The Basic 4-Step Skincare Regimen
(Continued)
Step 2: Exfoliate Exfoliation is the step most people skip
in their weekly skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly
exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference.
According to Berg, one of the reasons men's skin looks more youthful
than women's is because men tend to exfoliate daily when they shave.
There are several ways to exfoliate skin: Microdermabrasion, chemical
peels and retinoids.
Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead
skin cells that tend to dull your complexion. We find exfoliating skin
once a week with a microdermabrasion kit keeps skin glowing year-round.
Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains in cheap
scrubs can tear skin and cause more harm than good. My favorite
microdermabrasion kit is made by Lancome.
In the hour it takes to get a chemical peel, you can take off five
years from your face. Can't afford the pricetag for a monthly peel? Try
some over-the-counter peels that work over the course of a month. I
prefer MD Skincare's.
Retinoids
(such as Retin-A) also work by removing the top layer of dead skin
cells while also generating collagen in the skin. "Collagen is the
skin's structural fiber," dermatologist Dennis Gross said in the
October 2005 issue of O Magazine. "As we get older, it breaks down,
creating lines and large pores." Skincare experts disagree on all sorts
of things, but most of them consider retinoids to be a miracle skin
saver.
Should you use a toner? Some people swear by toners, but many
beauty experts do not (I once read a skincare expert claim, 'toners are
only for copy machines'). Toners are meant to remove all remaining
traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. I
firmly believe it's up to you. If you like the way your skin feels with
a toner. Buy it. Use it. Enjoy it.
Step 3: Moisturize
While I know of at least one famous beauty editor who swore skin
doesn't need moisturizer, basically everyone else I've read disagrees
and is an adamant believer in it. A basic law of beauty is that
everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin
is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers.
(The only exception is those with acne). Why? Moisturizers seal
moisture into skin (Berg calls this the 'Saran Wrap effect'). So how
much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you. When your skin is
tight, it's crying out for moisture. Be careful not to overmoisturize
-- this can cause clogged pores. For the skinny on great moisturizers
for your skin type, check out this article.
Are eye creams necessary?
Well maybe. Some beauty experts strongly recommend eye creams. Why? The
skin around the eye contains no fatty tissue and is therefore very thin
and susceptible to wrinkles. Special eye creams are formulated to
'thicken' this area and keep it sturdy. Yet other experts (including
the beauty editors of Allure in their new book) claim your daily lotion
works around the eyes just as well.
Step 4: Applysunscreen 'O'
magazine ran an article in November 2006 featuring interviews with
several top skin care experts and dermatologists (check it out here ).
Every single one of them said sunscreen was the most important part of
your skincare regimen. It was the secret they would pass on to their
daughters.
The number 1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so it's
important to use sunscreen from your early years on even in winter and
on cloudy days. A great trick is to purchase two moisturizers: one for
night and one for day that includes UV protection. Don't use
moisturizers with sunscreen at night, the ingredients are not meant to
be used 27/7 and can aggravate skin. When choosing a sunscreen, make
sure it contains 1 of 3 ingredients as an 'active ingredient': titanium
dioxide, zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 (avobenzene).
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