There is so much information out there about ‘this is good for you’ or ‘that is not.’ We get confused trying to figure out who is telling us the truth. Most of us are leery of advertisers any more because they misrepresent their claims — all for the bottom line. I know the feeling. I have heard so much about what is or is not good for our skin for years that I didn’t know who to believe any more. Therefore, I took matters into my own hands and went to school and became an esthetician. Now I have the skinny on things.
Regardless of what is good for your skin, only your skin will really let you know what it likes. Through the years, my skin has changed. I was born with a skin type of combination and today, my skin condition is sensitive. Our skin needs to be treated by the condition and not the type as we mature. If you continue to use products for your skin type, you will not see any results from the products you use and may wonder why your skin is reacting.
My skin reacts to products that it never did when I was younger. In order to determine if a product is good for your skin, you will need to use it exclusively for about two weeks to see how your skin responds. There are professional products that work well for the majority of people, but my skin reacted to some of them. It took some time, and with a little bit of patience, I discovered several lines that worked well for my skin. If someone recommends that a product is really good, ask for a sample size. Generally, you will know by the end of the sample if the product and your skin are a match.
I was a beach bunny back in the day, long before there was sunscreen, you know the baby oil thing! Well, today my skin has shown signs of all that sun bathing. My skin was very damaged when I went back to school; however, by the time I graduated four months later, my skin had improved considerably. It had to do with using professional products with active ingredients, receiving facials, having microdermabrasion and chemical peels.
I have found the following to be some of the best ingredients to achieve results in a fairly short amount of time:
• Beta Glucane protects against UV damage and hydrates the skin.
• CoQ10 energizes new skin cell growth.
• Hyaluronic Acid is a moisturizing agent.
• Resorcinol is a powerful anti-bacterial agent with anti-acne, peeling and exfoliating properties (this is a form of Vitamin A).
• Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid. It breaks up oil and has powerful skin stimulating and anti-bacterial properties (this acid works great for people with acne. It helps to dry up the sebum (oil) and balance the sebum production).
• Tocotrienol is a form of Vitamin E and is a powerful anti-oxidant.
• Vitamin A/Retinol can reverse photo (sun) damage, skin elasticity improves, it enhances new skin cell growth and thickens the epidermal and dermal layers.
• Vitamin C stimulates collagen. It may improve skin pigmentation (balances the skin tone and helps to diminish brown spots), softens the skin, slows down the aging process and protects against sun damage.
• Vitamin E penetrates the skin and moisturizes from within. It aids in tissue repair and protects from environmental stress.
• Vitamin K helps with “bags” under the eyes as well as bruising, reduces spider veins, and helps support small blood vessels.
We put vitamins into our body to help our body receive the nutrients it needs. However, we neglect our skin. Our bodies are very toxic from our environment and those same vitamins never reach our skin. Therefore, by putting Vitamins A, C & E on our face, nourishes the skin and accelerates the skin growth process.
You will see improvement in your skin by using professional products that have active ingredients in them. Just remember, it took years to damage your skin and it will take time for it to improve. It is recommended that you visit an esthetician who can determine the condition of your skin and what products would work best for you. You will see the results if you maintain a healthy skin care regime.
K
athleen Flanagan, CEO and Founder of Awakening Spirit, Aromatherapist, Sound Therapist, Esthetician and Author.