“Serious skin care” is about maintaining a healthy and glowing skin all through y your life.
our As you grow older, your body‟s natural skin care mechanisms become weaker. So,
serious skin care is about responding to the changing needs of your skin. Thus, serious
skin care is about constantly evaluating, analyzing and changing your skin care
routines. Your skin care routine should change based on the environmental conditions,
your age and changes in your skin type.

“Serious skin care” is also about awareness. With the technological advancements and
research, more and more facts are bein being brought to light everyday. Also, the
g composition and nature of skin care products seems to be changing with time. So trying
out the new products is also a part of serious skin care. However, “serious skin care”
advises using a new product over a small p patch of skin (not facial skin) first, just to see
how your skin reacts to it.

“Serious skin care” also means knowing how to use your skin care products.

Good practices include things like applying the moisturizers while the skin is damp, using
upward stro strokes for better penetration of skin care products, removing the make up
kes before going to bed, cleansing before moisturizing or applying make up, using the
correct amount of skin care products, etc. Thus, increasing the effectiveness of your skin
care product products is another focus area of serious skin care.

Some precautions, like avoiding contact with detergents, are also part of serious skin
care. „Serious skin care‟ means being gentle with your skin. Things like over over-exfoliation,
use of low quality products, an and application of strong d strong-chemical based products, are all
harmful to your skin. Some people have a wrong notion about serious skin care. For
them serious skin care is - using large quantities of products as often as possible.
However, this really isn‟t seri serious skin care (and that‟s why awareness is so important).

“Serious skin care” is also about visiting your dermatologist for treatment of skin
disorders. Ignoring the skin disorders can be fatal for your skin and might lead to
permanent damage. So, if the things don‟t improve with over the counter medication,
you should immediately visit a dermatologist. Self Self-surgery e.g. squeezing of
acne/pimples is a big no (it can lead to permanent damage of your skin).

So, seriously serious skin care is more about pre precautions and preventive measures (than
cautions treatment). Serious skin care is about being proactive as well as reactive. In fact, we can
say that „serious skin care‟ is about being proactive about the needs of your skin so that
the need for being reactive is red reduced to a minimum.
uced

We all know the importance of „personal skin care‟. The opinion on how how-to (for personal
skin care) differs from person to person. Some people believe that going to beauty
parlors every other day is personal skin care. Oth Others believe that personal skin care is
ers just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin, every now and then. Then
there are people who think that personal skin care is an event that happens once a
month or once a year. Still others busy themselv themselves with „personal skin care‟ all the time.
es However, personal skin care is not that complicated and neither is it that expensive
(considering how beneficial it is). Personal skin care is following a routine or a
procedure for attending to the needs of your skin.

Even before you start with a routine, you need to determine your skin skin-type (oily, dry,
sensitive, normal etc) and select the personal skin care products suitable for it (you
might have to experiment with a few personal skin care products). Here is a routine that
should work for most people with normal skin.

The first thing on personal skin care routine is „Cleansing‟. The three main ingredients of
a cleanser are oil, water and surfactants (wetting agents). Oil and surfactants extract
dirt and oil from your skin and water then flushes it out, thus making your skin clean.
You might have to try a couple of cleansers before you find the one that suits you the
best. However, you should always use soap soap-free cleansers. Also, you should use Luke
warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water, both, cause damage to your skin).

Take care that you don‟t over over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the
The second thing on the personal skin care routine is exfoliation. Skin follows a natural
maintenance process wherein it removes the dead cells and replaces them with new skin
cells. Exfoliation is just a way to facilitate the skin in this process.

Dead skin cells are not capable of responding to personal skin care products but still consume t these products,hese hence preventing them from reaching the new skin cells. Thus removing dead skin cells
is important in order to increase the effectiveness of all personal skin care products.

Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing. As with any personal skin care
procedure, it‟s important that you understand how much exfoliation you need. Exfoliate
4-5 times per week for oily/normal skin and 1 1-2 times per week for dry/sensitive skin.
Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.

Next thing on personal skin care routine is moisturizers. This is one of the most
important things in personal skin care. Even people with oily skin need moisturizers.

Moisturizers not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture
(from air) whenever needed. Use of too much moisturizer can however clog skin pores
and end up harming your skin. The amount of moisturizer needed by your skin will
become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturizer. Also, applying
the moisturizer is best when your skin is still damp.

The last thing on personal skin care routine is sunscreen. A lot of moisturizers (day day-time
creams/moisturizers) come with UV protection – so you can get double benefits from
them. Such moisturizers are rec recommended for all days (irrespective of whether it is
ommended sunny or cloudy).

Again, experiment with various personal skin care products and also with the amount
you need to apply. What gives you best results is the best personal skin care recipe for
you. Howeve However, if you have some kind of skin dilemma, it is best to consult your
r, dermatologist before you actually start using any personal skin care products.

“Man skin care” would seem like an alien topic to some men. It would have been even
more alien a few years back. However, more and more men are now realizing the
importance of man skin care (and he hence you see markets flush with man skin care
nce products too). Even though the male skin is very different from that of a female, `man
skin care’ is very similar to the skin care for women.

“Man skin care” too starts with cleansing. Water soluble cleansers are preferred.
Cleansing helps remove the dirt, grease and pollutants from the skin and helps in
preventing pore clogging. The inherent oily nature of male skin makes cleansing an
important part of man skin care procedure. Cleansing should be done at least once every
day, even better if it is done twice a day. Using soap on the face is discouraged.

“Man skin care” revolves a lot around shaving. Shaving foam/gel/cream and after shave
lotion are one of the most important man skin care products. Serious `man skin care’
requires a proper selection of shaving related equipment and products. One of the main
considerations in choosing shaving products should be the skin type (since the degree of
oiliness differs from person to person). Alcohol Alcohol-based aftershaves should be avoided.
Proper `man skin care’ also mandates the use of good quality razors. Here, swivel swivel-head
razors are preferred since they are known to reduce cuts. Besides these products and
equipment, it is also necessary that you use them properly. Be g gentle when using your
entle razor. Do not scratch it against your skin; use a soft and smooth action (after all it‟s a
matter of removing hair, not the skin itself).

Male skin is generally thicker and oilier, owing to larger pores and more active
sebaceous gla glands. However, due to regular shaving, the skin can get dehydrated quite
nds. easily. Hence moisturizers too form an integral part of man skin care. Moisturizing gel
or cream should be applied after shaving. In fact, some shaving foams/ gel have an in in-
built mois moisturizing effect too. Moisturizers should be patted gently over the face and
turizing massaged gently using upward strokes.
Though a man‟s skin is less susceptible to skin cancer caused by UV radiation, using a
sunscreen is also an important man skin care measure. You can use a moisturizer that
combines sunscreen with the moisturizing effect.

Another good option for „man skin care‟ is to use man skin care products which have
natural ingredients like aloe Vera, sea salt and coconut etc. Naturally antiseptic oils e e.g.
.lavender, tea tree etc also provide good means for man skin care.

Man skin care is not as difficult as a lot of men think. It just asks for a few minutes every
day, in order to give you a healthy skin for present and for future.

Skin care is not a topic of recent times; it has been in practice since ancient times, when
herbal skin care was probably the only way to take care of skin. However, skin care has
transformed in a big way. Herbal skin care routines have been replaced by
synthetic/chemical chemical-based skin care routines. The herbal skin care recipes which once
used to be common place are not so popular today (and even unknown to a large
population). This transformation from herbal skin care to synthetic, can probably be
attributed to two things – our lazines laziness (or just the fast pace of lives) and the
s commercialization of skin care. Even herbal skin care products have been
commercialized. These commercial herbal skin care products have to be mixed with
preservatives in order to increase their shelf shelf-life, hence making them less effective than
the fresh ones made at home. However, it seems that things are changing fast and more
people are now opting for natural and herbal skin care routines. But still, none want to
make them at home and hence the commercial market of herbal skin care products is on
the rise.
So what are these herbs or herbal skin care mechanisms?

Aloe Vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin
care product. Freshly extracted aloe Vera is a natural hydran hydrant that helps in soothing
t skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.

A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile,
lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal s skin kin
care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea.

Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme
and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties.
Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.

Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of
skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.

Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herb herbal skin care. Tea tree
al oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin
care. Some fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in
shower gels (as a hydrating mix)

Homeopathic treat treatments and aromatherapies also come under the umbrella of herbal
ments skin care remedies.

Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for
treatment of skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. Most herbal skin care products
do don‟t have any side effects (the most important reason for preferring them over
n‟synthetic products) Moreover, herbal skin care products can be easily made at home,
hence making them even more attractive. So, herbal skin care is the way to go. However,
this d does not mean that you totally discard the synthetic products. Some people go to the
oes extent of debating with their dermatologist, if he/she suggests a synthetic product. You
should accept the fact that some skin orders might need usage of clinically proven non non-
herbal skin care products.

“Anti Anti-ageing skin care” is a very poplar concept in today‟s world. Today everyone wants
to hide their age using anti anti-ageing ski skin care procedures (and a number of people are
n successful too). However anti anti-ageing skin care is not achieved by any magic potion.

“Antiaging skin care” is about discipline. It is about being proactive. Antiaging skin care
is retarding the ageing process. H Here are a few tips for proactive anti ere anti-ageing skin care:
1. Maintain healthy eating habits: A well balanced diet is the key to maintaining a proper
body metabolism. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables (raw), they are the best source of
fibre and have a very refreshing effect on your body. Avoid oily and fatty food; not only
do they lack in essential nutrients but also cause obesity and other diseases which aid
the aging process

2. Beat stress: This is probably the most important anti anti-ageing skin care measur measure. Stress
e. disturbs the body metabolism and accelerates the aging process. Sleep, exercise and a
relaxing bath, are all good ways of beating stress. Aroma Aroma-therapy is also known to bust
stress.

3. Drink a lot of water: Antiaging skin care can‟t be any simpl simpler than this. Water helps in
er flushing out the toxins from the body, hence keeping it clean and making it less prone to
disease. Around 8 glasses of water (per day) is recommended by all doctors.

4. Regular exercise is a wonderful anti anti-ageing skin care pro procedure. Besides toning your
cedure. muscles, it also helps in cleaning the skin by flushing out the toxins in the form of sweat.
Exercise should be followed by a warm shower in order to completely remove the toxins.

5. Avoid the use of strong, chemical based prod products on your skin. Natural skin care
ucts products are a good option. Use of organic skin care products (home made or
commercial) can be a very effective anti anti-ageing skin care measure.

6. Do not overuse skin care products. Excessive and harsh application, both are harmful.

7. Do not ignore skin disorders; it can lead to permanent skin damage. Try over the
counter medication and if that doesn‟t help, immediately visit your dermatologist and
seek his/her advice.

8. Vitamin C based skin care products are very p popular means of anti opular anti-ageing skin care.
However, these seem to oxidize very quickly (which makes them harmful for the skin).
So store them properly. If the product turns Yellowish brown, it means that vitamin c
has oxidized and the product is no longer suit suitable for use.

9. Protect your skin against UV radiation; UV rays are known to speed up the aging
process. So, a good sunscreen lotion should be a part of your anti anti-ageing skin care
routine.

“Sensitive skin care” is governed by a few basic rules. However, even before we delve into
the rules for sensitive skin care, it‟s important to understand what a sensitive skin is.
Sensitive skin is one which is unable to tolerate any unfavorable conditions
(environmental/other), and which easily gets irritated on contact with foreign materials
(including skin care products). For this reason, some products are especially labeled as
sensitive skin care products. The degree of sensitivity can however vary from person to
person (and depending on that, the sensitive skin care procedures vary too).
Generally, all skin types respond negatively to detergents and other chemical based
products. However, the damage starts generally beyond a defined thresho threshold (or
ld tolerance level). This tolerance level is very low for sensitive skin types, leading to skin
getting damaged very easily and quickly. Sensitive skin care products either avoid the
potential irritants or keep them at very low concentrations.
Here are a few tips for sensitive skin care:
* Use sensitive skin care products only (i.e. the products that are marked for sensitive
skin care only). Also, check the instructions/ notes on the product to see if there are
specific restrictions/warnings associa associated with the product).
ted * Even within the range of sensitive skin care products, choose the one that has
minimum preservatives, colorings and other additives

* Do not use toners. Most of them are alcohol based and are not recommended for
* W Wear protective gloves when doing laundry or other chemical based cleaning. If you
ear are allergic to rubber, you can wear cotton gloves below the rubber ones.

* Another important tip for „sensitive skin care‟ is to avoid excessive exposure to sun.
Apply suns sunscreen lotion before getting out in the sun.

* Avoiding exposure to dust and other pollutants is also important for sensitive skin
care. So, cover yourself adequately before going out.

* Use hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic moisturizer as a sensitive skin car care product (if
e there is none specifically labeled as a sensitive skin care product)

* Use soap soap-free and alcohol free cleansers. Cleanse your face whenever you return from
spending time out doors.

* Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard. It can cause reddishne reddishness and even inflammation.

* Do not leave the makeup on for too long. Use hypoallergenic makeup makeup- removers.

So, sensitive skin care is very different from the normal skin care. Sensitive skin care is
more about being careful with your skin (both in terms of sensitive skin care products
and protection against environments atrocities on skin).