Consistency Is Key To Beautiful Looking Skin!

The ads are everywhere: Use this “miracle” product and you’ll get great skin! Thankfully most women today now are more savvy consumers when it comes to cosmetic products.

Cosmetic products have been around for thousands of years. As far back as the Bronze Age, Egyptian men and women were lining their eyes with coal and rouging their cheeks and lips and minerals.

Whatever cosmetic products we may favor, however, the truth is that good skin care builds on a consistent regimen that includes a healthy diet, plenty of water, protection from the sun’s harmful rays and the daily practice known as “CTM” – cleanse, tone and moisturize.

Knowing Your Skin Type

In order to choose the proper cosmetic products for good skin care, it’s essential to know one’s skin type. There are four types of skin: dry, normal, oily and combination.

• Dry Skin: Women with dry skin need to choose skin care products that replace moisture, so their products are typically creamier. Women blessed with normal skin can use whatever brand of cosmetic product works best for them: gentle cleansers and toners, along with a balanced moisturizer.

• Oily Skin: Women with oily or combination skin have a more complicated challenge. Oily skin needs more astringent, but not harsh, skin care products. Cosmetic products used to cleanse, tone and moisturize oily skin should be water-based. Most of all, women with oily skin should not skip moisturizer! A moisturizer made for oily skin will help restore the skin’s natural balance, not add excess oil.

• Combination: Women with combination skin need to experiment to find the right balance of products, since they’re usually oily in the “T” zone (across the forehead and down the nose), but dry on cheeks and chin. A gentle cleanser and toner could suffice for the entire face, but combination skin may need two different types of moisturizer.

Consistency Counts!

The key to good skin care is consistency. Cleanse, tone and moisturize – in that order – each morning before putting on make-up, and each evening to take off make-up. Use a masque once a week for a deep cleansing. Women with oily skin will want a “mud” masque, while dry skin women will want to choose a lighter masque, or use it less frequently. All women should avoid masques or cleansing products made from fruit pits; they are too harsh for delicate skin.

Caring for your Skin from Inside Out

In addition to this regular regimen, skin care also should work from the inside out. A healthy diet for good skin includes lots of fruits and vegetables and plenty of water and regular exercise so that perspiration will wash out toxins. It’s no surprise that many cosmetic products for the skin include ingredients from fruits, which contain vitamins and natural acids that are great for skin care. A vitamin supplement, especially with antioxidants such as Vitamins C and A, is another good idea for great skin.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of good skin care is to protect skin from harmful ultraviolet rays found in sunshine. Wear a hat with a broad brim and sunglasses when out in the sun, and skin will be more protected from wrinkles, age spots, skin cancer and premature aging.