Skincare Tips You Should Know

One of the most essential components to a beauty regime is having the right skincare. Before we even begin to apply a stitch of makeup, starting with a freshly washed face that is ready for your skincare is key. Doing your best to incorporate cleansing into your daily beauty routine will definitely play a role in how the skin behaves as we begin the aging process. I know, it doesn’t sound like a lot of fun but when you’re a bit older you’ll be happy that you did.

We are all born with soft wrinkle free skin. Unfortunately, over time the harsh elements in the environment effect the wear and tear on our skin making it dry and rough which eventually can lead to wrinkles and who needs those! Good skin care can slow down the harmful effects of time and the environment. Our skin is a living organism just like the rest of our body and we need to treat it in the same manner.

How you ask? Well, for one thing by feeding our skin with the proper nutrients that are vital in promoting healthy glowing skin. And, I am not talking about over the counter skincare like Oil of Olay. These types of skincare lines are geared towards consumers who do not know much about skin or how to protect it from free radicals and the aging process. It’s okay though, most of us eventually do learn the difference between these skin care lines especially since there are so many beauty blogs and beauty sites out there available with great reviews and information on skin care and beauty products.

I learned early on about skincare because I was a professional model and with the hours I kept between go-see’s and shooting my skin really took a beating. However, as I broadened my skincare horizons and inquired about skincare that really penetrated through the dermal layers I began to have a better understanding of the importance of a good skincare line verses a not so good skincare line. These type of skincare lines literally do not absorb into the deep layers of your skin where they are needed the most. They stay only on the surface which in the end does nothing for your skin but clog your pores. But let’s look at the facts below:

The first thing we must understand is how our skin actually operates. Our skin consists of 3 layers. The first and deepest layer is called the subcutaneous tissue. This layer insulates the body since it contains the fat cells. The dermis is the second or middle layer which contains the connective tissues. The third and outermost skin layer is called the epidermis, which most of us already know about… It is this layer of our skin that protects the inner skin layers from all of the harmful environmental elements. Kind of like our own personal shield. However, this shield can only protect us for so long before it starts breaking down or gets removed.

The epidermis cells are continuously moving from the inner most part of the epidermis to the surface causing our skin to flake off when they have reached the top layer of our skin. As time goes by our skin loses collagen, becomes thinner and starts to show the effects of aging. Sweat glands also decrease causing dryer skin and our cells in the subcutaneous layer get smaller making our skin sag and wrinkle. And let’s not forget the UVA and UVB radiation effects on our skin! This makes our skin even thinner and adds to a quicker breakdown of collagen in the dermis layer.

So, we have now gone full circle and know that in order to protect our three layers of skin we need to start with a good skincare routine for morning and night. This routine includes:  cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. 

Cleansing your face every day will help to remove any dirt that accumulated during the day along with any dead skin cells that have risen from the deeper layers of your epidermis. Cleansing also helps to prevent pimples and/or acne.  A good toner will put back the ph balance that was removed along with the dirt and oil on your skin. Applying a good moisturizer will re-hydrate and nourish your skin. We suggest using a liquid facial cleanser over a bar cleanser since they tend to dry the skin. It will also depend on your skin type: dry, normal, combo, or oily skin. We highly recommend something gentle like PURPOSE by Johnson & Johnson since it is soap free, hypoallergenic, and won’t clog pores.

When it comes to buying a moisturizer, we can not stress enough the importance of buying one that is either COSMECEUTICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE. Otherwise, it will not penetrate into the three layers of your skin. The difference between the Over The Counter products and Cosmeceutical/Pharmaceutical is the potency or strength of the active ingredients. OTC  skincare does not have to contain many active ingredients and often contains inactive compounds, fragrances and preservatives. Pharmaceutical skincare will give your skin the best results but are mostly only available through a licensed professional. 

They are also FDA-regulated, must contain 99.9% pure active ingredients, must be backed up by scientific studies, and must demonstrate beneficial effect on a function or structure of the skin. In short, they are expected to do every thing they claim when it comes to your skin!  Not a bad thing…But if you are still weary and do not want to spend a lot of money, there are a lot of cosmeceutical products that are also quite good.  Do your research and find out the key ingredients to keep your skin healthy.

Bottom line: Good healthy skin requires a lot of attention and effort.  Start a good morning and night time cleansing and moisturizing regime, stay out of direct sunlight if you can, and regardless always wear sunscreen with an spf of 20 or higher every day. Drink plenty of water and avoid smoking or cut down if you do since too much can cause dehydration and wrinkles around the mouth.

If you’re a true blue beauty obsessed and skin care addict like us then you will want to prolong the aging process for as long as you possibly can…We prefer to age backwards…What about you??