Beauty Good skin care starts with... Milk, cream, foam, - today's products cleanse your skin pore-deep and thoroughly, while being ever so gentle on your skin. So it's up to you to find out which is best for your particular skin type. Dust, sweat, dirt particles in the air, skin oil and make-up accumulate on your skin in the course of the day. You have to remove it all completely, if your skin isn't to respond with pimples and blackheads. Skin care creams can become effective only if they are absorbed into the skin's deeper layers and a slight dirt film and clogged pores act like a defensive shield. Face cleansing may be a tiresome business, but there is no way of getting around it. Regular thorough cleansing is a must, especially in the evening. Never sleep with your skin's enemy! Which product to use depends on your particular skin type. There is a perfect solution for each type of skin – oily, dry or normal. Soap Soap is ever so popular, but not the best choice for every skin, as run-of-the-mill soaps are highly alkaline, they attack the skin's natural protective acid shield and deprive it of grease and moisture. You can tell when your skin becomes unpleasantly brittle, tense and dry after washing with soap. If you have sensitive or dry skin, it's better to forget about soap. Extremely oily skin on the other hand, takes well to a very mild soap and water. In healthy skin, the skin's protective acid shield regenerates after approximately one hour and the soap's slightly de-greasing action causes no unpleasant skin tension. Make-up should never be removed with soap. An oil-formulated cleansing product is much more effective in getting rid of the colour particles hugging the skin. Syndets Syndets were developed in the cosmetics manufacturers high-tech laboratories. These new generation wash bars look like soap, but apart from being simple to use they have nothing in common with the latter. Syndets are free of alkaline substances and much gentler on the skin, since they don't attack the skin's protective acid shield. What's more, they are perfect for all skin types because the moisture is retained while the skin is thoroughly cleansed. Syndets come in solid and liquid forms; wash bars, lotions and creams. Their foam is easily rinsed off with plenty of water. Exfoliators Once a week cleanse your skin with an exfoliator. Apply evenly, about a layer of 1 to 2 mm and leave to act for a few minutes. Perform a gentle peeling with moist fingers so dead skin scales are removed. The skin then turns rosy and is pore-deep clean; It can breathe freely and is optimally prepared for subsequent use of caring products. Cleansing milk Cleansing milk is particularly gentle on the skin. Using your fingertips, gently massage the milk into your unmoistened skin and then remove it with a dry or moist tissue, depending on the type of the product. Apart from grease-restoring and moisturizing substances, many products contain additional soothing agents. Cleansing oil It boasts the highest grease content and is ideal for removing make-up. However, cleansing oil is not recommended for oily skin, as residues are left on the skin which have to be washed off again. Gel cleansing Gel cleansers feel marvelously cool and refreshing on your skin, especially in warm temperatures. Its plant substances have a soothing, disinfecting effect on the skin and prevent pimples. They are recommended for normal to oily skin. Face lotion/toner Face lotions/toners refresh, disinfect and soothe the skin, while completely removing leftover dirt particles and grease. In addition, they benefit skin in other ways. They bring your skin back to the normal ph-value, re-grease and moisturize dry skin, supplying it with much needed grease substances and moisturizers. They have a balancing effect on oily skin – thanks to its special active substances. If your skin is dry, avoid alcohol formulated face lotions as they take too much grease and moisture out of the skin. For oily skin, a toner containing alcohol is a perfect treat. Hints and tips for proper cleansing After cleansing, always remove all residues on the skin with face lotion or toner. Whatever cleansing method or product you prefer, never forget to apply a moisturizing cream to your skin afterwards to compensate for grease and moisture losses. At night, the skin absorbs caring substances more readily than during the day. Whenever possible, cleanse and cream your face early in the evening to give your skin time to recover. If you are not sure which particular skin type you have, seek a cosmetologist's advice, and remember, the quality of your skin may undergo changes due to factors such as stress, sun damage and age. In the morning, it is sufficient to clean your skin with just face lotion or toner. Oily skin and skin with impurities require deeper and more thorough cleansing. Is exfoliating necessary It's best to back up your skin care routine with a weekly deep-cleanse, using a facial scrub or mask. Scrubs are not designed to leave your face raw or sandpapered. Deep-cleansing masks also have an exfoliating action. A weekly exfoliating treatment makes skin appear instantly brighter and cleaner.