Skin Care Basics
People naturally want to look good. You want clear skin, bright eyes, and lively color. You want soft, shiny, healthy hair. You want to be slim, strong and flexible. The tricky part is how to achieve all of this and maintain it once you get it. There are thousands of products on the market. How do you choose the one that is right for you?
I have found that the place to start is inside. It has been said that true beauty comes from within. You need to consider three basic areas to look your personal best: nutrition, exercise, and attitude. These broadly cover every aspect of having healthy skin, a healthy body and a healthy outlook on life. Let’s start with nutrition. More specifically, water.
Hydrate from within
Humans are more than 50% water. So, how much water should you be drinking? You've always heard that you need to drink eight to ten, 8-ounce (one cup) glasses of water a day. Another source recommends a quart of water four times a day. Yes, that is a gallon. But is that true? There are arguments against the long accepted rule, but it is not a bad idea. Of course, those that exercise lose more water from sweat and even breathing. Weather conditions such as heat and humidity can cause water loss. Even illnesses such as the flu or conditions requiring certain medications cause the need for more water.
The water can come from a variety of sources. Every beverage is composed of a large percentage of water. You should just be aware that the water in a lot of beverages also contain salt, caffeine, sugar and a host of other items that are not friendly toward your skin. Most fruits and vegetables have a significant amount of water in them. These can also count toward the goal.
Cleanse from within
Water serves many purposes in the human body, not the least of which is removing waste and toxins. In “Eileen Ford’s Crash Course in Looking Great” it is mentioned that drinking sufficient water would help reduce blemishes.
Since I have problems with outbreaks I decided to try drinking the old daily standard eight glasses of water. Within a week the spots were clearing up quite a bit. In two weeks they were almost gone. So I definitely promote sufficient water to cleanse from within.
Certainly, the food you eat would effect your skin. That will be covered later. A simple place to start and an easy change to make would be to begin drinking plenty of water.
Cleanse from without
You should probably be cleansing your face twice a day. But the big question mark is which products to use. That takes a little experimenting. You will need to assess the quality of your skin. Is it dry, oily, combination, or sensitive? Is it totally different at other seasons of the year?
I have a friend that uses only water on her face. I have never seen her with a blemish. I have noticed that when allergy season hits and my face and eyes are more itchy I rinse and wipe my face more often with plain water. It has had a positive effect on the outbreak problem but long term, for me, it doesn’t work. But plenty of rinsing after washing seems always to be good.
When choosing your skin care products, examine your choices carefully. Find one that you believe will be best for your skin type and use it regularly. This may take some trial and error. Also, be aware that by winter that cleanser that controls your summer time oily skin may begin working over time and suddenly your skin is dry and flaky. You may be like me with different regimens for different seasons.
