Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Establishing a Good Skin Care Routine + Tips

Perfect Skin in 3 Easy Steps!

Hello skinoholics!

As you probably know by now, I have created a skin blog! I am so excited, and I hope you are too because I have tons of recipes and tips up ahead. As with my hair blog, all opinions are my own. I am no skin/hair professional but I do have experience with many products/recipes. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge. In this post I will show you how to identify your skin type, care for it using that knowledge, and make your own skin care products.

  I hope you enjoy <3

STEP 1: Know your skin type!

This is the most important step you must take before you can achieve great skin. Start by looking at your skin, do you see any redness or acne? Now, with clean hands you must feel your skin. Observe your skin further in 5 very important areas. There will be a detailed image below.
Blue (forehead): Is it oily, dry, red or flakey? Take note of what your skin looks likes in this area.
 
Green (bridge of your nose - lower forehead): Do you find this area the oilest on your face, or is it the driest? Try taking a tissue and lightly dabbing this area, if you see any visible oil on the tissue you must have an oily nose.
 
Pink ( left side of nose - left cheek): Do you find this area rather flakey or more prone to acne? Look at this area carefully. Is it shiny?
 
Red (right side of nose - right cheek): Is your skin rather sensitive or is it more prone to acne? Repeat the observation just like you did with the Pink side.
 
Purple (chin): People with sensitive skin usually have flaking in this area, oilier skin types may have many blackheads here. Dryer types have inflamed or tight skin in this area. Make observations.
 
Your Results:
 
1. If you have red, flakey skin than your skin type is sensitive.
2. If your skin is oily in the "T" zone (purple, green and blue) but dry in the other areas (red, pink) then you have combination skin.
3. If you have inflamed, acne-prone skin in the red/pink, green and blue areas then your skin is oily.
4. If your skin is perfectly fine in all areas and seems supple and smooth you have normal skin.
5. If your skin is tight and flakey, your skin is dry.
 

STEP 2: Caring for your skin

Now that you know your skin type, proper care goes a long way. Below are some tips and tricks for all skin types.
 

Combo - Oily Skin:

Needs to be cleansed regularly twice a day, and toned (a great remedy for combo- oily skin is 1 cup of water w/ 5 drops of mint or eucalyptus oil) spritz this mixture after  cleansing. After toning, use a light oil such as argan or almond, ignoring this step might aggravate your skin OILY SKIN NEEDS MOISTURE! Exfoliate skin with olive oil and sugar weekly.
 

Sensitive - Dry Skin:

Needs a lot of moisture (oil) and gentle exfoliation (olive oil and sugar). Cleansing should be done twice a day with a natural mild cleanser, toning is optional. Moisturization is very important, using a light oil such as jojoba s perfect for dry skin.
 

Normal Skin:

Focus on gentle cleaning and exfoliate very lightly. Normal skin is 50/50 with oiliness and dryness so find a balance between them both. A normal washing, exfoliating, and moisture routine will keep your skin in tip-top shape!
 
 

 

 

STEP 3: Products You Can Make!

 

Exfoliation: For All Skin Types

Exfoliation should be done once a week. Keep in mind that commercial exfoliators are too abrasive and full of chemicals. Using this olive oil sugar scrub gives you smooth, soft, satiny skin that is refreshed and rid of dead skin cells.
 
Olive Oil & Sugar Scrub
 
4 tbsp. of olive oil and 4 tbsp. of sugar
 
 

Gentle Cleanser: All Skin Types

Cleansing is important, but truth is your face needs light cleansing. Using stripping cleansers makes acne/dryness only worse. This is a light, watery cleanser that still deep cleans like any other cleanser minus the stripping.
 
 
Castile Soap Cleanser
 
1 cup of castile soap, 1 cup of water, 2 tbsp. of jojoba oil, 3 drops of mint oil, 2 drops of eucalyptus oil, 2 drops of sandalwood
 

Toner: Oily Skin (optional)

Toning oily skin is very important. This toner will remove excess oil and refresh your skin. I personally do not tone my skin because my skin is not oily, in the end it's up to you.
 
Essential Oil Toner
 
1 cup warm water, 5 drops of mint or eucalyptus oil
shake mixture in a plastic spray bottle and spritz onto your face after cleansing for a pick-me-up.
 
 
 

Light Day Moisturizer: All Skin Types

Sometimes we forget to moisturize our skin. It is very important however, and it should be done twice a day. At night we should use a heavier moisturizer to combat dryness and aging, at night we should use a light oil for glowing skin all day.
 
Argan Oil Moisturizer
 
2-4 drops of Argan Oil
 
 
 

Deep Moisturizing Night Cream:

 
 Skin needs moisture, but did you know that your skin absorbs more moisture at night while you are sleeping? To combat aging and dryness, wearing a nourishing cream at night is a must.
 
Shea & Olive Oil Night Cream
 
2 tbsp. of shea butter, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, optional: 2-4 drops of any essential oil of your choice.
Mix in a bowl with an electric mixer until the consistency is that of whipped cream. Put in a jar and use at night.
 
 
 
I hope you enjoyed the post. Leave questions, comments and concerns below. I will get back to you :)
 
xoxo,
 
Lexie
 
 

 

 
 

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