Saturday, May 16, 2009

ALL ABOUT SENSITIVE SKIN CARE

‘Sensitive skin care’ is governed by a few basic rules. However, even before we delve into the rules for sensitive skin care, it’s important to understand what a sensitive skin is. Sensitive skin is one which is unable to tolerate any unfavourable conditions (environmental/other), and which easily gets irritated on contact with foreign materials (including skin care products). For this reason, some products are especially labelled as sensitive skin care products. The degree of sensitivity can however vary from person to person (and depending on that, the sensitive skin care procedures vary too).

Generally, all skin types respond negatively to detergents and other chemical based products. However, the damage starts generally beyond a defined threshold (or tolerance level). This tolerance level is very low for sensitive skin types, leading to skin getting damaged very easily and quickly. Sensitive skin care products either avoid the potential irritants or keep them at very low concentrations.

Here are a few tips for sensitive skin care:
* Use sensitive skin care products only (i.e. the products that are marked for sensitive skin care only). Also, check the instructions/ notes on the product to see if there are specific restrictions/warnings associated with the product).
* Even within the range of sensitive skin care products, choose the one that has minimum preservatives, colourings and other additives
* Do not use toners. Most of them are alcohol based and are not recommended for sensitive skin.
* Wear protective gloves when doing laundry or other chemical based cleaning. If you are allergic to rubber, you can wear cotton gloves below the rubber ones.
* Another important tip for ‘sensitive skin care’ is to avoid excessive exposure to sun. Apply sunscreen lotion before getting out in the sun.
* Avoiding exposure to dust and other pollutants is also important for sensitive skin care. So, cover yourself adequately before going out.
* Use hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic moisturizer as a sensitive skin care product (if there is none specifically labelled as a sensitive skin care product)
* Use soap-free and alcohol free cleansers. Cleanse your face whenever you return from spending time out doors.
* Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard. It can cause reddishness and even inflammation.
* Do not leave the makeup on for too long. Use hypoallergenic makeup- removers.

So, sensitive skin care is very different from the normal skin care. Sensitive skin care is more about being careful with your skin (both in terms of sensitive skin care products and protection against environments atrocities on skin).

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Normal Skin

There are certain characteristics of the various different skin types and most people fall within either of the main categories.

To determine what type of skin you have you need to look at the characteristics that you possess.

For normal skin you would have a medium to fair complexion as would be expected.

If you spend time out in the sun you would tend to burn initially however provided you aren't exposed to the sun for extended periods you would also develop a nice natural tan.

Your skin around the forehead and down your nose and across your chin will tend to have slightly larger pores and this area will also be more susceptible to skin irritations and acne although people with normal skin will have far less problems than those with other skin types.

The skin on your cheeks can have a tendency to become a little dry but it certainly won't be a problem in most cases and the use of a good moisturizer will eliminate this, although once again people with normal skin generally have good supply of natural water content in their outer skin that will help it to remain smooth and supple most of the time.

Those fortunate people who have normal skin will also feel a slight tightening of the skin across their cheeks when cleansing the skin.

As people with normal skin age, they will see fine lines appearing around the upper lip, forehead and around the eyes.

While normal skin is generally the easiest skin to 'maintain' there are outside factors that can cause problems such as the weather, working environment, the sun and all the other factors that would affect other skin types.

If you happen to have normal skin then consider yourself lucky but don't fail to treat it well with good cleansers, moisturizers and toners to ensure it stays in good condition for as long as possible as you age

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Moles and Skin Cancer


It is quite common for people to have moles on their skin and for the most part they are quite harmless.

It is always wise to monitor any moles that you might have to ensure that they don't become cancerous.

Moles are formed by small bunches of pigment cells that are grouped together and can appear in many different colors.

They are generally brown, black, or flesh colored.
More often than not they are on other parts of your body rather than the face.

When they appear on the face we generally call them beauty spots.

If you have a mole on your face that you want to get removed you'll need to find a surgeon who is highly recommended to do the procedure with the least scarring possible.
Moles need to be surgically removed although this is generally a very simple and small procedure.

If you notice any changes in your moles then see a doctor immediately as it could be skin cancer without you realizing.

If any of your moles begin to change shape or color then this can be a sign that you might have skin cancer.
If you have a mole with a jagged border or it is asymmetrical then see your doctor immediately.

Other signs that you might have skin cancer are dry or scaly patches on your skin that can be in the form of flat pink spots.

In fact any unusual spot on your skin should be checked sooner rather than later to ensure that you don't have any problems with skin cancer.

If you have had a lot of exposure to the sun in your life then that is all the more reason to be careful as skin cancer can appear many years later.

Even if you have wisely been using sun cream in recent years there's still the possibility that you can get skin cancer from the exposure that you had as a child.

This is one important reason to ensure that any children you know are protected from the su