Happy Labor Day!  I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.  I know I sure did.  There is nothing like time off work, cookouts, family, and friends.  Now I am ready for the fair to come in town!  It truly is the simple things in life that make the happiest moments.  Keeping that in mind I want to discuss this week’s topic: the basics of skincare.

A common statement I hear from clients is that skincare is overwhelming and confusing.  There are too many steps and too many choices.  Of course it is my job to analyze your skin and decide the best form of treatment and products for you, but at home skin care (the part you are responsible for) is just as important and should never be neglected.  Remember that at home skin care should be kept simple.  There are 4 basic steps:

1. Cleanse
2. Tone
3. Hydrate
4. Protect

The only changing difference would be for evening.  You don’t need to protect your skin from sun damage since there probably isn’t any sun in your bedroom at night.  However, you do want to follow this procedure everyday to ensure long lasting beautiful skin.

Now that you know how simple everyday skincare should be, I want to mention that there is an extra step.  Around 2-3 times per week your skin needs to be exfoliated.  This could be with a scrub, enzyme, or chemical.  The most common form is a physical scrub in which you can actually feel the granules on your skin.  I think physical scrubs are helpful to all skin types except those suffering from acne.  If there are active pustules and redness with infection DO NOT scrub the skin with anything aggressive.  The best form of exfoliation for this person would be a gentle chemical peel to cleanse deep into the pores while also soothing any irritation.  This process is best performed by a professional so if you suffer from acne please see a dermatologist and/or skin care specialist to have a customized skin care regime created for your specific needs. Everyone else, pay attention to how your skin reacts to the exfoliator you have chosen.  Your skin will tell you all you need to know about how it likes the product you have chosen.  If it burns, hurts when you scrub, or stays red for longer than an hour after using the product then this is not the right exfoliator for you.  It is fine for the skin to tingle during and shortly after use, for the skin to turn red (this means you are increasing the blood circulation which is a good thing) and then return to normal within an hour, and to feel coarse and gritty.  Exfoliating on a regular basis will help to re-texturize the skin surface, remove dead skin cells improving sebum flow and reducing congestion.  So scrub, scrub, scrub.

The final optional step would be to apply a mask after exfoliating.  This is when your pores are the most open and accepting making it the perfect time to feed the skin with a nurturing mask or detoxify with a clay mask.  Later I will discuss product choices for specific skin types, but just keep in mind that the mask is a bonus step that isn’t required but will always give you extra benefit.

I hope this entry was helpful in simplifying the basic steps to be taken for proper skincare.  It doesn’t need to complicated to be effective.  Your skin is an amazing organ that can do a lot for itself on its own without your help.  By taking these simple steps you are further advancing your skin’s capability to function as it should and be beautiful.