Absolute Basic Skin Care

Many of us today have extremely busy life styles as we try to juggle work, home and social life, so there isn't much time left for pampering ourselves with elaborate beauty and skin care regimes. What we need is a simple but effective routine for looking after our skin so what will that involve?

Cleansing the skin

Too many people rush into the shower in the morning and give their face a quick wash with soap or shower gel, which they then dry with their regular towel before getting dressed and rushing out of the door. This may seem like a good idea when you're in a hurry but eventually your skin is going to suffer.

The best way to cleanse your face is to use a mild cleanser that has been formulated for your skin type. This means that at a basic level you first have to identify if you have normal, oily, dry or combination skin and choose a cleanser accordingly.

To use a cleanser follow the instructions on the packaging but in most cases you simply apply the cleanser to your skin and wipe or rinse off with warm clear water or with a cotton pad. That's it. Some people like to use a toner which closes up the pores and has an astringent effect but this isn't absolutely necessary as we're talking about absolute basic skin care here.

Moisturising the skin

The next step is possibly the most important part of any skin care regime and one that you should not omit no matter how busy you are. Every day our skin is exposed to the weather and to pollutants, central heating, reconditioned air, make up etc. which sap the skin of moisture which then needs to be replaced.

Even oily skin needs a moisturiser but a lighter water based moisturiser as opposed to a heavier one that might be suitable for dry skin. Just like the cleanser you choose, your moisturiser needs to be one that is suitable for your skin type. Apply moisturiser using your finger tips and massage it into your skin using gentle circular movements.

Caring for your skin on the inside

At the same time absolute basic skin care involves more than just catering for the surface of the skin, it also involves nourishing the skin from the inside. As such you need to make sure that you are getting all the right vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

One of the first places a poor diet will show up is on the skin. This is because skin renews itself every twenty eight days or so and as such, any changes in diet can be seen relatively quickly whether they're welcome changes or not.

Chances are if you suddenly eat a lot of processed and junk foods, consume a lot of fizzy drinks and alcohol, you will soon notice a difference in the condition of your skin which will start to look dull and jaded and could maybe result in an outbreak of pimples.

On the other hand if you begin to eat more organic and natural foods including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and are drinking lots of fresh water then your skin is going to look more radiant.

If your diet is poor because you haven't got time to shop and cook it's not a good idea to start taking lots of vitamin supplements to make up for it without first consulting your doctor and ascertaining your vitamin levels. Some vitamins can be harmful in high doses, for example vitamin A, and therefore it's far better to make sure your vitamin levels are obtained naturally.

What might be worth considering even if you already eat a healthy diet is a daily dose of fish oil. Fish oil contains essential Omega 3 fatty acids which are important for healthy skin and most diets, even so called healthy diets, don't give us enough Omega 3 or to be more precise the right kind of Omega 3.

Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid or EPA and DHA as they are better known, are only really found in fatty fish and not in any vegetable sources and these days it isn't advisable to eat too much fish because of the risk from toxins in the fish. EPA in particularly is necessary for healthy skin so supplementing with fish oil is a safe and effective way of getting the required amount of Omega 3 to make a difference.

Avoiding Damage

In order to keep your skin looking young and healthy for as long as possible we need to avoid those things that are going to damage the skin. This means staying out of the sun, using mild and natural products on our skin, and replacing any moisture that our skin might lose during the course of the day.