All women have beauty. For one, it's her smile; for another, it's her soft voice; for yet another, it's her sparkling eyes or gentle touch. It's something that grows ... and glows ... from within. Indeed, that's the most important kind of beauty. But there's no reason that we shouldn't do what we can to keep the outer beauty in it's best form as well. Following a good skin care regimen goes a long way to achieving that goal. The way you take ... or fail to take ... care of your skin today will determine what it looks like 10 years from now. Isn't it worth a few minutes a day to make that investment? A good skin care program includes five steps: cleanse, exfoliate, freshen, moisturize, and protect. Lately some skin care experts have said you don't need all five steps. That may be true, but I've found through personal experience that the maximum benefits come when all five areas are covered. In today's cosmetics market, you can find products that combine two or more of the steps, or you can use a separate product for each step. How your personal program is put together should be determined by your skin type (dry, normal, combination, oily) and skin condition (normal, sensitive, blemish prone). We often choose our first cosmetics by copying what our mother, big sister, or best friend is using. Unless she has the exact skin type and condition we do, those products aren't going to give us the result we deserve. Make sure that the products in your skin care program are formulated with you in mind. SKIN TYPE AND CONDITION DRY Your skin has a matte tone and may feel very tight. It might have patches that actually flake or peel. If not cared for properly, it will become drier and more wrinkled with age. Your skin may be sensitive to changes in temperature. The upside is that your pores tend to be small so you're less prone to blemishes, which are usually small as well. NORMAL Your skin has good elasticity, is smooth to the touch, and has an even tone. The pores are small to medium, and you have few to no blemishes. COMBINATION The most common combination skin includes an oily area in the T-zone, which includes the forehead, nose and chin. Because these areas have a higher level of oil production, this is where most of your breakouts will be. OILY Your skin is shiny and oily to the touch. This oil may cause you to have more blemishes. SENSITIVE Your skin will develop redness, a rash, or a burning sensation in reaction to ingredients in cosmetics. An added fragrance is the most usual ingredient to produce this reaction, so if you have sensitive skin, look for products that are "fragrance free". BLEMISH PRONE Although oily skin is the common, and skin type can be blemish prone. SKIN CARE REGIMEN CLEANSE Cleanse twice a day! Cleansing at night removes dirt, make-up, and the "grime" of the day. The pressure against your skin when sleeping in your make-up "pushes" it into your pores. An old wive's tale says each night you sleep in your make-up adds 17 days to your looks. Why chance it? Never go to bed with your makeup on!! Cleansing lightly in the morning removes oils and perspiration and lets your skin start the day fresh. EXFOLIATE Exfoliate twice a week! The proper use of a mask or scrub can contribute up to 60% of the benefits of your skin care program. It sloughs off dead skin cells and, in the case of a mask, gets into pores to remove dirt and sebum (body oil) that can combine to create blemishes. To make it easier to remember, schedule two days a week as your regular "masking" days. You don't have to do it at the same time each day, and you can rest and relax or go ahead with whatever your doing while the mask is on. There are several mask types available, so following the directions on the product you choose. Usually you'll leave it on for about 5-8 minutes. If time is a factor for you, you might want to exfoliate using a scrub. However, if you have very oily, sensitive, or blemish-prone skin, you'll want to stay away from the scrubbing action to prevent stimulating oil glands, irritating skin, or breaking open blemishes. If you'd like to see the benefits of masking, try this test. Follow the twice-a-week schedule for a month ... but do it only on the right side of your face. You'll see and feel the difference! FRESHEN Freshen twice a day! Sometimes called toning, this step finishes the cleansing process by removing final traces of dirt or cleanser and should come after each cleansing (or masking). Depending on the product you're using, it also re-establishes your skin's PH balance. Skin prefers an acid PH, but cleansers are alkaline, so you want something to re-establish the acidity. Among other things, proper PH balance allows your cosmetics to "float" on top of your skin and helps prevent a blotchy look. MOISTURIZE Moisturize twice a day! This is maybe better named the "moisture balance" step, since all skin types need this care. An emollient moisturizer for dry skin, an oil-control product for oily skin, a balancing product for normal or combination skin that moisturizes the dry areas without making the rest of your skin oily ... these all fit in the Moisturize category. Use your moisture balance product after freshening. For everyday "incidental" sun protection, use a moisturize balance product that contains an SPF. See Fun in the Sun for more sun protection information. PROTECT Protect in the morning! It surprises many women to learn that foundation is actually part of a good skin care program. It is! The correct foundation protects your skin by providing a barrier against pollutants, smoke (cigarette and wood stove), pollens, oils in the air, etc. Your foundation should even out your skin tone and hide minor imperfections without changing the color of your skin. We've probably all seen someone with that dark foundation line along her chin. If you can see where your foundation stops, it's not the right shade for you! If you have a Skin Care ABC's question you'd like to ask, just e-mail me here. Be sure to put "Skin Care ABC's" in the subject line. BACK TO [It's a Colorful Life] VISIT LIPSTICK'S WEB GROUP!