Anti-Ageing and Skin Care-Part-II

Reducing Wrinkles: Choices To Consider

Once you have taken the time to improve your body’s overall health and well being, the next step in the process is improving the quality of your skin through other means. There are other choices out there that can drastically or minimally help you to improve your skin and reduce your wrinkles. Each of these options has worked for some but there is no guarantee that any regimen will work for you. Talking with your dermatologist and your cosmetic surgeon is the best route to determining your potential benefit.

Here are some choices.

•               Wrinkle creams. These are readily available and can work for you. To make sure you get one that is beneficial, look for those that contain Retinal. They should say this or they should say they contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. Products that promise to be miracle products are not likely to be that beneficial, though.

•               Botox. This is one of the heaviest marketed products today for removing wrinkles from the face. If you are interested in finding a solution that is minimally invasive, this is the right one.

But, remember that you may need to have it redone often. It is an easy choice and one that can be done on your lunch hour.

•               Face lift. The face lift is a much more drastic option, but it doesn’t have to be. There are much smaller types of changes that can be made to help improve the skin’s ability to look great.

Small and large changes can be made to remove the wrinkles in your skin.

These are just some of the various types of treatments that are available to you to help you to improve your skin. Take the time that it takes to choose the right one that fits your need and the budget that you have.

All About Sensitive Skin Care

‘Sensitive skin care’ is governed by a few basic rules. However, even before we delve into the rules for sensitive skin care, it’s important to understand what a sensitive skin is. Sensitive skin is one which is unable to tolerate any unfavorable conditions (environmental/other), and which easily gets irritated on contact with foreign materials (including skin care products). For this reason, some products are especially labeled as sensitive skin care products. The degree of sensitivity can however vary from person to person (and depending on that, the sensitive skin care procedures very too) Generally, all skin types respond negatively to detergents and other chemical based products. However, the damage starts generally beyond a defined threshold (or tolerance level). This tolerance level is very low for sensitive skin types, leading to skin getting damaged very easily and quickly. Sensitive skin care products either avoid the potential irritants or keep them at very low concentrations.

Here are a few tips for sensitive skin care:

*  Use sensitive skin care products only (i.e. the products that are marked for sensitive skin careonly). Also, check the instructions/ notes on the product to see if there are specific restrictions/warnings associated with the product).

*  Even within the range of sensitive skin care products, choose the one that has minimum preservatives, colorings and other additives

*  Do not use toners. Most of them are alcohol based and are not recommended for sensitive skin.

*  Wear protective gloves when doing laundry or other chemical based cleaning. If you are allergic to rubber, you can wear cotton gloves below the rubber ones.

*  Another important tip for ‘sensitive skin care’ is to avoid excessive exposure to sun. Apply sunscreen lotion before getting out in the sun.

*  Avoiding exposure to dust and other pollutants is also important for sensitive skin care. So,cover yourself adequately before going out.

Use hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic moisturizer as a sensitive skin care product (if there is none specifically labeled as a sensitive skin care product)

*  Use soap-free and alcohol free cleansers. Cleanse your face whenever you return from spending time out doors.

*  Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard. It can cause reddishness and even inflammation.

*  Do not leave the makeup on for too long. Use hypoallergenic makeup- removers.

So, sensitive skin care is very different from the normal skin care. Sensitive skin care is more about being careful with your skin (both in terms of sensitive skin care products and protection against environments atrocities on skin)

Anti-Ageing Skin Care

‘Anti-ageing skin care’ is a very poplar concept in today’s world. Today everyone wants to hide their age using anti-ageing skin care procedures (and a number of people are successful too). However anti-ageing skin care is not achieved by any magic potion. ‘Antiaging skin care’ is about discipline. It is about being proactive. Anti aging skin care is retarding the ageing process.

Here are a few tips for proactive anti-ageing skin care:

1.  Maintain healthy eating habits: A well balanced diet is the key to maintaining a proper bodymetabolism. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (raw), they are the best source of fibre and have a very refreshing effect on your body. Avoid oily and fatty food; not only do they lack in essential nutrients but also cause obesity and other diseases which aid the aging process

2.  Beat stress: This is probably the most important anti-ageing skin care measure. Stress disturbs the body metabolism and accelerates the aging process. Sleep, exercise and a relaxing bath, are all good ways of beating stress. Aroma-therapy is also known to bust stress.

3.  Drink a lot of water: Anti aging skin care can’t be any simpler than this. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body, hence keeping it clean and making it less prone to disease.

Around 8 glasses of water (per day) is recommended by all doctors.

4.  Regular exercise is a wonderful anti-ageing skin care procedure. Besides toning your muscles, it also helps in cleaning the skin by flushing out the toxins in the form of sweat. Exercise should be followed by a warm shower in order to completely remove the toxins.

5.  Avoid the use of strong, chemical based products on your skin. Natural skin care products are a good option. Use of organic skin care products (home made or commercial) can be a very effective anti-ageing skin care measure.

6.  Do not overuse skin care products. Excessive and harsh application, both are harmful.

7. Do not ignore skin disorders; it can lead to permanent skin damage. Try over the counter medication and if that doesn’t help, immediately visit your dermatologist and seek his/her advice.

8. Vitamin C based skin care products are very popular means of anti-ageing skin care. However, these seem to oxidize very quickly (which makes them harmful for the skin). So store them properly. If the product turns Yellowish brown, it means that vitamin c has oxidized and the product is no longer suitable for use.

9. Protect your skin against UV radiation; UV rays are known to speed up the aging process. So, a good sunscreen lotion should be a part of your anti-ageing skin care routine.

Herbal Skin Care

Skin care is not a topic of recent times; it has been in practice since ancient times, when herbal skin care was probably the only way to take care of skin. However, skin care has transformed in a big way. Herbal skin care routines have been replaced by synthetic/chemical-based skin care routines. The herbal skin care recipes which once used to be common place are not so popular today (and even unknown to a large population). This transformation from herbal skin care to synthetic, can probably be attributed to two things – our laziness (or just the fast pace of lives) and the commercialization of skin care. Even herbal skin care products have been commercialized. These commercial herbal skin care products have to be mixed with preservatives in order to increase their shelf-life, hence making them less effective than the fresh ones made at home. However, it seems that things are changing fast and more people are now opting for natural and herbal skin care routines. But still, none want to make them at home and hence the commercial market of herbal skin care products is on the rise.

So what are these herbs or herbal skin care mechanisms?

Aloe Vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe Vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.

A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea. Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties. Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.

Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.

Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herbal skin care. Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin care. Some

fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in shower gels (as a hydrating mix)

Homeopathic treatments and aromatherapies also come under the umbrella of herbal skin care remedies.

Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for treatment of skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Most herbal skin care products don’t have any side effects (the most important reason for preferring them over synthetic products) Moreover, herbal skin care products can be easily made at home, hence making them even more attractive. So, herbal skin care is the way to go. However, this does not mean that you totally discard the synthetic products. Some people go to the extent of debating with their dermatologist, if he/she suggests a synthetic product. You should accept the fact that some skin orders might need usage of clinically proven non-herbal skin care products.

Men’s Skin Care

‘Man skin care’ would seem like an alien topic to some men. It would have been even more alien a few years back. However, more and more men are now realizing the importance of man skin care (and hence you see markets flush with man skin care products too). Even though the male skin is very different from that of a female, ‘man skin care’ is very similar to the skin care for women.

‘Man skin care’ too starts with cleansing. Water soluble cleansers are preferred. Cleansing helps remove the dirt, grease and pollutants from the skin and helps in preventing pore clogging. The inherent oily nature of male skin makes cleansing an important part of man skin care procedure. Cleansing should be done at least once every day, even better if it is done twice a day. Using soap on the face is discouraged.

‘Man skin care’ revolves a lot around shaving. Shaving foam/gel/cream and after shave lotion are one of the most important man skin care products. Serious ‘man skin care’ requires a proper selection of shaving related equipment and products. One of the main considerations in choosing shaving products should be the skin type (since the degree of oiliness differs from person to person). Alcohol-based aftershaves should be avoided. Proper ‘man skin care’ also mandates the use of good quality razors. Here, swivel-head razors are preferred since they are known to reduce cuts. Besides these products and equipment, it is also necessary that you use them properly. Be gentle when using your razor. Do not scratch it against your skin; use a soft and smooth action (after all it’s a matter of removing hair, not the skin itself).

Male skin is generally thicker and oilier, owing to larger pores and more active sebaceous glands. However, due to regular shaving, the skin can get dehydrated quite easily. Hence moisturizers too form an integral part of man skin care. Moisturizing gel or cream should be applied after shaving. In fact, some shaving foams/ gel have an in-built moisturizing effect too. Moisturizers should be patted gently over the face and massaged gently using upward strokes.

Though a man’s skin is less susceptible to skin cancer caused by UV radiation, using a sunscreen is also an important man skin care measure. You can use a moisturizer that combines sunscreen with the moisturizing effect.

Another good option for ‘man skin care’ is to use man skin care products which have natural ingredients like aloe Vera, sea salt and coconut etc. Naturally antiseptic oils e.g. lavender, tea tree etc also provide good means for man skin care.

Man skin care is not as difficult as a lot of men think. It just asks for a few minutes every day, in order to give you a healthy skin for present and for future.

‘Personal Skin Care’ Is A Routine

We all know the importance of ‘personal skin care’. The opinion on how-to (for personal skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty parlors every other day is personal skin care. Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a month or once a year. Still others busy themselves with ‘personal skin care’ all the time. However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive (considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin-type (oily, dry, sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on personal skin care routine is ‘Cleansing’. The three main ingredients of a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents). Oil and surfactants extract dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean. You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the best. However, you should always use soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin). Take care that you don’t over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.

The second thing on the personal skin care routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process. Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume these products, hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products. Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care procedure, it’s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin. Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizers. This is one of the most important things in personal skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturizers. Moisturizers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture (from air) whenever needed. Use of too much moisturizer can however clog skin pores and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturizer needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturizer. Also, applying the moisturizer is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on personal skin care routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day-time creams/moisturizers) come with UV protection – so you can get double benefits from them. Such moisturizers are recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various personal skin care products and also with the amount you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for you. However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.