Our skin, especially the skin on our faces, is exposed to the elements on a daily basis. Wind, sun, rain maybe even snow and of course pollution. central heating and air-conditioning bombard our facial skin non-stop. If we don’t offer our skin a helping hand in the fight against these things with some TLC and a good skin care cream then the aging process will more than likely happen at an accelerated rate, leaving us looking older than our years.
There are other factors that can add to us having a less than rosy complexion, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, dehydration and lack of sleep. All these things attack our skin not just from the outside but the inside too. Dehydrated skin is going to look thin and dull, and this can’t be cured with any kind of miracle cream, drinking water is essential to the health of our skin.
If you are making sure you have a good diet and are drinking plenty of water then your skin is going to be in good condition on the inside, you can then focus on helping your skin look it’s best by giving it some extra care on the outside. Many creams contain vitamins and anti-oxidants that can help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and can boost the appearance of your complexion, or if you feel your skin needs a little more help there are some brilliant skin oils that can give dry skin a much needed boost.
It is important to understand there is a difference between dehydrated skin and dry skin. Dehydrated skin cannot be made better with any kind of cream or oil as it needs moisture from the inside, it it the actual cells that form the structure of your skin that are in need of moisture which can only come from inside i.e. drink water. Dry skin is skin that has suffered at the hands of the elements and pollution and can be helped with skin care creams as it is the outside of the skin that needs help.
Using a good skin care cream that matches your skins needs is a great step towards helping slow the aging process, making sure you look and feel great about your skin and how it is representing you – after all your face is one of the first things people see when they interact with you.
While there is an amazing range of face creams and serums available these days, a lot of people are becoming increasingly aware of the amount of chemicals that are contained in these creams. These chemicals are vital to the results that these creams promise to deliver, and a lot of them are just synthetic versions of anti-oxidants and vitamins that can be found in many natural products such as fruit and vegetables.
If you are just looking for a simple moisturiser then it is worth looking for something that is either very low or completely free of chemicals. Using blended oils can be wonderful for your skin, for instance sweet almond oil with tea tree oil for skin prone to spots. You could also use a specialist oil such as Bio-Oil which is designed to hydrate and nourish skin while improving the appearance of blemishes, mixing this with a little tea tree oil for problem skin or a little lavender oil for sensitive skin will give you a lovely natural moisturiser. It is important not to use neat aromatherapy oils on your skin as they can be too harsh, so always blend them with a carrier oil, even olive oil can be used.
It is also worth considering making your own face scrubs and masks, these can easily be rustled up using some basic ingredients from your kitchen such as honey & milk for a moisturising mask, or mixing some ground almonds with a little milk and honey for a gentle face scrub. The possibilities are endless, and using such natural products gives your skin a break from artificial cleansers and moisturisers. It is also a really good way to save some money!
Many companies are cottoning on to the fact that people are shying away from chemically loaded products and more and more products are appearing on the shelves that are advertising the fact they are free from things such as parabens, and use organic ingredients as far as is possible. It is always worth looking at baby care ranges for products that contain minimal amounts of chemicals as they are designed for much more sensitive skin, there are some wonderful creams that are made things such as olive oil, lavender oil and chamomile, designed for soothing babies bottoms that also work wonders on faces!
Some of the most popular skin care creams on the market are anti-aging. With promises of turning back the clock by reducing fine lines and wrinkles and improving skin tone and complexion it is no wonder so many people buy them. The question is do they really work and if so how well?
Our skin is subjected to a daily torrent of pollution, sun, wind, rain and chemicals all of which contribute to the aging process. Add to that alcohol and smoking and our skin is beginning to fight a losing battle. Now prevention is of course better than cure, so establishing a good skincare regime in your late teens early twenties is much more important than most of us appreciate. Of course by the time you realise that you should be taking more care of your skin it is too late, as it will no doubt be the appearance of fine lines or perhaps a dull complexion that alerts you to the fact your skin needs help!
Most anti-aging creams will contain “active ingredients” such as retinol, Q-10 or anti-oxidants and it is not uncommon to find creams containing all of these and more. There are mixed opinions on whether these creams actually live up to their claims, and while most of them do produce some improvement in fine lines and wrinkles when used consistently over a period of time this effect is not always long lasting and can wear off when use of the skin care cream is discontinued. The only way to have a really noticeable effect on skin condition is to undergo a slightly more radical procedures such as a chemical peel which can be done using Alpha Hydroxy Acids or AHA’s for short. AHA’s can be found in many skin care creams and while they can provide a boost to your complexion when used in a cream they produce their best results in their concentrated form as a face peel as they literally take a layer of skin off leaving the new, fresh skin underneath exposed while stimulating the skins circulation and regeneration at the same time.
An important thing to look out for in all skin care creams, not just anti-aging creams is the sun protection factor. Ideally you should aim for a cream with a factor 15 or higher in order to get the full benefits of it, especially if you are using an anti-aging or anti-wrinkle cream as there is no point using a cream to help fight the effects of aging, of which the sun is a big cause, if you are not going to start taking preventative action at the same time. There is only so much a face cream can do for you, the rest is up to you to take care of. Make sure you are eating enough fresh fruit and vegetable and most importantly of all drinking lots of water – dehydration is your skins worst enemy leaving it looking dull and tired, properly hydrated skin will feel plump and healthy whereas dehydrated skin will feel thin and papery. No amount of skin care cream can make you look good if you are dehydrated as skin moisture has to start from the inside.
