A Clear Complexion Can Be Yours

Skin care is a tricky area. Some basic care is necessary for good hygiene and basic health. More advanced skin care falls into beauty treatment. And no matter how much money is spent on skin care, there always seem to be even more expensive treatments and products out there. Review these tips to pick up some basic, effective skin care knowledge.

If you don't feel confident about how to take care of your skin, it's worth a trip to one of the major department stores. Many reputable companies offer solid skin care lines, and the sales people will give you a free consultation about your skin type and will recommend products for you. If you choose to purchase their products, of course they will be grateful; but at the very least, you will walk away much better educated about what your skin needs, and can make smarter choices for your skin type.

Have healthier skin by not smoking. Not only is smoking hazardous to your heath, but it can destroy your skin as well by causing it to wrinkle. What the smoke does is restrict blood flow in the blood vessels in your face, depleting your skin of much needed oxygen and nutrients. This also depletes the collagen in your skin, causing it to sag and wrinkle.

For great skin, be sure to drink plenty of pure water. This will keep your skin hydrated and glowing. After a shower or bath, pat your skin dry gently and slather on a natural oil to hold in the moisture and to moisturize your skin. Sunflower oil and peanut oil are two good, inexpensive natural choices.

When removing makeup from the face and eye area, take care to avoid excessive rubbing or pulling of the skin. Over time, aggressive makeup removal can damage the skin's elastin, which is a stretchy, resilient fiber that creates a firm, healthy, and youthful appearance. Instead, use water soluble cosmetics, which can be easily removed without distressing the skin.

Avoid fragrances in your skin care products. Many products contain all sorts of chemicals that companies do not have to disclose due to loopholes in laws governing cosmetics. Fragrances are not required to declare their ingredients, and therefore can have any number of toxic chemical mixtures within their formula.

If you want a healthy glow to your skin, eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamin C, which is beneficial in building up your skin's collagen. Eating more fruits and vegetables will improve your skin tone. They will also improve your skin's circulation, which will give you that coveted healthy glow.

Make up can be part of your skin care routine each day. Using a foundation with sun protecting capabilities can keep you from getting too much sun on your face. Removing make up each night helps to make sure that your skin gets cleansed of oils and dirt that is collected from your environment each day.

Taking hot baths and showers feel good, but they aren't particularly good for your skin. Hot water can actually damage your skin. Tap water contains chlorine, which works to kill bacteria and can also cause skin damage. The hotter the water, the more damage it can cause because the chemical reaction rates increase as the water temperature gets higher.

When you are talking about skin care, you have to realize that there are certain parts of your body that you will usually neglect. These areas are your neck, your elbows,and heels. If you neglect these parts of your body, you will have dry patches in these areas.

Staying away from cigarettes is vital to the care and health of your skin. Smoking can make your skin look older; this is even true on the parts of the body that are not exposed to the sun. For example, smokers often have wrinkles on the inner arms as well as other unusual places.

Eat foods high in vitamin A to improve the health of your skin. Foods like cantaloupe, spinach, and carrots are all high in plant based vitamin A. Add these foods to your diet to improve your skin's health and as an added bonus, vitamin A also boosts your immunity levels keeping you healthier.

Be sure to moisturize every day to take care of your skin. The best time to do this is right after a shower or a bath to seal in the moisture that you already absorbed in the shower. You can try a variety of different lotions and moisturizers to see what works best for you.

Be gentle to your skin. Exfoliating or scrubbing your face too often is not good at all for your skin. Gently massage your face with cleansers or facial scrubs in an upward circular motion. Skin loses its elasticity as you age and scrubbing too hard can actually cause sagging skin on your face.

Try using jasmine extracts along with your regular skin care products. Not only is jasmine a soothing oil that feels great against your skin, but it also rich in antioxidants that will help your skin rid itself of all the bad things that will keep it from having that healthy glow.

Your skincare regimen may require adjustments during different seasons or climates. In the winter your skin may be extremely dry and itchy, requiring regular applications of emollient moisturizers. In the summer you may switch to light, oil-free moisturizers, such as those which come in gel or lotion form. Avoid anything with a creamy or balmy consistency.

If you want to keep your skin looking healthy and free of acne breakouts, start eating a healthy diet that is high in vitamin A. Vitamin A helps regulate the skin cycle and prevent acne causing protein and oil from getting trapped in the skin. Some foods that are high in Vitamin A include fish oil, salmon, carrots, spinach, and broccoli.

You get as much out of skin care as you put into it. That applies not just to money - it applies less to money than any other factor, maybe - but to time and research. There are plenty more tips and tricks like these out there, just waiting for you to learn.