Aimzster
Dianna G10 Tips I've learnt to treat Dry skin - Part 1
June 18th 2007 02:30
It took me 20 years to figure out that, yes, I do have dry skin. This means that in the middle of winter, when my face is in direct exposure to the heater/airconditioner, if I skip the moisturiser for a single routine or I accidentally use alcohol-based products, my skin becomes taut and the small lines on my forehead, around my eyes and mouth are more visible. My skin also feels rough, due to the tiny bumps that are visible only under harsh lights but were enough at one point to alert my co-workers as I looked in the mirror and promptly screamed, certain that someone had cast a voodoo spell on me. In some severe cases, my skin develops red, itchy and flaky patches, especially the skin on the side of my nose where the pores are bigger and I get the tremendous urge to scratch away.
In these 20 years, through many trial and error runs, I managed to learn some tips on how to combat symptoms of a dry skin :
1) Know that you have dry skin
This sounds simple enough and makes sense, but I’m still surprised at the number of people who don’t know what their skin type is. I know a lot of girls who continue to buy normal to combination skin-type products and yet complain that their skin feels very dehydrated and they break out often. When I ask them, “Do you have normal skin?”, they look at me blankly and ask, “How am I supposed to know?” To know what your skin type is, put some tissues on your dry, cleansed face. If the tissue doesn’t stick to any spots on your face, your skin is dry. If it sticks to your forehead, nose and chin, aka your t-zone, you have normal skin. If it sticks to the majority of your face, your skin is oily. So, first things first, know what your skin type is and use only the products suited to your skin type.
2) Avoid Soaps and Foam Cleansers– use Cream Cleansers instead
Soap – and alcohol – are the two worst enemies of dry skin. Both strip your skin of its natural essential oils. Foam cleansers, in my opinion, are equally harsh. Not everyone may agree with me but I find foam cleansers have the same effect on my skin as a soap does – it makes it dry and tight. It doesn’t matter if the label on the foam cleanser says it’s suited for dry skin, or the saleslady and even the beauty therapist herself recommend it. I can say for a fact that I have not used a foam cleanser that has NOT made my skin itchy, taut and flaky after three days of use. I suggest using cream cleansers instead. I remember recommending a cream cleanser to a fellow “dry-skinner” and she initially complained that she didn’t feel her face felt cleansed at all, having the mentality that a substance needs to behave like soap in order to clean. Not so. Cream cleansers are alcohol-free and are designed to gently cleanse your face, without stripping your skin of its natural oils.
3) Ask yourself : Do I really need a toner?
I don’t know about these 3-step skincare systems : cleanser, toner and moisturiser. As with soap, foam cleansers and other alcohol-based products, I feel that toners make my skin dry. Again, many people may disagree but since I stopped using toners, I’ve actually noticed my skin improving with less breakouts. Toners, technically, are used to get rid of any traces of grime and impurities not picked up by a cleanser. I think that if you have a good cleanser, you don’t need a toner so maybe you should invest on a good cleanser instead.
4) Wash your face in lukewarm water
Many beauty therapists say that you should never wash your dry skin with tap water as tap water contains impurities. They say to rinse your face with cotton pads drenched in mineral water. Oh yeah, I can just imagine filling up my shopping trolley with several mineral water bottles just to rinse my face for the week. I may want to take good care of my skin but I'm not about to waste precious water good enough for drinking, not to mention, money. Seriously? I think it’s perfectly ok to use tap water, just as long as it’s lukewarm – not too cold and definitely not too hot, as not to cause broken capillaries.
Continued...
*images taken from www.wikipedia.com
In these 20 years, through many trial and error runs, I managed to learn some tips on how to combat symptoms of a dry skin :
1) Know that you have dry skin
This sounds simple enough and makes sense, but I’m still surprised at the number of people who don’t know what their skin type is. I know a lot of girls who continue to buy normal to combination skin-type products and yet complain that their skin feels very dehydrated and they break out often. When I ask them, “Do you have normal skin?”, they look at me blankly and ask, “How am I supposed to know?” To know what your skin type is, put some tissues on your dry, cleansed face. If the tissue doesn’t stick to any spots on your face, your skin is dry. If it sticks to your forehead, nose and chin, aka your t-zone, you have normal skin. If it sticks to the majority of your face, your skin is oily. So, first things first, know what your skin type is and use only the products suited to your skin type.
2) Avoid Soaps and Foam Cleansers– use Cream Cleansers instead
Soap - enemy # 1
3) Ask yourself : Do I really need a toner?
I don’t know about these 3-step skincare systems : cleanser, toner and moisturiser. As with soap, foam cleansers and other alcohol-based products, I feel that toners make my skin dry. Again, many people may disagree but since I stopped using toners, I’ve actually noticed my skin improving with less breakouts. Toners, technically, are used to get rid of any traces of grime and impurities not picked up by a cleanser. I think that if you have a good cleanser, you don’t need a toner so maybe you should invest on a good cleanser instead.
4) Wash your face in lukewarm water
Tap Water - is it bad for your skin?
Continued...
*images taken from www.wikipedia.com
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I know. When a therapist suggested that to me, it brought to mind that car ad where the guy loved his car so much, he was wasting hundreds of mineral bottles washing it. Maybe if I was Paris Hilton- God forbid.