Proper skin care techniques are crucial for your overall health. However, your face being the most exposed part of your body faces the maximum hazards and hence, needs most of attention.
In this chapter, we’ve outlined some of the basics of facial skin care, besides furnishing some basic information on the products involved.
Your Skin Care Products
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS – KEY INGREDIENTS
The cosmetics for daily as well as professional use vary over a vast range. Hence, it is quite natural for these to carry ingredients of an equally diverse quality, which is probably difficult to fathom and study under a single head.
However, there is a certain set of ingredients which are normally present in almost of all the cosmetics we use. In the following section, we give you a brief description of each one of these, along with the method in which they are obtained.
– Vehicles: These are ingredients like alcohol or water and other base substances that carry the other ingredients in the cosmetics. Vehicles usually make up for the largest part of the cosmetic or product.
– Algae: This is basically a sea product which contains minerals and phytohormones. This ingredient is widely used in facial masks and other products to remineralize and revitalize the skin.
– Collagen: This is a fibrous substance, used as an upper moisturizer and is available in the form of creams, lotions and many of the facial masks.
– Herbs: These are basically the plant materials that contain phytohormones and have specific healing agents such as stimulating agents, soothing agents, emollients and astringents.
– Alcohol: This is a colorless liquid or a waxy solid that is obtained from the fermentation of certain sugars. It is very widely used in perfumes, lotions and tonics.
– Alum: This is basically a compound of aluminum, potassium or ammonium sulfate and is supplied in the form of crystals or powder. This ingredient has a strong astringent action and is widely used in skin tonics and lotions.
– Glycerin: Glycerin is a sweet, colorless, odorless, syrupy liquid formed by the decomposition of oils, fats and molasses. An extremely effective skin softener, it is widely used in cuticle oils, face creams and lotions.
– Other ingredients:
- Ammonia water
- Boric acid
- Potassium hydroxide
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium hydroxide
- Witch hazel
- Zinc oxide
Choosing Cosmetics – What To Consider
Skin care is a never-ending process of disciplined routine, good quality products and careful self-analysis.
In the other sections, we’ve given you a deep insight into the various steps of your beauty care, along with an outline of the possible skin diseases you can suffer from.
However, most of the process boils down to one simple fact – what is the quality of your skin care products and whether you have chosen the right type of skin care product for yourself.
In the section that follows, we’ve given you a practical set of guidelines and rules to consider as you set out to develop your own skin care kit.
– Skin Tone: The cosmetics you choose to apply on your face must match the tone of your skin and also complement it properly. For instance, in case you have an olive or chocolaty skin tone, then you must choose a darker foundation. On the other hand, women with fairer skin should rather choose a lighter foundation, implying lighter tones.
– Price Vs. Quality: Your face is perhaps your most prized possession. Though it is a common belief that price doesn’t essentially ensure quality, yet the same almost always applies to cosmetics. Never attempt to save money on the cosmetics you are going to use on your skin. You might just end up spending all the more in healing the damage done later.
– Type of Skin: Each one of us has a different type of skin. A cosmetic designed for dry skin could actually damage your skin if it is of the oily type. Using cosmetics that are not meant for your own skin type can cause problems ranging from allergies to irritation and even serious skin diseases. You can determine your skin type just by doing the small self-test in chapter 1.
– Color Coordination: Before you purchase a cosmetic for your make-up, ensure that its color tone matches that of your own skin. You must ensure that there is proper color harmony and the cosmetic you choose enhances the natural color of your skin.
– Personal Taste: When you choose a cosmetic for yourself, make sure it reflects the type of personality you have. One particular type of cosmetic might not suit two people alike and similarly, two personalities also. For instance, some people look really good with a heavily made-up face, while others look attractive with a simple make-up. Choosing a cosmetic tone in line with your own personality makes the effect much more dramatic.
– The Ingredients: Make sure you know the ingredients of a cosmetic before you purchase it. Read the label listings carefully for any possible side effects. For instance, ingredients such as animal derivatives, microbes and petroleum by-products might cause conditions like allergy, dermatitis and the like. Go through our section on cosmetics earlier in this chapter for further knowledge in this.
– Research: Before you settle for a particular brand of a product, conduct your own research about the same and check for any possible effects. To be on the safer side, you can even take references from other users and thus choose a cosmetic which is likely to give you the best of results.
Skin Care Guide – Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Skin Care
Part 1 – Human Skin
Part 2 – Acne: Types, Causes and Treatment
Part 3 – Dry Skin
Part 4 – Anti-aging Skin Care
Part 5 – Skin Care Regimen
part 6 – Facial Skin Care
Part 7 – Skin Diseases and Conditions
Part 8 – Cures, Remedies and Therapies