Plastic surgeries and other skin care treatments are likely to work, so long as the type of treatment meets the needs of the patient, and that the doctor for the surgery is qualified. However, people cannot permanently rely on the fact that they can run to plastic surgery anytime they need it. Moreover, plastic surgery patients still need careful maintenance to help them maximize the benefits of the procedure. It can be said that there is more to making our skin look better than simply relying on the procedures.

The skin is the outermost part of the body. It serves as protection for the body, and the way it looks has been said to reflect the personality of the person himself. Because of its importance, there are maintenance procedures that have been developed for the skin, and these procedures are commonly called skin care regimens.

There are different steps to caring for the skin. The most basic of these can be summed up in four main actions: cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing and sunscreen application. However, these steps involve products and methods that you need to use based on your skin type. Therefore, before going through these steps, the patient needs to find out what skin type he/she has.

Different skin types depend on how much oil the skin produces. The skin can either be oily, sensitive, dry, sun-damaged or combination—which is normal. After identifying the skin type, the patient can proceed to acquiring the products needed in the different rituals of skin care.

Cleansing

This process involves the use of a cleansing agent with or without water to clear the skin of dirt and dust that clogs up the pores of the skin. A cleanser or a cleansing agent helps loosen the skin to easily remove dirt.

Cleansing is usually done at night. It starts with removing make-up from the face. For this procedure, a makeup remover should be used. For facial cleansing, a good cleanser that can be acquired from any local drugstore is advised. For dry skin, a cream-based cleanser is favorable. Clear cleanser is recommended for oily skins. The use of bar soaps for the face must be avoided since they have the tendency of drying out the skin. Soap should only be intended for body parts such as the neck up to the lower portions of the body.

Without the use of water, cleansing can be done on dry skin by applying cold cream and wiping it off after. However, most women still prefer using water in cleansing. Warm water is employed to unclog the pores, and then a small amount of cleanser is applied with it.

It is recommended that only a splash of lukewarm water should be done in the morning. It helps in removing excess oils from nightly moisturizing. Using cold or hot water should be avoided at all costs. They can both cause broken capillaries.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is the process of removing layers of dead skin cells from the skin to make room for newer and fresher skin. Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their weekly skincare routine. People skip this step because they do not recognize its importance. However, proper exfoliating habits have produced good results. Notice that men’s skin mostly looks more youthful; this is because they tend to exfoliate when they shave. Microdermabrasion (scrubs), chemical peels, and retinoids are some of the ways to exfoliate skin.

Scrubs remove the top layer of your skin composed of dead cells, thus lightening up your dull complexion. By exfoliating skin once a week with the use of a microdermabrasion kit, a glow would be left on the skin all year round. The most advisable type of scrub is those with tiny grains.

Peels such as the Obagi blue peels are chemicals that are applied to the skin and left there for an hour or more. As it is peeled off from the skin, it takes away dead skin cells and other elements that are no longer needed by the skin.

Retinoids are collagen-containing chemicals that also work to remove the top layer of dead skin cells while helping to generate collagen in the skin.

Toners are usually used after exfoliating. Their purpose is to remove traces of remaining dirt, oil and makeup from the skin. They are not strictly recommended, though.

Moisturize

The moisturizer is an essential part of every beauty regimen. It helps hold water to the skin in order to keep it from getting dry. A good moisturizer can easily stop the drying of skin until it becomes cracked, thick and flaky. An effective moisturizer will have a combination of ingredients that would replenish the ingredients that the skin naturally produces to help maintain its composition, can minimize the damage caused by free radicals, and will help the cells to function normally.

Current innovations have added the following ingredients to moisturizers:

Glycerol – an ingredient that helps water and moisturizer ingredients in penetrating the skin.

Ceramides – are chemicals that help the skin retain its natural oils.

Hydroxy Acids – these aid in exfoliating dead skin cells

Niacin amide – this aids the skin in the production of more natural oils, and may help rescind the signs of skin damaged from the sun, i.e. spots and blotchiness

Choosing a moisturizer should depend upon the skin type of the patient. Special considerations should be given to acne-prone skin, sensitive skin, red skin and those people suffering from eczema and atopic dermatitis. Moisturizers have to be carefully chosen, and should not just depend on how they feel to the consumer.

Moreover, when you are choosing a moisturizer, check out for the following factors: it smells good, feels good and does not feel greasy. Also, it must not irritate or burn the skin.

Aside from a regular moisturizer, eye creams are also recommended for addition into the moisturizing regimen. The skin around the eye is very thin, and barely contains any fatty tissue. This property makes the eyes susceptible to wrinkles. Special eye creams are made to help this area become thicker. On the other hand, other experts claim that ordinary lotion may be used for the same purpose.

Apply Sunscreen

Application of sunscreen is an indispensable part of any skin care regimen. Exposure to ultraviolet rays can do so much harm to the skin. Sunburn, photo aging, and skin cancer can be the result of too much exposure to the sun.

It is not very easy to distinguish the bad effects of exposure to the sun. Covering up or staying away from the sun is not enough of a solution. Those short moments that one spends under the sun can accumulate to produce the signs of sun-damage to the skin, such as wrinkles and dark spots. Applying sunscreen daily is the best protection for the skin from UV rays in order to avoid further damage.

In choosing a sunscreen, one has to understand how sunscreens work. Some of the things that you need to consider includes the different types of sunscreen depending upon the amount of sun exposure that a person may have in a day; the difference between using sunscreen alone, or using sunscreens with moisturizer; the UV index and other means of staying safe under the sun. One good trick in finding effective sunscreen protection is to buy day moisturizers that already have sunscreens in it.

These are some of the most efficient ways of caring for your skin. However, we should also remember that beauty is also skin deep. Caring for the skin should also go with caring for the body. The skin is a very accurate reflection of the wellness of our body system. Complications or shortcomings by the body’s internal organs will eventually show themselves through the skin.

Natural skin care should also come from within. This can be done by drinking lots of water; eating more fiber with food such as apples, whole grains, cauliflower, beans and legumes, and other high-fiber snacks; avoid eating too much sugar; and lastly, consuming good fats to supplement the body with the essential fatty acids needed.