Skin-Care Tips For Your Best Complexion

I am a an admitted magazine junkie with over a dozen monthly subscriptions, not to mention the last-minute ones I pick up while waiting in line. One of my favorite magazines is Health and after reading the new October edition, I just had to share some of their “best strategies and tricks to keep your complexion in tip-top shape.” 

Wash Your Face In The Morning – It sounds pretty basic, to wash your face in the morning, but there are lots of articles and advice out there that say it’s okay to simply rinse with water in the morning. This advice is based on that if you wash your face before bed, you’ll wake up with clean skin. 

Health experts counter with the fact that during sleep, your skin goes into repair mode and secretes oil and other gunk. They recommend using a gentle cleanser when you wake up to get rid of all that stuff.

When removing makeup…

• Never rub around the eye area. If you’re using a cotton ball and remover, don’t scrub it back and forth over the eye, which can irritate thinner skin. Instead, press the cotton gently on your closed eye for 30 seconds and then gently wipe away.
• If you’re using wipes you still want to wash your face afterwards. The reason? Because “those wet cloths break down cosmetic particles and move dirt and grime around; they don’t take everything off.”
• Apply milky or cream-based cleansers on DRY skin. Health says you’ll have better luck taking off heavier foundations if you massage on dry skin before rinsing. 

What goes on first? 

As a rule of thumb, the experts recommend your products should be applied from lightest (toners and watery serums) to thickest (heavier creams). Applying something thick will block out the thinner stuff and prevent it from being absorbed.

A clean pillowcase does make a difference. Pillowcases should be changed weekly because your hair transfers natural oils to the fabric. Those oils can transfer to your skin and trigger breakouts. (And who wants to spend time and money on cleansing your face and then placing it on a dirty pillow?)

Hydrate Better – You’ve probably heard this a hundred times and it’s true. Applying moisturizer to skin that’s still a bit damp from toner or water will help it penetrate better. In fact, “moist skin is 10 times more permeable than dry, so doing this will help your products work better.”

This applies to your body too…after a shower or bath, apply body lotions while skin is still damp.

Wash Your Hands…AND Brushes:

• Wash your hands before you put anything on your face!
• Dirty brushes are full of bacteria. Foundation and concealer brushes should be washed once a week, shadow brushes could use a cleaning after two weeks, while once a month is okay for other brushes. You can use a brush cleanser or simply add a bit of gentle shampoo to the palm of your hand. Wet brushes with warm water, swirl through the shampoo in your hand, gently work the shampoo into bristles, rinse and dry.

Here are some more tips on cleaning your brushes and when to toss makeup.

How Clean Is Your Makeup Brush….Or Your Makeup?

When applying eye cream – 

1. Use your ring finger to apply (it’s the weakest and won’t pull at delicate skin) and tap gently. “Start from the outer corner and work your way inward along the orbital bone using a gentle tapping motion.”
2. Use a pea-size amount of cream. Going overboard with the cream can cause it to seep into eyes, causing puffiness and irritation. (For me personally, if I use too much cream it builds up and emphasizes my “smile” lines even more.)
3. “Keep a wide barrier around your lashes. Eye cream can get picked up by eyelashes and travel into your eyes, which, again, will irritate them.” 

Pull From Your Pantry

I am a huge fan of using products from the kitchen in my beauty regimen. Coconut oil is one of my favorite products to use for shaving, cleaning my face, moisturizing and so much more. Here are 3 ingredients from your pantry Health recommends…

*Manuka Honey, which is antibacterial and super moisturizing, is great for a hydrating mask. Spread a tablespoon over your face. leave on for 10 to 15 minutes and wash with warm water.

*Olive Oil, which is perfect for taking makeup off. (I also shave with it and use as a moisturizer on my legs, feet, elbows, and cuticles.

*Tea Bags, which will depuff undereye bags. Simply wet tea bags with cool water and let sit on eyes for five minutes.

 

This last tip I’ll share, which I love because it can save you so much money, is simply applying the correct amount of product. 

Size DOES Matter! 

Using more product than recommended won’t make that product work any better or faster and it actually wastes money. Here’s how much the Health experts suggest you use…

• Cleanser – quarter size
• Eye Cream – pea size
• Scrub For Face – nickel size
• Moisturizer For Body – ice-cream-scoop size
• Sunscreen For Face – teaspoon size
• Sunscreen For Body – shot-glass-size