| Knowing Your Skin |
| To ascertain your skin type, clean your face thoroughly, then rinse well and pat dry. Allow it to rest for two hours and then press a tissue onto your face. If the tissue comes away full of grease, you have oily skin; if there is grease on only parts of it, you have combination skin. If the tissue comes away unmarked, wash your face with soap and water. If your skin feels supple and smooth afterwards, it's normal; if it feels taut, it's dry. Good skin is achieved through constant area; it requires daily attention to cleansing, freshening, moisturizing, and conditioning. The first three take only a few minutes in sequence, and ideally should be done twice daily. Conditioning creams can stay on overnight or alternatively for a couple of hours during the day. Weekly exfoliation and facial treatments stimulate and nourish the skin, helping to keep it in an active and healthy state. Natural applications give very satisfactory results, and there is a long list to choose from. Combination Skin This "T" panel is oily and the remainder of the face is dry. It is best treated as two types of skin as describe above. Cleanser There is no substitute for a good mild soap for cleansing the body and it is rare for a woman to be so sensitive to soap that she has to avoid it altogether. However, facial skin sometimes needs special attention, and the alternatives are particularly refreshing and often nourishing at the same time. Simple Cleanser Any vegetable oil will remove light (not heavier) make-up, including the more obstinate eyes colourings and mascara; simply put a little on a wad of cottonwool and gently clean. Almond oil and coconut oil are specially recommended. Other simple cleansers are fresh potato juice, strawberry juce, warm milk, and natural yogurt. Fresheners Fresheners rinse away traces of oils and fats (residue from soaps and creams); they help close the pores, restore the skin's acid mantle (the pH factor), stimulate circulation and refine texture. Freshener, toner and astringent are basically the same product in graded strenghts. Fresheners and toners are simple plant or herbal applications and are for balanced or dry skins. Astringents are stronger and are for oily and blemished skins. Apply by soaking cottonwool pads or gauze squares in the liquids, and wipe over the face. Moisturizers Moisturizers are preparations that form a protective film holding in the skin's moisture; they themselves do not feed moisture into the skin. Moisture is the most important aspect of skin care, as it keeps the skin supple and smooth. Dry and older skins are usually lacking in moisture. A moisturizer is applied after cleansing and the use of a freshener or astringent. Facials Facials cleanse, stimulate and nourish the skin; they also increase circulation, bringing nutrients and oxygen to the surface. They often contain ingredients that at as purifiers, drawing out dirt, toxins and grease. Facials are usually in mask form, though sometimes a steam procedure is used. The face has to be thouroughly cleansed with a final clear water rinse before commencing any facial treatment. Wrinkles Wrinkles cannot be removed (except by surgery) but they can be softened and their appearance delayed. Oil is a great help. Gently patted on to the face areas, around the eyes and the mouth are the first to register lines. Use almond or turtle oil. |
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| (Source: Natural Health & Beauty by Bronwen Meredith) |
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| # Lines, Wrinkles, and Crinkles # |
| This is an area of enormous concern to most women; it is also a subject that is misunderstood. Wrinkles and lines are equated with "aging". No one wants to look "old". Some women will go to any lenghts to try to look younger, buying anything that promises to erase wrinkles and lines, and believing any cosmetic or skin-care-product advertising claim that promises to reverse the "aging process". The makers of cosmetic and skin-care products, and those who are paid to create the advertising, do little to educate the public about aging, wrinkles, and lines. Instead, they take advantage of the fact that few women understand what wrinkles, lines, and crinkles are, why they have them, and what can realistically can be done about them. |
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