Healthy Skin Care

With so many beauty products available today, and so many skin types, how does one know what product they need to either maintain or develop healthy and vibrant looking skin?

The first step in skin care, as with most things, is beginning where you are. Proper nutrition and exercise is as important to your skin as it is to your overall health and smoking ages your skin’s appearance from 10-20 years. So, no matter where you are, eating right, getting plenty of aerobic exercise, and refraining from smoking will do the most for your skin’s appearance. The next most important thing is identifying your skin type so that you can choose the proper product for maintenance or repair.

What type of skin do you have and what does that mean in terms of skin care? There are 5 basic types of skin:

• Normal
• Oily
• Dry
• Combination
• Sensitive

The first skin type, normal skin, is designated not so much by what it is, but by what it is not: Normal Skin is basically, none of the other types. It is not too dry or too oily. Normal skin is not overly sensitive to environmental factors or internal changes. The pores on normal skin are not too large but they are visible, and while there are occasional breakouts, the condition of the skin is fundamentally healthy looking.

Oily skin is skin that appears shiny or greasy. The pores are often large and breakouts are common. Oily skin also seems to feel thicker and a bit rougher than normal or dry skin.

Dry skin on the other hand is often thin and papery and can feel tight after washing. The pores are smaller and the breakouts fewer, but flaking can be a problem for unconditioned dry skin.

Sensitive skin is easily irritated by product, environment, or both. Sensitive skin can appear red and chafed more often and may burn, feel itchy, or sting. Sensitive skin has some breakouts.

And finally, combination skin, which is as the name implies, a combination of all or some of the other types. Combination skin is actually the most common type and can present the biggest challenge when using product. Combination skin is generally oily in the “T zone” or along the forehead above the brow line and down the nose. At times the chin appears oily and suffers breakouts too. The cheeks are often dry.

When you have determined your skin type you can begin to choose the product that will best meet your needs.

For normal to oily skin cleansing, a solution that includes 2% salicylic acid works very well to clean the pores, tone the skin and remove make up and dead skin. Obagi Clenziderm MD is a product that is perfect for such cleansing and it leaves the skin cool and evenly toned.

Dry skin requires a different cleaning and maintenance regimen than normal to oily skin because moisturizing has to be a part of the plan. The wrong moisturizer however can cause more problems than benefits. A cleanser for dry skin should clean without further drying and a toner is a good addition because it will normalize the skin without making it feel heavy or clogging pores. Moisturizer should include an SPF for protection from environmental irritation or damage.

Sensitive skin requires the most care. No matter how trusted a product is, if you have sensitive skin, you must always test for sensitivity. Obagi Clenziderm provides both protection and healing for sensitive skin

There is no perfect product, and one size does not fit all. Our skin changes over the years and needs should be reevaluated any time there is a significant change in health, environment, or stressors.

Choosing quality products, like Obagi skin products for cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and repairing your skin will help make the most of your skin type.But no matter your skin care needs, if you eat right, drink plenty of water, exercise and abstain from smoking your skin will be more healthy and strong.