Skin Care and My Love of Vitamin C

As an esthetician, I'm often asked by clients how to combat aging skin.  Although nothing will stop the aging process, you can slow the process and enhance the quality of your skin.  The following will help to keep aging skin (or young skin) looking and feeling healthy.

A Healthy Diet:  There is no substitute for a healthy diet.  Eating a diet high in vitamin boosting fruits and vegetables is the first key to healthier skin.  In addition, healthy fats, fish, and plenty of water are shown to prevent wrinkles.   Eating healthy provides the body with nutrients to encourage healthy skin from the inside out.

Exercise:  Regular exercise is key to maintaining healthy circulation and blood flow to all body parts, including your skin!  Adequate blood flow provides nutrients and hydration to skin.  If exercising outside, remember to wear sunscreen!

A good skin care Regimen.  Keeping skin clean and moisturized are crucial to maintaining healthy skin.  While eating well and exercising work on your skin from the inside, using products that promote your skins health are key to working on your skin from the outside.  Skin should be washed each night before bed to remove the make-up and toxins that build up during the day.  It should be washed again in the morning to prepare for the day ahead and to remove sweat and debris that forms on the skin during sleep.

The following skin care basics should be in everyone's regimen:

 1)  A gentle skin cleanser.  A skin cleanser should leave your skin feeling clean but not dry.  Oily skin can tolerate, and often requires, an oil free cleanser, but skin should still not feel dry after using.  Over-drying the skin can be counterproductive and cause the oil glands to overproduce oil that has been stripped in cleansing.  Dry skin should be cleansed using a gentle cream or milk cleanser.  I've found a gentle milk cleanser to work best on most combinations skin.  I currently use an organic, vitamin C milk cleanser on my face that I am very happy with.

2)  Eye Cream.  The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body and will be the first to show age.  Eye creams should be used every morning after cleansing.  Eye creams are more gentle than an overall moisturizer and are specifically targeted for the skin around the eye.  Eye creams should be age appropriate.  A 20 year old will not have the same skin composition that a 50 year old will have.  Using a cream that provides too much or too little will contradict the results you are trying to achieve.

3)  Serum.  I am a strong proponent of serum - especially a good vitamin C serum.  Vitamin C is full of antioxidants when used in skin care.  When applied to the skin, vitamin C lotion has been shown to protect the skin from harmful rays of the sun, lessen brown spots caused by sun damage and boost the production of collagen.  There are several different serums on the market and you should research which one works best for you, but in my opinion, you get the best bang for your buck from a good vitamin C serum.  I've noticed definite changes in the look of my skin when using vitamin C serum.

4)  Moisturizer.  Moisturizer is the "icing on the cake".  A good moisturizer should make your skin feel soft without feeling greasy or oily.  As with eye cream, moisturizers should be age appropriate.  A moisturizer made for young skin (that tends to be more hydrated and oily) should not be used on older skin that may be dryer.

There are several other steps that can be added to a skin care regimen but the above are the basic steps that should be included in every routine.  I currently use the Clinique eye roller every morning to reduce puffiness around my eyes.  I use a regenerating serum at night under a moisturizer specifically targeting for nighttime and a gentle exfoliater twice a week.  Although I struggle with weight and getting enough water, I try to make sure that I get plenty of fruits and vegetables in my diet.  I also take several supplements, including vitamin C, to promote health from the inside.

If you are trying to find products that suit your skin, make appointments at your local cosmetic counters of department stores such as Macys or cosmetic specific stores like Sephora.  Have your skin cleaned and moisturized by a product line and wear it for a day.  See how your skin feels.  If you like the way it feels, the products may be right for you.  If you do not like the feel, try another line or another series from that particular line.  Most lines carry products for skin that include oily, dry and combination.  Don't be afraid to shop at these stores for the products as they do allow returns for products that don't work.  Just make sure you return it within a few days and not when the bottles are empty!