Skin Care

By Shannon
May 25th 2010

My mother is quite the fashionista, and she taught me from a relatively young age how important it is to stick to a good skincare routine. So many of us overlook it; you forget, you don't have the time, you think that you've got good skin anyway so you don't need to do anything, blah, blah, blah... the truth is, we're all going to have skin problems at some point in our lives. If you're a teen, you'll have been there, done that. If you're a preteen, you need to start thinking about taking care of your skin now, before you reach the years of angst and acne. If you're an adult, you're (probably) past the years of zits, but the other problems still reign; dry, flaky skin, skin disease, wrinkles, etc. To be honest, it's never too early to start caring for your skin; that's what I've always been taught, and I'm proud to say that,despite the odd small zit a few times a year (after all, as a teen, that's inevitable) I've never been a 'spotty' person, and I don't think I've ever had an outbreak (I'll have to think about that one...)

Long story short? If you don't already care for your skin, start NOW, because it'll soon catch up with you.

Moisturiser
Moisturiser (or moisturizer, as it's spelt in a couple of countries) is the KEY to good skin care. I can't even stress how fantastic it is. It should be used once or twice a day. In general, all moisturisers do the same job; don't feel the need to splash out on something that costs £40 (or $ depending on your currency), but don't go with the cheapest one on the market either. At the moment, there's one moisturiser that I just adore, and I've mentioned it in makeup guides before. That moisturiser is called Garnier Soft Essentials - Repleneshing Day Care. It's rose water and vitamin E, and is for 'dry and sensitive skin' (that doesn't mean you have to have dry/sensitive skin to use it. That's not neccesarily my problem, but I use it because it's a great, soft moisturiser). I can't say I'm too sure whether or not this is sold in America (since half our visitors come from there), but have a go at searching for it. It costs something between £3-£7, I can't remember because I'm still using the same pot I bought a month ago. If you don't think that this particular moisturiser is right for you (it really depends on your skin type) then I suggest checking out the rest of the garnier range. If you live in America, and you can't get hold of Garnier, never fear! I've also used Neutrogena in the past and I think it's pretty darn good. I have the Neutrogena Wave, and it does do a good job, but be warned; at first, it can make skin flake. After a few uses, though, you'll really notice the difference. I've never used Clinique products before, but I hear that they're also pretty awesome. Side Note men can used all the aformentioned products too!

Spot-Control
If you're having trouble with acne, I've done some research, and these are the products that I reccommend;
• Neutrogena Acne Therapy System
• Neutrogena Rapid Clear
• Neutrogena Wave
• Neutrogena Acne Therapy System • Clinique Anti-Blemish System

And a bunch of other tips...
• Wash your face twice a day. It's easy to forget to... but it's worth it. It might not seem to do much, but it'll make your skin clearer, as well as waking you up a little in the mornings. Most of us sweat during the night as well (I know you're thinking "I don't!" but a fact of life is that you probably do) so it's a good idea to wash your face before bed. You only need to use tap water and a flanner.
• Take off your makeup before you go to bed. You'll see this tip everywhere, but it's important. I remember reading somewhere that, everytime you go to bed with makeup on, you add 3 days of ageing to your skin. (Some people have told me that they've been taught that it's a week. I don't know for sure) That might not sound like much, but, in the long run, it is. I don't really reccomended the makeup removers that are liquids or lotions; the best product to use is a makeup-remover wipe. You can usually grab them from any store that specialises in beauty products. If you live in England, go to Boots or Tesco, and you'll find many different ranges for good prices. I don't know about America, but I'm pretty sure they'll be avaliable in any superstore.
• Blackheads. They're vile. You may not think you have any, but so many of us do in our teens; have a look at the skin around the base of your nose in the mirror. It might take some close looking, but if you're over the age of 13, it's very likely you'll have them if you've never done anything to get rid of them. I don't use my blackhead cleanser very often, but I'm trying to resolve to. The cleanser is by Clean & Clear, and it's basically a blue bottle filled with a clear liquid that is squirted onto a cotton bud, and then applied to the skin. There's many other products out there, of course; I'm just throwing ideas around.
• Don't wear too much makeup. Unless you're using organic products (which is always an option), your makeup is NOT good for your skin. Have a think about what goes into making your favourite foundation; it might put you off slathering it onto your face everyday. I'm not trying to make you swear off makeup or anything equally ridiculous; what I'm saying is, basically, don't wear vats of foundation.
• Greasy Hair = Greasy Skin. As a girl who has a side fringe (or side bangs, again depending where you come from), I know that, if I do gets spots, they usually appear on the skin that is covered by my fringe. Despite the fact that my fringe very helpfully covers the spots up, it's not a good sign; your hair should be washed every two days, at least. Being teens (as all the visitors I chat to are, as far as I know), there's that annoying fact that our hair gets greasy despite the care we give it, and this leads to spots. Just try to keep your hair clean.

Anything you want to add? Any questions/queries? Email me at taylor-trends@hotmail.com