SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

KEEP YOUR SKIN CLEAN

Our pores in our skin get clogged with life: dust, pollution, makeup. Spend as much or more time on your skin each morning and night as you do applying makeup.

Be GENTLE. Use the tissue off cleansers, the rinse off cleansers or an extremely gentle facial soap. They are all good; it depends on your lifestyle and the dryness of your skin. Don't pull your skin as your cleanse. But, do use this opportunity for a gentle facial massage. Move your fingers from your chin to your jaw massaging the muscle without pulling at the skin.

To reduce wrinkles, you must take care of your skin--face and body. Cleansers vary. There are wash off, tissue off, and mild facial soaps. Start every morning and night cleaning your face. Follow with toner and moisturizer.

In the morning, I put Skinceuticals sunblock on my face first. Check out www.skinprotectants.com for links to other brands. It is moist enough to act as my moisturizer. I also need a gel for under my eyes to reduce the puffiness. I talk about makeup on COSMETICS page, but I believe for everyday wear, a tinted moisturizer will suffice. You can save foundation for the evening unless you have need of extreme cover up.

At night, I apply some type of "repair" skin cream. I am 63 years old and need more help than younger women. However, I will tell you that I have continued this routine since I was 21, and I believe it helped. Moisturize your skin every night, and you will stay younger looking than your friends. Look at www.FaceSkinCream.com.

My mom was a physical education teacher who spent a lot of time outside coaching. The sun withered her face and her skin looked much older than she really was. Learning from that I keep sunblock and moisturizers on my face, neck, arms and legs.

Be careful of the products you choose if you have allergies. There are a lot of skin care product lines that are hypo-allergenic and you should try them first. At the first sign of trouble, throw it away, and try another brand. You will find the best brands for you. Everyone is different. I used Clinique for more than 20 years even though others told me it dried out their skin. You have to experiment until you find what is right for you. Cosmetic companies know this which is why they are so generous with their samples.