Four steps to younger looking skin
There’s no doubt about it – cared for skin looks younger for longer. Younger looking skin takes a bit of work. A regular daily skin regimen is vital as skin ages.
We all know the steps – cleanse, tone, exfoliate and moisturize. But are you doing it?
Don’t spend time worrying if you’ve let your anti aging beauty regimen lapse – start now – brush up your skin care and see great results quickly.
Step 1: Cleanse
Number one rule – always take your make up off. Not cleansing properly can strip the skin of natural oils and drag and pull delicate skin causing wrinkles and sagging. Always use special products that are formulated with high active anti aging ingredients to promote younger looking skin.
One of the best is Tracie Martyn’s wonderful Amla Purifying Cleanser.
A celebrity favorite – Tracie Martyn makes just a few carefully formulated skin care products packed with highly active natural ingredients. Amla Purifying Cleanser is a skin clarifying anti aging cleanser that gives skin an amazing glow and vitality.
Or why not try Kinerase Gentle Facial Cleanser a really lovely gentle facial cleanser from the excellent Kinerase range of physician strength skin care products based on kinetin.
The worst thing about taking make up off has got to be the eyes. Use a gentle make up remover specially formulated for the eyes.
Two products I particularly like are: Ahava Gentle Eye Make Up Remover and Bliss Lid+Lash Wash. Inexpensive and effective Bliss Lid+Lash is an amazing product – especially if you wear lenses like I do. It’s a fluid gel which dissolves really quickly but never runs into your eyes. It also has a lovely cool feel so eyes never get inflamed and it actually reduces puffiness.
Step 2: Exfoliate
If you want younger looking skin you have to exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells. The skin sheds dead cells all the time – more as we age – and dead skin cells lie on the surface and block moisture from being absorbed into the skin,
The good news is you don’t need to do this every day – 2 or 3 times a week is enough – and there are some wonderful products around now which get rid of those dead cells with very little fuss and bother.
For a twice weekly salon treatment at home try Philosophy’s best selling Microdelivery Peel Kit – radiantly clean and glowing skin without the salon price.
If you want to slough off your dead skin cells every day try a face polish. Boots (of Boots No7 fame) do a lovely botanical range based on high levels of natural ingredients. Boots Botanicals Organic Smoothing Face Polish is superb – moisturizing and polishing in one go it leaves skin glowing and silky smooth.
For a really self indulgent exfoliating treatment which leaves your skin truly radiant try Susan Sarandon’s favorite beauty product: Tracie Martyn’s Enzyme Exfoliant. Expensive but you only need to use it once a week or so.
Step 3: Tone
Applying toner to your skin is an essential part of your anti aging regimen. If you don’t think it matters – just try applying moisturizer to skin which hasn’t been properly toned. It will be very difficult to apply and won’t be absorbed evenly.
Toners tighten and close the pores as well as restoring pH balance. Remember – more mature skins need to be treated with respect. Anything too harsh or alcohol based is not a good idea.
Go for a gentle anti aging toner like Murad Hydrating Toner which has a beautiful feel on freshly cleansed skin and is formulated with grapeseed extract, cucumber, vitamin E and vitamin C to protect mature and sensitive skin. Extremely well reviewed on all the skin care sites and forums.
Step 4: Moisturize
After cleansing, exfoliating and toning, apply a good anti aging moisturizer to nourish and protect the skin. Moisturizing freshened, toned skin in the morning promotes hydration and gives you a great base for make up.
Llast thing before you go to bed moisturizer enables the skin to feed and restore itself properly during the crucial night time hours. But you need to pick a good one.
MD Skincare Hydra Pur Moisture is an ultra light oil free – almost weightless cream – packed with high strength active ingredients to protect the skin from free radical damage and stimulate collagen production. Expensive but highly recommended and it should last many months.
For a less expensive all round anti aging moisturizer try Philosophy Hope in a Jar or one of the peptide based Boots No7 Protect and Perfect line. With Boots No7 Protect and Perfect you have to buy a Protect and Perfect Day Cream as well as a Protect and Perfect Night Cream but you can afford to as the price is so good and these anti aging products have been proven to work.
To keep your skin looking younger for longer you will need a special anti aging eye cream – the skin around the eyes is thinner and more prone to wrinkles and damage. Take a look at my article on finding an eye cream that works for some tips and suggestions for the best eye creams around.
When you’ve finished moisturizing – that’s it you’re done.
It sounds a lot when you read it but do it regularly and the whole process can be completed in around ten minutes. And when you see your younger looking skin emerging after a few weeks of tender loving care – you’ll be so glad you bothered!
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Filed under Younger Looking Skin
beauty banter on Sat, 19th Sep 2009
Tracie Martyn products are THE BEST! Well worth every penny when it comes to younger, brighter looking skin.