Does Your Skin Care Give You Beautiful, Radiant Skin?

These easy skin care tips are your recipe for smooth, clear, make up optional skin.

No retreat experience would be complete without a skin care and beauty consultation. I believe in taking care of the whole person, inside and out. Daily spiritual retreat offers you a spiritual respite in your busy life, as well as these beauty tips. After all, the skin is our largest organ, and needs our intentional care. Many of us are specifically concerned about keeping the appearance of aging at bay for as long as possible. We appreciate our age and experience, and we also know that we can look great as well. In addition to feeding our souls and achieving inner peace, we also want to look good. We want to glow from the inside and to have our skin radiant as well.

That's why I also share a variety of specialized skin care tips.

Can I share a secret with you? I used to have really troublesome skin when I was a teenager. This is when I learned the value of a good skincare routine. Good skincare resulted in better skin, and ultimately better skin resulted in the same type of clear, smooth skin that my mother had. I can now say that I am blessed with her skin, and because I often receive so many compliments on my skin, I decided to share my tips and research with you as well.

See a list of the latest in cutting edge skin care ingredients.

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The following beauty tips represent my gift to you for the care of your skin.

Skin Care Steps
Don’t worry that this looks like too many steps, once you begin, it moves very quickly, 2-3 minutes, with some variation between morning and night, so you’re not actually doing 6 steps at any one time. Make this your self care ritual where you know that you are doing something for yourself. Maybe this would be a good time to do some daily gratitude reflections, taking care of yourself, inside and out!

1. Cleanse 2. Tone 3. Exfoliate 4. Skin Building 5. Moisturize 6. Protect

Cleansing
This step is for removing oil, make up and environmental grime from your skin. Cleanse your skin twice a day with an appropriate product. I use a 2 pronged approach here, with an olive oil make up remover, followed by a gentle non-soap cleanser. Don’t be afraid to use olive oil on your skin. Skin care grade olive oil is wonderful for your skin as a cleanser and a moisturizer. It is the cornerstone product of the Japanese beauty company DHC. Check it out for yourself at www.dhccare.com

Tone
The jury is still out on whether or not this step is really necessary for good skincare. Some experts say that if you have an effective cleanser then this is unnecessary, other experts say that it is part two of the cleansing process, and therefore essential. I personally do not use one regularly. I will sometimes add this step in the summer, and use it along my oily T-zone. If you are extremely oily, I would say yes, otherwise I believe that it is ok to skip this step. If it is already part of your routine and you would like some alternatives, try products from DHC or L’Oreal. I would also suggest avoiding alcohol based toners.

Exfoliate
This step removes dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, making way for radiant skin and maximum moisturizing effectiveness. I currently use glycolic acid pads from Dr. Denese, and love, love, love them. I have also used the manual scrub type exfoliators, which work, but I find them to be a bit rough and too grainy for my preference. Philosophy makes great products in this category, both in scrub and pad formulations.

Skin Building
Protecting or rebuilding the lipid barrier in the skin. This product should sink into your skin, & therefore it should be a light water or gel texture. This could also be a treatment serum with lots of antioxidants, like vitamins C and E. It is not your primary moisturizer, so don’t worry if it seems too light to do the job. You will follow with your sealing moisturizer.

Moisturize
This is actually your second step in moisturizing. This step will act as a protector against moisture loss and environmental stressors. Proper hydration is critical for good skin care. This can be a lotion or cream formulation depending on your skin type. One way to tell if your moisturizer is too heavy is to look at your skin about 30 minutes after application and notice if it seems shiny, heavy or like it is “sitting on top of your skin.” If so, choose a lighter formulated moisturizer. If your moisturizer is too light, your skin will feel and look dry and tight. If this is the case, step up to a more substantial formulation. A very important point to know here is that if your skin continues to feel dry no matter what moisturizer you use, exfoliate more! Though it seems counter-intuitive for dry or seasonally dry skin, it is all the more important. Your moisturizer is unable to do its job due to the build up of dead skin cells on your skin’s surface. Step up your exfoliation or return to it if you have neglected this part of your routine, and then follow with your skin builder and moisturizing steps.

Protect
This is an often overlooked step, but sun exposure is the number one factor in the appearance of aging skin. Lines, dark spots and wrinkles appear due to free radical damage from the sun! Spending time and money on skin care products while not protecting yourself from even incidental sun is extremely ineffective. It’s like taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Do yourself a favor and find an SPF that you like and incorporate it into your daily routine.

So, use SPF 30 everyday that combats both UVA (aging) & UVB (burning) rays. Put it on as the last step in your morning routine. Put the excess on the backs of your hands, throat and upper chest.

So, your morning looks like this:

Cleanse, Tone*, Skin building, Moisturize, Protect

And, your evening looks like this:

Cleanse, Tone*, Exfoliate, Skin building, Moisturize

*Optional step

Splurge vs. Budget products
My recommendations include some higher end department store brands and some budget minded drug store brands. I do this purposefully because I realize that there is a range of people reading this who have different spending comfort levels. I have not included any luxury brands for practical reasons. Although I believe in using the best quality skin care products that I can comfortably afford, I just don’t find it necessary to spend more than $100 on any one product, and that would be an extremely special product. For those of you who might like these luxury brands I’m sure you know who they are and where to find them. I certainly have nothing against them, but I prefer to be a bit more practical in my advice to you here.

I tend to stick with the department/beauty store brands and specialty lines out of my own preference. The reason is not just about brand snobbery, although I admit to a little of this as well, but more importantly, I’ve learned that more expensive products typically have more good things for your skin and less chance of irritation. The less expensive products typically have smaller amounts of skin nutrients, and in “rougher” formulations that can irritate or not feel quite as nice on the skin.

Self disclosure: Ok, I have to admit that I am a sucker for pretty packaging and cushy, lovely, fresh smelling product. (The cosmetic marketers love people like me.) Well, you don’t have to go for the packaging, I’m here to give you the real scoop, so that whether you have more or less money to spend on beauty, you know what’s good to use.

Splurge Worthy

Exfoliators—You want smooth, high quality products, nothing rough against your skin. The more expensive products are more highly refined for a smoother application. If you are using a skin wiping pad, which I do, look for products with a wealth of vitamins, antioxidants and skin soothers. Of course, you pay a little more for all of this, but this is such a critical step that you don’t want to skimp. Good product lines are Dr. Denese and Philosophy.

Skin builders/ Serums – Here’s where your skin can get a lot of support for those areas where it is damaged or less than perfect. Think of skin building products as an opportunity to reverse the appearance of aging skin. So, look for good ingredients and splurge a little.

Moisturizers—This can go either way. Essentially this step is just holding moisture in and protecting from the environment, so you can find some good ones for less money. As I mentioned, I tend to prefer the cushier, luxurious feel of the more expensive creams. So, as long as it is comfortable to you and has an spf, you’re good. Splurge products to try DHC, Philosophy, Lauder, and Clinique. Budget products to try, Oil of Olay, Ponds

Budget
Cleansers – This should just be comfortable to your skin. Watch out for bar soaps or soap like cleansers because they can be too drying, unless you have extremely oily skin. Extremely dry skins should use non-foaming, creamy type cleansers. Extra ingredients in cleansers are not essential because they are rinsed away quickly. How long do you typically keep cleanser on your face? Not long, right? A good budget product is Oil of Olay face cleansing towelettes. You’ve probably seen these in the drugstore. They’re really effective and even offer a little extra exfoliation in the process.

Toners
As I mentioned before, I’m not completely sold on the toning step in a skin care routine, though I know that many experts recommend them. In any case, even these experts agree that it is not necessary to spend lots of money on a toner, again, it should just be comfortable to your skin. Unless you have extremely oily skin, avoid alcohol based toners. Drugstore brands like L’oreal are fine.

A very good budget beauty line is Avon, yes Avon, especially their Anew line. I have used many of their products over the years, since childhood in fact, which I have been happy with. (Skin So Soft body and bath oils are still the best accidental insect repellant). If you have to watch your pennies, use Avon skin care products! (www.avon.com)

Key ingredients to look for in your products: Antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and green tea or grape seed extract.
Sunscreen of at least spf 15
Alpha and Beta hydroxy acids, glycolic acids – these may sound strong but they are good for exfoliating dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.

When checking labels, look to see where these ingredients fall. If they are at the end of the list, then the concentration is not high enough to be effective. Look for products that have these ingredients in the top to the middle of the list.

* Very Important, Please Read!
Irritations that can occur with some skin care ingredients:
When using exfoliating products, particularly with Vitamin C and or glycolic acids, you will likely feel a tingling, but this should not be a burning in over the counter products. If you are using a prescription product, consult your dermatologist about burning sensations. Otherwise, a slight tingling is normal, as the natural acids are stimulating the skin. The tingling should stop in a few minutes. It has been my experience that a strong concentration of Vitamin C can actually sting for 5-7 minutes, and I have found this to be uncomfortable for me personally. If it is too much for you, use products with a lesser concentration. A Vitamin C serum will definitely have a little kick to it! Avon has a good one called Clearly C that is not too strong, but effective. (I’ve heard rumors that this product may be discontinued though.)

Extra special treatment products: spot lighteners-Murad is absolutely the best I have tried in this category. It has a high concentration of hydroquinone and works by sloughing off the skin where it is applied, and thus removing the dark spot. I removed a blemish spot in about 3 days using this product! It is a bit expensive though, but you only need a tiny amount at a time.

Eye creams – This should be a bit heavier than your regular moisturizer. The skin under the eye is very thin and easily dehydrated, hence the lines and crow’s feet that show up there first. L’Oreal makes a good one from its Revitalift line.

Extra skin care tip: Drink lots of water and treat yourself to a professional facial, monthly if possible. Having a professional examine and treat your skin will enable you to boost your skin to the next level. So, if you can incorporate this into your lifestyle, you’ll have that many more benefits.

Look for more skin care tips to come in the near future. I’ll add in some great makeup tips and top of the line cosmetic recommendations.

Thanks for visiting my site. This is my hobby that I have been able to turn into a web business. Find out how you can do it too with SiteBuild It.

**Much of my skin care research has come from the literature of top Cornell and Harvard trained dermatologist, Adrienne Denese, Phd, MD

Disclaimer: The information provided is meant to be general and anecdotal in nature. I am not a physician or esthetician, and make no medical claims. My product recommendations are my opinion solely based upon personal use and research as a non-expert in the field of skin care. I simply pass on the good news on the products I like the best. Refer any medical conditions to your own dermatologist.

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