Get a Smooth, Glowing Skin
There are four general skin types: oily, dry, normal and combination. In addition, it is possible to have sensitive skin along with one of the four general types.
If your skin has a strong tendency toward dehydration, lacks oil, and has few breakouts if any at all, it is considered dry. In more extreme cases, dry skin lacks elasticity and can be extremely sensitive to the sun, wind, and cold temperatures. Wash your face once a day with a rich, creamy cleanser and warm water.
Treatment:
Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry. Use toner to help with that tight and flaky feeling of dehydration. Avoid toners and makeup that contain alcohol as alcohol-based products have a drying effect on skin. Use a cream-based lotion to hydrate your skin and keep it rejuvenated.
Some consider normal skin to be combination skin, but it is not. If your skin is oily in the “T zone” and your nose while dry and taut on the cheeks, it is considered normal. It’s also considered normal if it changes with seasons (dryer in winter, oilier in summer). Normal skins can also be ‘Normal-To’s’ as in normal to oily or normal to dry.
Treatment:
Wash your face with cleansers that are designed for your normal/normal-to skin type. Wipe an alcohol free, hydrating toner all over the face. Apply moisturizer more frequently to dry skin.
If your skin is oily, it usually has a lot of shine to it very soon after cleansing and the pores are generally slightly enlarged. It is more prone to pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads than other skin types and is coarser in texture. Oily skin is often prone to breakouts due to sebum build up in the skin. However, oily is skin is known to benefit from slow ageing process.
Treatment:
Your skin tends to attract more dirt than dry skin, so wash your face twice a day with a gentle non-foaming cleanser and warm water. Rinse with warm water. Use an alcohol-free, hydrating toner to help remove additional residue. Oil blotting sheets throughout the day can help control shine, and it takes as little as 3 minutes after lunch. Although your skin is oily, you must moisturize it with a light oil-free moisturiser daily, or your skin will become dry underneath and overcompensate by producing more oil.
Combination skin is comprised of two extreme skin types on one face. These situations occur when there is acne and a lot of oil in one area when the rest of the skin is generally dry (no oil). Two common examples are dry skin with papular and pustular acne on the cheeks or a normal skin with inflamed papular and pustular acne in the chin and mouth area.
Treatment:
Tend to each area appropriately as described above. If the acne is severe, consult a dermatologist or aesthetician.
Please note that you may have sensitive skin and normal, oily, or dry. If your skin has allergic reactions to beauty products and is usually sensitive to the sun, wind, and cold weather, it is sensitive. Sensitivity can show up in rash, redness, inflammation, acne, and dilated capillaries.
Treatment:
Look for cleansers, toners, makeup, and moisturizers that are fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic. Cleanse tone and moisturize with gentle products daily. The idea for your skin is to always choose products with a soothing benefit. Some common ingredients to look for are: chamomile, azulene, bisabolol, allantoin, lavender, camphor, calamine, rosemary, thyme, aloe vera, coconut oil etc.
General Skincare for all skin types
1. Prevent sun damage. Sunscreen is the real fountain of youth. Get into the habit of applying sunscreen or a lotion with minimum SPF 30 protection daily. Remember that the sun’s rays can still be damaging in winter months as it reflects off snow. If you don’t like taking the time to put on both moisturizer and sunscreen, buy a moisturizer with sunscreen.
If you live in tropical climates, it is essential you use sunscreens of higher SPF due to the magnifying effect of the sun rays in those regions. Fab Empire stocks natural titanium sunblock which are highly effective in these regions. If you are lightening your skin to treat acne spots, fade permatans, treat hyper pigmentation, it is essential you protect your skin in order to prevent darkness from reoccurring.
2. Cleanse your face gently. Don’t clean so much you dry it out. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, leaving your skin radiant and smooth. Whether it is bikini season or you just want soft, clean skin, exfoliating from head to toe will get you glowing.
Many women exfoliate their faces but forget about other body parts. As the weather heats up you should exfoliate all over. Exfoliation is also important when rejuvenating sun-weary skin. Remember, if you are lightening your skin, it is mandatory you include the exfoliation step in your skincare routine in order to aid penetration of skin lightening products. Fab Empire stock variants of exfoliating products from scrubs to peels to cater for your skin care exfoliation needs.
3. Exfoliation. Items you need for exfoliation include:
Exfoliating cleanser, Loofah, Body brush or Exfoliating gloves, Pumice stone, Body lotion.
How to exfoliate:
- Before stepping into the shower, brush your dry skin with your loofah, body brush or exfoliating gloves. This will help remove the loose skin and prepare your skin for the exfoliating process. Begin with the soles of your feet, working your way up your body.
- Get into the shower and wet your body from head to toe. Don’t exfoliate your skin if you are sunburned or have any open cuts or wounds.
- Use a pumice stone on your feet to eliminate rough spots and calluses. If your feet are extremely rough, soak them in a basin of warm water mixed with a cup of milk for 30 minutes before getting into the shower.
- Apply your exfoliating cleanser to your loofah or gloves. Begin scrubbing your body in a circular motion starting with the bottoms of your feet and working your way up. When you reach the bikini area, don’t scrub too hard because the skin is very sensitive.
- Use a body brush to exfoliate your back and other hard-to-reach places.
- Be gentle on your face, particularly around your eyes and mouth. Use an exfoliating product especially formulated for the face, which is gentler than products designed to be used on the body.
- Don’t forget about your hands. You want them to look and feel soft and smooth too!
- Rinse your body with lukewarm water; follow by the coldest water you can stand. Apply a shower gel to soften your skin, if you’d like.
- After stepping out of the shower, apply a moisturizing body lotion all over. Body lotions and facial moisturizers containing alpha or beta hydroxyl acids are ideal choices because these acids continue to remove dead skin cells.
- Use body moisturizer once a day. Exfoliation is drying to the skin, so you must keep your skin hydrated.
- Exfoliating once or twice a week is usually enough to achieve silky skin; however, women with oily skin should exfoliate more often than those with dry skin. If your skin becomes excessively dry or irritated after exfoliation, don’t scrub so hard. Cut back on how often you exfoliate, and explore the possibility that you may be allergic to the products you used.
- You may be able to improve your skin by taking care of your body such as with good hygiene, nutrition and exercise. Practice good hygiene such as taking showers with mild soap to reduce microbe count on skin. Use exercise such as walking to reduce cellulite and improve muscle tone.
- Avoid stretching or pulling on the delicate skin near your eyes when putting on creams or cosmetics. This delicate area shows age markings like wrinkles much sooner than it should when subjected to too much rough handling.
- If you’re sunburned, apply some plain yoghurt mixed with Aloe Vera gel on your skin. That will smooth the irritated skin.
- Wash all cosmetics off as soon as you know you will not be going out again and avoid wearing cosmetics whenever possible to give your skin a rest.
- Washing your face with mild soap during the day cleans your skin from the dirt that causes black heads and pimples, although washing a lot may cause dryness.
