What should I be doing for my skin? How important is skincare?

Jul 29, 2012

LeeAnn B.

I have read many times on here that taking care of your skin is paramount to overall skin health and beauty. I am 23 years old and a former tanning bed user, I wear sunscreen daily and apply a moisturizing facial cream at night. What else should I be doing for my skin to help prevent further damage and aging? Also, what are good products that I should look into? I know the Clarisonic must be one of them but is there a cheaper alternative? And what about the rest of my skin, how can I help it?

Jul 29, 2012

Christina O.

What skin type are you:
•oily
•oily-normal
•normal
•normal-dry
•dry

Jul 29, 2012

Shelby B.

This is a big question to answer on a public forum, but I'll do my best. The best way to start on a new skin care routine is to figure out what your skin type is. Everyone is born with a skin type and although your skin "conditions" might change, your skin type will remain the same. Skin types include oily, dry, normal, sensitive, or combination. You can determine skin type by looking at the size of your pores. Large pores indicate oily skin while small pores indicate dry skin. Sensitive skin is a little bit harder to determine as it can be either a skin type or a skin condition.
Once you have found your skin type, the rest is easy.
You should know that it is important for every single person to cleanse and moisturize skin twice daily. If you feel as though the products you are currently using would dry out your skin, or leave you feeling a bit too oily, then you should change to ones that are specific to your skin type. Everyone's skin is different so what works for my "combination" skin type might not work for someone else's "combination" skin type. You have to experiment to find what is best for you personally. That being said, I absolutely love Dermalogica's AGE Smart line for prematurely aging skin. Dr. Brandt's Pores No More cleanser is amazing. On the less-pricey side, I really like Aveeno's Skin Brightening Daily Scrub, and Olay Total Effects Anti-Blemish cleanser.
Clarisonic is a fantastic little gadget for exfoliating, however, if it's not necessarily in your price range, don't worry. It's not the end all, be all of skin care, though I have had clients, friends, and family rave about it. I prefer Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant for almost anybody, except highly sensitive skin. It is a bit pricey, but one bottle should last quite a while. I started using it about a month ago, and I'm telling you, it can do no wrong. It has a rice-based enzyme that brightens skin tone and leaves your face feeling smooth. You can even mix the powder with your cleanser to speed up your skin routine.
As for the rest of your skin, it's great that you quit using tanning beds, but its still important to minimize sun exposure. Wearing SPF 30 or higher daily will limit further damage. UV exposure causes hyperpigmentation witch will show up on your skin as "liver spots" or "sun spots". You shouldn't start to see any of these spots until you get closer to your forties, however, it is possible to start seeing them at a younger age. Even though these spots aren't visible, it doesn't mean they aren't there. They might be visible to an esthetician under a woods lamp, but unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about hyperpigmentation until it actually surfaces.

Jul 30, 2012

LeeAnn B.

@ Christina- my skin is on the dry side!

@ Shelby- Thank you for recommending products for me I will definitely try out the Aveeno brightening scrub! I am currently using that st ives apricot scrub, clean & clear moisturizing cleanser, and I use Pond's moisturizing lotion on my face. Are there any lotions that will help moisturize my body? I have been through many and feel they don't moisturize me enough.
 

Jul 30, 2012

Chloe O.

Skin care is REALLY important!! Especially if you wear makeup. Since you mentioned that your skin is somewhat dry, i would definetly play around with different mosturizing foundations. The cream formulas tend to work best for this. You will also want a mosturizer also. I recommend one without dyes, chemicals, or irritants such as the new simple line. Its also helpful to keep a spot treatment on hand in case you get any sudden break outs. I wash my face at night and in the morning but you probably really only need to at night. 

Jul 30, 2012

Jena O.

Hi Leanne,
I am a Bay Area Esthetician. You should be exfoliating 2x week (removing dull dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.) Clarisonic Mia is a amazing investment for your skin and no other copy cat product compares-I've tried them all. Steer clear of Neutragena, their products are extremely drying and harsh on skin.
1) Cleanse
2) Tone (Murad Hydrating Toner)
3) Treat (serum/cream/gel for your main skin concern..sun damage, wrinkles,dryness,firming, ect.
4) Hydrate & Protect (SPF 30 daily rain or shine)

*Mask and exfoliate 2x week each, for dry skin try Murad exfoliating mask (exfoliant) and apply some plain yogurt to hydrate and soften skin (mask). Monthly facials can also jump start your skin regime with a deep cleanse, exfoliation, extractions (removing impactions, sebaceous filaments,blackheads). Let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help =)

Jena

Jul 31, 2012

LeeAnn B.

Thank you so much Jena you answered many of my questions! Where can I find those products your mentioned and what is the price range of them?

Jul 31, 2012

Jena O.

Your welcome, I'm happy to help out!
Clarisonic Mia is available at Sephora & Ulta. Murad products are available at Massage Envy Spa's, Sephora. They range from $22-$150 (only the mega anti-aging serums get this high).
Treatment serums and gels are typically $40-$60 and can last up to 5 months!