I am going to be starting a new blog series called Back to Basics. I know a lot about makeup and skin care now, but when I was younger and first starting out, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I didn't know anything about makeup and what to do to make applying it look good.
So I want to go way back and start at the very beginning and teach you everything you need to know to be able to do whatever makeup look you want and to take care of your skin.
I will be starting out the Back to Basics series with the Skin Care mini series. In this post I'll be going over skin types and what works for them. In the subsequent mini series, I will go into the steps for getting and maintaining good skin in the morning and in the evening. And I will also talk about extra goodies and what they do for your skin.
Now when I was younger, I didn't do much with my skin. I washed it with regular ol' bar soap and called it a day. But there are many more things that go into skin care before we can jump into makeup. You have to have a good canvas to work on. Just knowing how to take care of your skin, will be very beneficial once you start wearing makeup all the time.
You will want to know how to cleanse the skin, and prep it for any situation.
Skin care is the cleansing, massaging and moisturizing of the skin, especially the hands and face.
The first step is to figure out what kind of skin you have. This is important, so you can treat your skin with what it needs. The skin types below are the most common. If you see that you fall into more than one category, you probably have combination skin.
Normal Skin Type - Normal skin is not too dry and not too oily, it has no or few imperfections, no severe sensitivity, barely visible pores, a radiant complexion.
Combination Skin Type - Combination skin type can be dry or normal in some areas, and be oily in others. Combination skin can have overly dilated pores, blackheads, shiny skin, patches of dry skin.
Oily Skin Type - Oily skin can produce enlarged pores, shiny or thick complexion, blackheads, pimples or blemishes.
Sensitive Skin Type - Sensitive skin can be characterized by redness, itching, burning or dryness.
Once you know what skin type you have, then you can start looking at what products will work best for your skin.
If you have oily skin you want to make sure your face is moisturized, the more moisture you put on your face, the less oil your skin will produce. Don't be afraid to use beauty oils or essential oils on your skin. This will actually help you control how much oil your skin produces. Once your skin is used to outside oils and creams, then it will slow down the extra production of oil. Another thing to try is using a more lightweight cleanser. The harsher the cleanser the more dry your skin will get and the more oil your skin will produce to make up for the dryness.
For dry skin you want to moisturize a lot more than for oily skin. If you have dry skin, try drinking more water. Your skin is a reflection of how your health is on the inside. Also stay away from foaming cleansers, these usually tend to have a more drying effect on the skin. Maybe go for a milk cleanser or an oil cleanser. These type of face washes will clean your skin but wont over dry it.
If you have combination skin, you will want to have different products for the different parts of your face. I really love using moisturizing or deep cleaning face masks for the T-zone, where you get the most oil production. And try using a more rich and moisturizing products for the rest of the face. Multi-masking is a great way to deal with problematic skin.
If your skin is very sensitive, try using a product line that is specifically targeted for sensitive skin. A very good drugstore brand is the Simple skin care line. These products are fragrance free, and chemical free which is perfect for people with sensitive skin. Also try using products that are light on the skin. Nothing too heavy or extremely harsh. The gentler the better.
For acne prone skin, I would suggest using acne targeting products only where needed. You don't need to apply these type of products all over the face if you only have breakouts on your cheeks, for example. This could really dry you out, or worse cause more acne breakouts. Using a product that contains benzyl peroxide or salicylic acid will help get rid of acne or breakouts.
If you are one of the lucky few who have normal skin, you are probably already doing the right things. Getting into the habit of a good beauty routine will help your skin stay on track and stay clear. Cleansing, moisturizing, toning and adding masks when needed for normal skin is the way to go. Try using products the are gentle or right in the middle of harsh and sensitive.
Getting to better know and understand your skin is the first step in good skin care and ultimately good makeup application.
These other posts in this Skin Care mini series are coming soon!
Morning Steps & Products
Night-time Steps & Products
Extra Skin Goodies
Sources: WebMD
Pictures: Google.com
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