We all know the importance of personal skincare.
The opinion on how to do so effectively differs from person to person.
Some people believe that going to beauty parlours every other day is personal skincare.
Others believe that personal skin care is just a matter of applying some cream or lotion on your skin every now and then.
Then there are people who think that personal skincare is an event that happens once a month or once a year.
Still others busy themselves with their personal skincare activities all the time.
However, personal skincare is very easy and affordable.
It is simply 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-type be it oily, dry, normal or sensitive before selecting relevant products as remedies.
Here is a routine that should work for most people with normal skin.
1. Cleansing
The first thing on personal skincare routine is cleansing.
3 main common ingredients are oil, water and surfactants or 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-free cleansers.
Also, you should use lukewarm water for cleansing since hot and cold water can cause damage to your skin.
Take care that you do not over-cleanse your skin and end up damaging your skin in the process.
2. Exfoliation
The second thing on the personal skincare 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 skincare products but still consume these products, 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 skincare products.
Generally, exfoliation takes it place just after cleansing.
As with any personal skincare procedure, it is important that you understand how much exfoliation you need.
Exfoliate 4-5 times per week for oily or normal skin and 1-2 times per week for dry or sensitive skin.
Exfoliate a couple of times more in hot and humid weather.
3. Moisturizers
Next thing on personal skincare routine is moisturizers.
This is among the most important things in personal skincare.
Even people with oily skin need moisturisers.
Moisturiszrs not only seal the moisture in your skin cells, but also attract moisture from air whenever needed.
Use of too much moisturiser can however cause clog skin pores and end up harming your skin.
The amount of moisturiser needed by your skin will become apparent to you within one week of you using the moisturiser.
Also, applying the moisturiser is best when your skin is still damp.
4. Sunscreen
The last thing on personal skincare routine is sunscreen.
A lot of moisturizers such as day-time creams come with UV protection.
This is so that you can get double benefits from them.
Such moisturisers are recommended for all days regardless of whether it is sunny or cloudy.
Again, experiment with various personal skincare products and also with the amount you need to apply.
What gives you best results is the best personal skincare recipe for you.
However, if you have some skin dilemma, it is best to consult your dermatologist before you start using any personal skincare products.
