To a greater extent, skin type is determined by your genes and your sex, but is also affected by your age and the environment in which you live.
Taking care of your skin means thinking ahead and making the best of the knowledge available, and taking sensible precautions against sunlight, pollution and stress.
The largest body organ, the skin insulates against heat loss and protects the body from dehydration, environmental poisons, germs, and is self-repairing.
There are two layers: the epidermis and dermis.
The epidermis is the layer nearest to the surface, and is about as thick as writing paper. It contains no blood vessels or nerves so will not bleed or hurt.
The dermis, which gives the skin its elasticity, lies underneath the epidermis, and is the fibrous section of skin that scars if deeply damaged. It also contains the blood vessels and consequently bleeds when cut.
Help Prevent Skin Ageing
Whilst you can never hold back the ageing process, a sensible approach to skin care can do much to slow it down.
Factors which you can influence include: staying out of the sun, stopping smoking, getting enough sleep, eating wisely, taking regular exercise, watching your alcohol intake and avoiding stress.
Out of these, sun damage is perhaps the worst culprit, with skin cancer increasing at an alarming rate.
Your aim should be to maintain a healthy skin and preserve its youthfulness by the use of a good sun protection, particularly on the face.
From the diet point of view, your skin needs vitamins, proteins, minerals, fatty acids, trace elements and unrefined carbohydrates to keep it looking young and healthy.
You should eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. This will flush out the system, help detoxify the skin and remove waste that can lead to cellulite.
Keep your legs and underarms free of stubbly hair, and after every bath or shower, apply lotion to legs, arms, hands to prevent itchy, dryness (see Pamper Yourself Day).
Most of today's skin-care products contain oils and silicones that seal in moisture and keep the skin soft (emollients). Other ingredients used add moisture (humectants) and protect (protectants), preserve and emulsify, and include herb and plant extracts and other ingredients.
Some vitamins are essential for health looking skin. Vitamin C is necessary for the health of collagen fibres in the dermis, and because of its anti-oxidant properties, Vitamin E is used in many skin care products.
Because your skin is thicker in some areas such as the back and shoulders, different problems are encountered and so require different treatment.
In Europe, women tend to focus on all year round skin care, in contrast to those in the UK who concentrate more on seasonal care, particularly between the months of May to September.
Even though it spends much of its time covered up, your body skin is still susceptible to dryness and flaking, due to the drying effect of many modern fabrics.
All year round moisturizing is thus a much-needed requirement to nourish and protect the skin and to keep it soft and supple.
The knees and elbows are particularly prone to dryness and flakiness, and require intensive moisturizing to minimize problems such as skin discoloration.
Pamper yourself day
Why not set a day aside to pamper yourself using the finest products?
Begin by washing your hair with your favourite shampoo.
Run a bath with warm water and add suitable additives i.e bubble or scented oil to help soften your skin
Towel dry your hair while the bath fills then apply a deep conditioner
Without rinsing, cover your hair with a shower cap then wrap in a towel
Get into the bath, relax and soak for 5-10 minutes. Using a pumice stone, smooth away any rough calluses on your hands, elbows and feet
Lathering a loofah with your finest soap, stroke up from toes to shoulders
Rinsing off, get out of the bath and dry yourself with a towelUsing your most luxurious body lotion, massage well into all areas of your body, paying particular attention to those that are notoriously dry
Put on your bathrobe
Your face should now be cleansed using a gentle massaging motion with your fingertips, followed by a rinse and a scrub to leave it nice and smooth
Apply a suitable mask (according to your skin type) then move to the bedroom, lie on the bed, close your eyes and relax for 10-15 minutes (perhaps with some suitable music playing quietly in the background)
Returning to the bathroom, rinse off the mask from your face and the conditioner from your hair. Towel dry hair then comb out gently
Complete your facial using toner, nourisher, moisturizer and eye cream
Relax with a book/magazine and a herbal tea or similar
FACE MASKS AND PACKS
Face masks and packs are often thought to be the same things, but by definition, a mask means an absorbent material being cut to the shape of the face, with openings for the eyes, nose and mouth, and usually removable in one piece.
A pack is applied directly to the face in the form of paste, clay or cream and as such, cannot be removed in one piece.
Many masks and packs are available which contain many different ingredients that will moisturize, sooth, cleanse or de-grease the skin. Heat may be needed with certain preparations. However, these are contra-indicated in the presence of infections such as cold sores, cuts and wounds, or if the skin is known to be over-sensitive.
The basic four types of facemasks and packs are: natural, clay based, peel off and warm oil. The manufacturer's instructions should be strictly followed, and the product ingredient list checked in case of any allergies.
Natural face packs
These are made from mashing up natural substances like fruit, vegetables, yeast, yoghurt and eggs. This type of mask can be home made or is available at one of the specialist beauty salons. However, many face packs containing natural products can be bought for home use.
Clay or Mud based
These type of packs are essentially cleansing absorbing the skin's dead cells and particles of dirt. They are normally left on the face until completely dry, and contain many powdered substances such as: china clay, Fuller's earth, calamine, witch hazel, rose water or purified water.
These are better for younger and oilier types of skin, but should be washed off thoroughly. For drier skin types, facemasks that do not dry out are better as they are less constrictive and less likely to irritate sensitive skin.
Peel off
This popular form of mask comes ready-prepared and is easily performed in minutes. It is made to suit all skin types and is available in formulations like gel, latex, and wax.
Warm oil
Fine gauze masks are cut to the shape of face and are then soaked in warm olive or almond oil and applied to the face. This type of mask is useful for very dry or dehydrated skin.
Personal freshness
Antiperspirants sit on the skin's surface. As sweat is released, they dissolve into a gel-like substance that blocks the pores. There are two main kinds of antiperspirants: aluminium based or those made with zirconium salts.
Deodorants work differently to antiperspirants. They do not stop wetness but reduce the amount of bacteria on the skin and control any re-growth.
Both antiperspirants and deodorants are available in:
Aerosol sprays - these are the most popular format and are quick drying and non-sticky
Roll-ons - these usually have a roller-ball top that dispenses a thick gel solution where needed
Sticks - these remain a small part of the sector and were first developed for the male market. They are compact and useful for travel and sport.
Gel and cream - these are relatively new innovations, and are available in a twist or click up base.
In the past, some formulations would leave white, powdery marks on clothing, but this has been addressed with most modern products. However, not applying too much and allowing the product time to dry before dressing, can minimize staining.
Hair Removal
It can be hard to find good advice on this subject, and finding the best method of hair removal can often be down to trial and error. For quickness and convenience, it is hard to beat a sharp blade or electric foil. In using the former, you should make sure that the blade is sharp and clean. If using a power shaver, the foils should be covered when not in use.
Any method of hair removal will be best-achieved following exfoliation using a textured sponge or special body scrub. Failure to exfoliate can lead to difficulty removing hair because of the layers of dead cells, grime and war and skin debris.
When shaving underarms, follow the directions of the hair shaving downwards against the hair growth and upwards with hair growth. The bikini line is another awkward area that can be particularly sensitive, so you should follow the hair growth as above.
Cream depilation
Chemical hair removal formulas have improved, but are relatively messy. However, the reduced waiting times and extensive choice of creams, foams etc., means that this method should be considered as a worthy alternative, provided you perform a 24 hour patch test and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Wax depilation
Waxing is fast becoming the most popular method of hair removal in the UK. It seems that many are prepared to suffer a little pain for this effective method, which removes each hair by its root and lasts for up to four weeks.
As always, steps must be taken to exfoliate treatment areas before application. Skin reaction can be minimized by the application of a moisturizer. You should choose a formula containing soothing ingredients such as aloe vera.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal method, and involves the insertion of fine needles into the hair follicles. However, this type of treatment is better for removing hair from small areas such as the chin. It usually requires making several visits to the beautician over a period of a few months.
Leg and foot care
The calves and shins are susceptible to poor circulation due to cold weather and lack of exercise, particularly after spending long periods standing or sitting.
You can help to stimulate circulation by using upward strokes to these areas when applying body moisturiser. There are many leg gels and sprays available with ingredients that can help revitalise tired, heavy legs and remove rough skin from the feet. These will also help with swollen ankles, and provide an astringent action that will reduce the appearance of any thread veins.
To help care for your feet, you should choose shoes that fit well across the bridge, with no skin rubbing or pinching. The heel should not slip when walking, and your weight should be spread evenly over the foot. Wearing high heels will throw your weight forward to the ball of the foot, and may cause problems under the joint of the big toe.
Tip
When buying shoes, it is better to do so in the afternoon as your feet will have swollen slightly. This will also help you to avoid buying a size too small.
© allcures.com September 2002