SKINCARE ADVICE

Healthy skin should be radiant, blemish free and balanced. This can be achieved by receiving proper advice an a regular skin care routine. You have a crucial role to play in helping to maintain healthy skin by providing regular and relevant facial treatments and how to adapt a regular skin care routine.However healthy skin will only be achieved if you are aware of the factors that can damage the skin.Healthy skin can be achieved by good skin care been practiced and this would consist of Maintaining adequate moisture levels

• Providing protection for external damage
• Ensuring an adequate blood supply to the tissues
• Helping the skin to stay blemish free
• Keeping the skin clean, soft and pliableAll the above can be achieved by:
• A regular skincare routine using the proper products to cleanse, tone and moisturise.
• Receiving facial massage
• Receiving proper advise for any skin conditions
• Receiving advise on protecting your skin against environmental factors such as sun exposure.
• Exfoliation the skin at regular intervals

The following are some of the main do's and dont's to help you maintain healthy skin.

Don't smoke Smoking depletes the vitamin C content of the skin. It also reduces the skin's ability to regenerate effectively so skin becomes coarse and discoloured and premature lines form around the mouth.

Don't expose yourself to ultraviolet light without protection

Do try to get adequate amount of sleep

Do try to limit your alcohol intake

Can contribute to dilation of surface capillaries causing broken capillaries, also excess alcohol may remove water from the blood stream causing dryness in the skin.

Do use proper skincare products

The wrong skincare products can damage the skin and cause premature aging or pore blockages.

Do make sure you have sufficient fluid intake

Water is needed to re-hydrate, eliminate waste and reduce toxins from the body.

Do be kind to your skin

Beauty of the skin starts from inside your body! Your skin needs fresh air, exercise, a proper diet, minerals and vitamins and it needs protection from the sun.

Many people just put skin cream on their skin, thinking it is going to make it soft and smooth. Skin cream on the skin feels soft and smooth, but if you want your skin to benefit from that cream, you need to dampen your skin first then add the cream. The cream will help retain the moisture in the skin.

Start walking and building up your muscle tone. Muscle tone will keep your skin from looking so saggy.

Keep your skin clean. Do not scrub your face. The face does not need scrubbing. And, neither does your back. In fact, the more you scrub on it, the more acne you can get and more trauma to your skin.

A warm face cloth with a non-chemical soap, patted. Then a good gentle rinse. You next dry your face by patting with a soft clean towel. You can actually not use soap on your face at all, especially if you have dry skin.

USE Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) as a perfect exfoliate for your face. A good cream should last a long time and not be expensive. Use it at night when you wash your face before going to bed.

It is derived from fruit, milk and sugar cane and when used on the skin it helps remove the dead skin cells, which will give your face a much younger, fresher look.

Easy, effective and cheap ways to do a mask are:

Use an egg yolk and honey mask. Just mix one egg yolk with a little honey and spread it on your face and neck. When it dries, rinse it off. It makes your skin feel very soft.

Another one:

Use plain egg yolk. It is good for acne, too. Mix it up. Spread it on your face for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse it off.

Another one:

Take plain egg white, beat up the egg white, and then spread it on your face until dry about 20 minutes, rinse off with water. This leaves your face refreshed and helps clean the pores. You can make masks of many things that are right in your kitchen, such as oatmeal. Grind it up. Mix it with some skimmed milk and let it dry. Rinse well. Milk can attract bacteria so you don't want to leave it on your face.

Ancient Chinese Secrets: Wrinkles Reduction

Two tablespoons of fresh cucumber juice and same amount of egg white (about one egg), stir well, and then apply on wrinkles every night after cleansing. In the morning, rinse off thoroughly using warm water. Keep using for a month, your skin will be firmed, your wrinkles will disappear.

Pigment Fading:

5 teaspoons fresh tomato juice with 1 teaspoon honey, apply on the pigment, rinse off thoroughly. Keep using for 10-15 days; your pigment will fade away.

Fruit Mask:

Juice apple, cucumber and pear, mixed with flour, add a teaspoon of water, and stir thoroughly. Apply after cleansing, avoiding eye and mouth areas, leave on for 20 minutes and rinse off thoroughly

MYTHS ABOUT ACNE

Fact: Although a tan may temporarily mask acne, the sun can make the skin dry and irritated, leading to more breakouts in the future. In fact, there's no link between sun exposure and acne prevention, but the sun's rays can cause premature aging and skin cancer. Always protect your skin by choosing a sunscreen of at least SPF (sun protection factor) 15 that says noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic on the label, which means it won't clog pores.

Fact: Although eating too many sugary, high-fat foods is never a good idea, studies show that no specific food has been proven to cause acne. Every individual is different, though. Some people notice their breakouts are worse after eating certain foods — and these foods are different depending on the person. For example, some people may notice breakouts after eating chocolate, while others are fine with chocolate but notice they get breakouts after drinking too much coffee. If that's the case for you, it can help to cut back on that food and see if it makes a difference.

Fact: Although washing your face helps to remove dirt and oil from your pores, washing too much can lead to dryness and irritation, causing more breakouts. Also, avoid scrubbing your face, which can irritate the skin. As a general rule, wash your face twice a day with mild soap and water in a circular motion and gently pat dry when you're done.

Fact: Popping a pimple may make it seem less noticeable temporarily, but popping can cause it to stay around longer. By squeezing pimples and zits, you can actually push bacteria further into the skin, causing more swelling and redness — and sometimes causing a red or brown mark or scar to form. Sometimes marks can last for many months and true scars (dents and pits) will last forever.

Myth 5: Don't wear makeup if you want clear skin.

Fact: As long as you choose cosmetics that are nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic, they shouldn't cause breakouts. In fact, some concealers now contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which help to fight acne. You can also try tinted benzoyl peroxide creams that hide pimples while helping treat them.
If you've had moderate to severe acne, though, talk to your doctor or dermatologist about the best cosmetics to use — he or she may recommend avoiding cosmetics altogether or only using certain brands so you're acne isn't aggravated.
And even if a product is labeled nonacnegenic or noncomedogenic, you should stop using it and talk to your doctor if you notice that it's irritating your skin or seems to cause breakouts.

Fact: Because acne medication contains drying agents like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, using too much medication may cause overdrying, leading to irritation and more blemishes.
If over-the-counter acne medication doesn't seem to work on your acne, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor or dermatologist. Also, if you're taking a prescription acne medication, make sure you follow your doctor's instructions some medications may take up to 8 weeks to make a significant difference.