One feels good to be told “what beautiful skin you have” or “you look the same way you did ten years back’ or “you just don’t look your age” and so on. But that kind of achievement does not happen by waving a magic wand! Perhaps our grandmothers had the good fortune of leaving it to nature through a combination of organic food, an unadulterated atmosphere and a tension free environment. The 21th century is not the same, and since skin is the largest organ of the body, it is vital that we take care of it from head to toe.
These are the five steps of a daily skin care regimen.
- 1. Cleansing
A cleanser opens the pores on the skin and removes embedded grime and dirt whereas soap and water only removes surface dirt. There are different kinds of cleansers, creamy which is best for dry skin, and gel, which is great for normal or combination or oily skin. Wet the face and apply the cleanser all over face and neck in gentle circular upward strokes with the balls of your fingers. Wash off with tap water or cleanse with facial cotton/tissue. When wiping your face with a towel do not rub, just dab.
2. Toning
The pores that have been opened by the cleanser need to be closed, and that’s what a tonic water or astringent (for oily troubled skin) does. Take some toner on a facial tissue or cotton and gently dab all over face avoiding the eyes. The toner removes any traces of the cleanser and tightens the skin by closing the pores. With advanced technology toners may not be available as part of a regimen, and that could be because the effects of a toner are incorporated into the cleanser itself. However if you do get one as part of the package do include it.
3. Day Moisturiser
Moisturisers seal the moisture that’s below the skin, making it plump and firm. It also nourishes the skin with the various ingredients that are in day creams, like Vitamin E, liposomes, anti- ageing, sun protection factors (SPF, minimum recommended 25 to 30 factor) and anti- bodies that help fight damage from environmental elements.After cleaning and toning, dot your face and neck with the moisturizer, and massage gently in upward outwardstrokes with the balls of your fingers. Never neglect your neck as that’s where the age first shows!
- 4. Night Moisturiser
Many of us skip this step. A night cream is richer in consistency; it revitalizes, rejuvenates and hydrates the skin – and this is best done while asleep. It should be applied after cleansing and toning.
5. Eye cream
The eye area is sensitive, delicate and prone to allergies. There is no natural moisture under the skin in that area and hence the fines lines and crow’s feet appear faster. Cleansing the eye area should be done with a specific eye cleanser which is hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested. Cleansing the eye area should be done using outward to inward movements to prevent stretching of the skin.
Eye make up should be removed however late you get home, and it’s especially important to remove mascara or eye shadow. A lost eyelash takes a year or more to grow back, or may never grow back, while pigmentation in the eye shadow could discolour your eyelids over a period of time.
There are other steps for taking care of your skin, but for starters this is good. These basic skin care steps take around five to seven minutes every morning and every evening/night. It is time you should dedicate to yourself however busy you are.
By Premi Oommen
Premi Oommen is retired Deputy GM of Avon Cosmetics, UAE
