Skin Care Products - Should I Be Using Them?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It's true, some people are born with naturally beautiful skin and may feel they have no need to use any sort of skin product or beauty product other than warm water to wash off the day's dirt and grime.

That's all very well but no matter how healthy and youthful your skin is the passage of time will eventually cause your skin to lose its elasticity and for the first signs of aging to appear.

The trick to staying young and beautiful is to delay this process as long as possible so that you can retain natural healthy youthful looking skin for longer. This means that even if you feel you have no need for beauty products or skin care products at the moment, you could still benefit in the long term from taking good care of your skin.

Taking good care of your skin involves a basic skin care regime of cleansing and moisturising. You will often hear of a three step regime of cleansing, toning and moisturising, however, if you have a good enough cleanser you don't really need a separate toner. What we're talking about here is the most basic skin care regime that absolutely everyone regardless of their skin type and condition would benefit from.

There are literally hundreds of different skin care products on the market that you could use but which ones are best or whether you should be using a particular one at all will depend on your skin type and any specific skin problems you may have. However, most of us are going to need at least a cleanser and a moisturiser.

Most of the skin care products out there will broadly fall under one of the following categories of products:

Cleansers
Toners
Moisturisers
Anti ageing products (Skin rejuvenation, Skin firming, Anti wrinkle)
Exfoliating products

It's important when choosing skin care products for your skin that you choose ones that are appropriate for your particular skin type. If you look around for information on which skin care products are best for you then you will probably find that skin care professionals differ in their approach so that the advice often seems contradictory. The trick is to find a skin care product or products that you are happy with, that works for you, and to stick to them.

Before choosing any skin care products you first have to identify what skin type you have.

Normal Skin/Combination Skin

Normal skin is neither too oily nor too dry, the pores are of a normal size, there are no wrinkles or fine lines other than what would be expected for your age and you have few if any blemishes.

Combination skin is neither too oily nor too dry but may be drier towards the outer part of the face and oilier down the T zone which is basically across the forehead down the nose and on the chin. This is the most common skin type.

Some professionals recommend that if you have combination skin that you use a different product on different parts of the face, for example, a product designed for oily skin down the T zone and a product designed for normal or dry skin everywhere else. This is unnecessary as there are products available that cater specifically for combination skin.

Dry Skin/Sensitive Skin

Dry skin is skin that lacks enough moisture. It looks and feels dry to the touch and may have dry flaky patches. This type of skin can feel tight and uncomfortable after washing and although it is less prone to blemishes and pimples it can quite easily become chapped and cracked. What this skin type needs more than anything else is moisture so a good moisturising cream is a must. Dry skin often goes together with sensitive skin.

Sensitive skin is skin that is thinner and more fragile than other skin types. It lacks a protective barrier which is why it often goes together with dry skin. If your skin is sensitive then you have to identify any raw materials, foods or drinks you react to and avoid them. Common irritants include artificial fragrances, detergents and preservatives but there are many more. Use gentle and natural unscented products that are alcohol free.

Oily Skin

Although oily skin is skin that is producing a lot of sebum, the body's own natural moisturiser, oily skin can still benefit from moisturising. Oily skin is more likely to be prone to blackheads, white heads, enlarged pores and pimples. The temptation may be to wash oily skin often, however, this will encourage the skin to produce even more sebum and make the skin even oilier. Use gentle lotion cleansers and oil free moisturisers.