4 Basic Steps in Skincare

There are four basis steps to looking after your skin and with regular practice they can not only help keep your skin healthy but also contribute to keeping it looking younger.

The first step is a good cleansing regime which works best the simpler it is kept. Finding a cleanser that suits your skin type is paramount and as soon as you find one that your skin responds well to you should stick with it. There is no need to over cleanse either and once in the evening should be quite sufficient with a splash of lukewarm water in the morning to clear the skin of excess oils acquired the night before.

Step two is all about exfoliating and in order to see noticeable effects in your skins condition you should make it a weekly ritual. There are several ways to exfoliate the skin such as scrubs or microdermabrasion, chemical peels and retinoids. Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells that tend to dull your complexion. Peels can take off five years from your face but tend to come at a price that is not always either affordable or practical. Retinoids such as Retin A also remove the top layer of dead skin cells but also generate collagen in the skin. Collagen is the skins structural fibre which breaks down as we get older causing lines and large pores to appear.

Step three involves moisturising the skin. Moisturisers seal in moisture to the skin preventing it from looking dry, taught and becoming wrinkled. The skin around the eye is susceptible to wrinkles as it contains no fatty tissue therefore a good eye cream is essential.

Step four in basic skincare is applying sunscreen. The number one cause of wrinkles is without doubt sun damage so it is important to use a sunscreen from an early age. It should be applied everyday and even in cloudy weather conditions.