Good skin care and healthy lifestyle can keep your skin healthy, glowing and youthful. Here we give you basic tips for routine skin care.
Cleansing
The aim of cleansing the skin is to remove superficial dirt, grease, bacteria & dead cells. A wide variety of cleansers are available in market as soaps, syndets, face wash and hand sanitisers.
- Bar soaps should be avoided on face as their alkaline pH does not match acidic pH of skin.
- For face washing, facial cleansers or face wash should be used twice daily.
- Face washes which produce foam are most suitable for normal to oily skin. Cleansers with salicylic acid are preferred in oily and acne prone skin.
- Face washes with creamy consistency are much milder than lather face washes and are suited for dry skin type.
We shall be covering facial cleanser, soaps and syndets, in future articles.
Moisturising
Water is essential for the skin in order to appear and feel normal. The water content of the superficial skin layers should be more than 10%. Moisturisers increase the water content of the superficial skin layers and maintain integrity of skin epidermal barrier.
Oily skin has abundance of natural moisturizing factors, so oily skin does not need a moisturizer from external source. Though oily skin doesn’t require a moisturiser, skin products like sunscreens, anti-ageing creams and anti wrinkle creams contain skin hydrating ingredients. Thus in oily skin, formulations of thin consistency as gel, serum or lotions should be used. These neither clog open pores nor increase acne.
Moisturisers are usually recommended in normal and dry skin. Moisturisers should be used daily at daytime along with sunscreens as a routine and also as a night cream especially in dry skin. In dry skin, thick formulations (like creams and ointments) that replenish lost natural moisturizing factor are preferred. With proper use of moisturisers, fine wrinkling due to skin dehydration, roughness, dryness can be improved.
For more details on moisturisers, please read our upcoming posts.
Sunscreen/Sun protection
Sun exposure can lead to dark spots, freckles and photoaging in most skin types and redness in sensitive skin. Thus, photo-protection using physical means (as umbrella, hats) and sunscreens should be a daily routine. When one steps outdoors in the sun, sunscreen with SPF(sun protection factor) of at least 30 or more is recommended. It should be applied at least 30 minutes before going out. Twice daily application is important for prolonged protection from sun. We recommend that it should be applied at morning (8 am) and repeated at afternoon (12 pm). Please read our expert opinion column on sunscreen for more details.
Exfoliation
In ageing skin, the cell cycle shortens and dead cells are not shed off, giving skin a dull and patchy look. Exfoliation removes the dead cells and gives skin a fresh and even toned look. Exfoliation is done using facial scrubs. These contain small particles of polymeric ingredients that physically remove the dead cells of the outermost layer of the skin. This provides a deep cleansing experience. Excessive use of facial scrub can cause dryness and damage skin permeability barrier, so it should be limited to once in 15 days in addition to normal cleansing practice. Facial scrubs are not recommended in dry and sensitive skin and in case of active acne.
Nutrition & hydration
Good healthy diet rich in protein, vitamins, essential minerals and antioxidants is one of the most important requirements for a healthy, youthful skin. Such diet includes fruits and green vegetables that have abundance of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Drinking enough water ( 8 to 10 glass per day) maintains hydration of skin and prevents dryness and wrinkling.
Skin care routine depends on your skin type. Skin cleansing, moisturization, sun protection, exfoliation and good diet are basic needs of all skin types.
In our upcoming posts, we would discuss the specific skin care for various skin types. If you like this post, please share it with your friends.
Dr Monika Misra
Latest posts by Dr Monika Misra (see all)
- Warts – all you need to know - July 8, 2018
- Gray hair – is there any cure? - January 28, 2018
- Chickenpox – myths & facts - July 30, 2017
