin C is known for its anti-oxidant scavenging of free radicals and collagen synthesis properties. Some studies show topical application is useful in preventing and treating UV-induced skin damage.

3. Protect

Apply moisturizer, followed by at least SPF 30 sunscreen for the face. I prefer to buy one product that acts both as a moisturizer and UV protectant, thus eliminating one step. A light eye moisturizer with SPF is also recommended.

Evening Routine:Clean, Prime, Repair

1. Clean

Always wash off any makeup or residual build up from the day. Do this step earlier in the evening if you are too tired to do it later. Your skin will love you for it. Remember the evening is about skin regeneration and repair and every night counts. If you have an electronic face cleanser brush, the evening is the most important time to use it if you are using the brush only once daily. A gentle exfoliating cleanser can be useful in the evening (key words to look for in the ingredient list include alpha hydroxy acids and salicylic acid).

2. Prime Face

Apply night moisturizer to your face (no SPF)- this can be a bit heavier since you will be sleeping and it will help lock in moisture.

3. Prime Eyes

Apply eye cream. The skin around our eye is the thinnest and needs extra care regarding tensions and materials we place on it. Always pat lightly around the eye, never pull or rub. This skin is more delicate than most realize. The most inexpensive eye cream is vaseline around the eyes. Beauty regimes do not need to be expensive. Locking in moisture cannot be stressed enough.

3. Repair

Now is the time to apply any medicated creams for facial skin repair. If you have acne, apply field therapy to your face and not just ‘spot’ treatment (see acne discussion). If your skin is free of acne, a preventative cream for aging, fine lines and wrinkles should be used.  I recommend a nightly Vitamin A based product (retinol or retinoid).

Vitamin A based skincare products (retinols and retinoids) are worth understanding because of their proven ability to reduce wrinkles, increase blood flow in skin, fight acne, increase cellular turnover, boost collagen and even skin tone.

A retinoid is a chemically derived type of vitamin A  which is available by prescription only.  Differences in skin integrity can typically be seen within 4-8 weeks.  It is 100 fold the concentration of retinol and does not need conversion to an active form.

A retinol is a form of vitamin A that is naturally found in the skin The retinol products are usually about 0.1 to 0.05% concentration found over the counter. Retinol needs to be converted to retinoic acid (via naturally occurring skin enzymes) to work.  Results typically take 3-6 months to see a difference. This is an excellent ingredient found in some of the higher end skin products available on the market.

For some people a retinol based product is all they need for prevention and repair. For others, a visit to a doctor discussing what retinoid product would be best for your skin is advisable.

Finally, no skin care regime is complete without mentioning –

Aisha’s Pentad Of Skin Health:

  1. Don’t smoke
  2. Protect against UV light exposure
  3. Get a good nights sleep
  4. Manage stress through consistent exercise and sexual intimacy
  5. Avoid a High Glycemic Index Diet