How To: Apply Skincare

Cleansers, moisturizers, and serums….oh my! How much of each product do I apply and in what order do I apply them? Arranging your skin care products seems relatively easy, but can be difficult to understand which products follow which. To receive the maximum benefits of an effective skin care routine and quality skin care products, it is important you know how to apply them correctly. The way a skin care product is applied has a great influence on its efficacy.

As a general rule, apply products with a thinner consistency before the thicker products. This is because products with heavier consistencies can block the lighter-weight products from penetrating the skin and doing their job. The only exception to this rule is prescription topical medication. Anything medicated or with a clinical purpose (including acne creams) should go onto a clean face first so that it can penetrate the skin most effectively.

Here are some tips to apply skin care products correctly:

Step 1: Cleanse

Before applying any skin care product on your face, make sure it is clean of all dirt and debris. Apply a pea-sized amount of a mild cleanser to clean your face and flush out all dirt, dead skin cells and toxins from within the skin pores. Don’t forget about your neck!

After washing your face with a cleanser, don't wipe it dry completely. Rather, gently pat with a soft towel so that it is still a bit damp (not dripping wet.) The active ingredients of skin care products penetrate better when the skin is moist. Please note:  prescription products should only be applied on completely dry skin.

Step 2: Tone

You can spray toner directly onto the skin or apply the toner to a cotton pad and pat (don’t rub) your face and neck gently. The purpose of toner is to restore your skin’s pH and remove any leftover residue from your cleanser.

Step 3: Treat

Apply serums, gels, and any topical spot treatments to clean skin and let them soak in (about 2-3 minutes). Remember, treatment products are highly concentrated. Therefore, you only need to use a small amount. One or two drops/pumps are all that is needed. Gently apply with your fingertips in an upward, circular motion. More than one product may be used and they can be applied together.

Step 4: Nourish and Moisturize

Using the tip of your ring finger, gently dab eye cream or serum around the orbital socket of the eyes. The size of a grain of rice is all you need for each eye.

Apply moisturizer (if needed). A nickel-sized amount is sufficient.

Step 5: Protect

Slather on a quarter-sized dollop of sunscreen all over your face and neck (don’t forget your ears) and let it set for a few minutes. Apply your makeup after.

Additional Steps: Exfoliants and Masks

Exfoliate your skin at least once or twice every week on clean skin to remove the layer of dead skin cells from the skin surface. Do not exfoliate more than 4 times a week. This could lead to skin irritation, breakouts, or itchiness.

A purifying or hydrating mask may be used on clean skin once a week.

 

Professional Product Spotlight:

Skin Script™ Retinol 2% Exfoliating Scrub, with Kojic

This scrub is a powerful cellular turnover scrub with Retinol (Vitamin A) and jojoba beads to clean, soothe and polish the skin. The retinol encourages the breakup of blackheads and clogged pores, jojoba beads gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while kojic lightens age spots and blemishes left from scars.

Retinol 2% Exfoliating Scrub Benefits:

• Lessens Visible Aging
• Lightens Discolorations
• Provides Chemical and Physical Exfoliation
• Promotes Collagen Synthesis
• Assists in Healing and Rejuvenating

Available only at Fresh Faced Skin Care! Call 302-689-3223.

Focus On: Broken Capillaries

What are they?
It's easy to spot broken capillaries, particularly on someone's face. They are commonly found around the nose or mouth area and look like small red or pink threads under the skin’s surface.

How do you get them?

It turns out that there are a number of factors that could lead to broken capillaries. The tiny veins just under the surface of the skin are delicate. Damaging these veins may cause them to dilate and break. Once broken, the veins remain that way and will not constrict back to their normal thickness or repair themselves.

It's not difficult to damage these veins, since they are just beneath the skin. Scrubbing your face too vigorously or washing with water that's too hot can do it. Excessive exposure to the sun, drinking too much alcohol or caffeine, or facial injuries can also lead to broken capillaries.

Can you get rid of them?

If you do develop broken capillaries, you can seek treatment from a dermatologist. Depending on how deep and long the capillaries are, you may need to undergo laser treatments that will stop the capillary from leaking blood and shrink the blood vessels to prevent future breaks. If you don't want to undergo laser treatments, your dermatologist may be able to prescribe medication that can shrink blood vessels.

Skin care products are also available that aim to strengthen the capillary walls, reducing the redness. Look for products containing one or more of the following ingredients:

·         Chamomile

·         Rose oil

·         Vitamin K

·         Vitamin C

Can you prevent them?

You can take some steps to prevent broken capillaries. Be gentle when you wash your face and use warm water (not hot water). Apply sunscreen to your face, particularly around your nose and mouth, when going outside. Don't abuse alcohol. Drink chamomile tea to help improve your body circulation. While these measures won't prevent broken capillaries in every case, they can help minimize the chance that you'll develop them.

Professional Product Spotlight:

Skin Script™ Ageless Skin Hydrating Serum

This serum can be used to firm and plump fine lines. Hyaluronic attracts and binds moisture around cells for extra hydration.

Hydrating Serum Benefits:

• Improves Hydration
• Reduces Visible Wrinkles
• Tones Capillaries
• Improves Cellular Respiration
• Plumps the Skin
• Assists in Healing and Rejuvenating

Pick up Ageless Skin Hydrating Serum today, only at Fresh Faced Skin Care.

COOL AS A CUCUMBER

Cucumber is rich in various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium, and silica. Vitamin E promotes healing and fortifies capillary walls. Silica helps to strengthen the body’s connective tissue, benefiting not only your skin, but also your hair, nails, and bones.  In fact, drinking cucumber juice on a regular basis hydrates your skin and supports your liver in cleansing.

Cucumber works well with all skin types, from oily to mature skin. Here are just some of the positive effects that cucumber has on your skin:

1. Hydrating: Since cucumbers mainly consist of water, they act as very good hydrating agents. After all, keeping your body hydrated is one of the most basic requirements for keeping your skin healthy.
2. Soothing: Cools and soothes inflammation associated with skin irritations, such as   sunburns and rashes.
3. Anti-Aging: Potassium and Vitamin E present in cucumber seeds aids in the reduction of wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
4. Cleansing: Cucumber is also a great cleanser, especially for oily and problem skin types.

Try at Home Recipe:

 

Cucumber Mask

Ingredients:

3oz cucumber, very finely diced

3 tsp olive oil

2 tsp plain yogurt

Directions:
Mix ingredients into a fine paste. Spread a thin layer onto face. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes. Wash off with cool water. Skin feels soft, conditioned and clean.

Professional Product Spotlight:

Try the Cucumber Hydration Toner from Skin Script™, only at Fresh Faced Skin Care.