BEAUTIFUL SKIN, ISN'T IT WORTH IT?

Imagine yourself walking into a room and everyone is gazing at your smooth skin beaming with luscious radiance and health, of course it is the desire of every woman or man to have that. Well, here are some tips to help you achieve that wonderful glow you were born with. Firstly you need to know your skin type, by skin type I mean whether you have oily, normal, dry, combination and sensitive skin type. If you experience oil or greasiness on your face some minutes after washing your face, then you have an oily skin type.If your face feels normal or less oily on every part of your face and you have oil around your t-zone that is, your forehead down to your nose then you might be experiencing combination skin.
If you are the type of person that easily react to products on your face or are prone to severe irritations or redness then you have a sensitive skin, for those whose skin feels very tight and with no oil at all and with itching accompanied by it, that means you have a dryskin, however if you experience none of what is explained before or your face feels just normal, then you have a normal skin. You get the gist? Not to worry I will teach you how to experience that glow you desire no matter your skin type. After knowing your skin type you should know the basic steps which are essential in the art of skin care.

CLEANSE, TONE, EXFOLIATE, MOISTURISE AND PROTECT.

The first step to achieving a clean skin is to thoroughly cleanse it with the right product. As proper cleansing is the key to any skin routine.If you have an oily skin, you should cleanse with a facial wash or cleanser that has salicylic acid as you are prone to acne and breakout. Salicylic acid is an A.H.A. (alpha hydroxyl acids) that helps in dealing with acne. Examples of product that helps includes : clean&clear facial cleanser, also a product you can use is Neutrogena transparent facial bar,these products help in reduction of sebum levels on your face. After cleansing, you can complete the cleansing process with TONING. These helps in completeing the cleansing process by helping to remove excess oil and grime infact toning helps because it refreshes the face to make it smoother. Products like Palmers skin success facial toner with vitamin C, E and licorice extract. Clean&clear astringent  helps deep cleanse the pores. These ritual should be done two times a day or as indicated in the product pack. Other natural remedies that you can use to tone your face is lemon, cucumber or green tea. The juice of these fruits can be used for toning and refreshing the face. For dry skin, look for products with skin nourshing ingredients like sheabutter, avocado, honey, aloe vera etc or you can use Aveno facial wash with oatmeal and soy extract which are known to soothe the skin while cleansing the face and because you do not have enough oil, you can use the time tested rosewater and glycerine to soothe and comfort dry skin. For sensitive skin look for product that is non comodogenic and frangrance free. After cleansing and toning the next step is exfoliation. Exfoliation is a process of removing dead skin cells off your skin. The skin naturally exfoliates itself every 28days but as we age, that process is slowed down,so it is important to exfoliate the skin once or twice a week depending on your skin type. Also exfoliation is a most
effective way of brightening the skin, for oily skin try the award winning St ives apricot scrub, these routine can be done two to three times a day. Or you can try the Body shop honey and oatmeal 3-in-1 scrub mask as it contains soothing and moisturising honey and oatmeal to soothe the skin. For deepcleansing which should be done once a week try a clay mask whenever the skin feels congested as it contains kaolin which naturally attracts impurities. After cleansing, toning and exfoliating, the most important step for your skin is to moisturise the skin. These is because the skin on the face tends to show quick signs of aging because it is mostly exposed to the harmful rays of the sun thus making it prone to darkspots, sunspots, wrinkles and uneven skintone. For oily skin use a moisturiser that is oil free and has ingredients like green tea and cucumber extract which is known to calm the skin. Those with dryskin should look out for ingredients like sheabutter, which is prized for its hydrating and skin softening properties.The last step which I feel is also important is protection. As our skin is always exposed to uv rays, it is important to use facial moisturizers with SPF of as least 15 or more. Look out for products that blocks both uva and uvb rays remember look for oil free products and those that contains vitamin C and E known for their anti-oxidant properties. Products like olay uv defence spf 15, sebamed sun screen with spf 50, or marykay sunscreen with spf 30 , but remember, sunscreen might contain some chemicals known to cause reaction to the skin, so always watch out for reactions in case it might not work with your skin.

Its your skin. Isn’t it worth it?
By Austin Afaha