Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Being Comfortable In Your Skin

"My first piece of advice (and ladies, you can back me up on this one), have a good skin care regimen."

Toto, we couldn't agree more, and what better way to revolutionize yourself then to implement your own skin care regimen? As always, we're here to help, but you will have to resign yourself to taking - nay, making - the time to care for your skin. Many people say they are just too busy to have an entire regimen, but we challenge that notion. You must be your first priority sometimes, and what better way than by soothing your skin? Men, this goes for you, too. Your skin is the first defense against smog, dirt, germs and a host of other invaders, so it's important to take care of it.

The first thing you need to do is get a facial soap that you like and that suits what you're looking for and use it at least twice a day. By the way, it's a cardinal sin not to wash your face before bed - all that makeup and environmental gunk is going to sit on your skin and clog your pores while you sleep, and you don't want that. You have a few choices with your face soap, so pick one that suits what you want for your skin. A soap with a gentle exfoliant is great for everyday use to envigorate the skin, slough off the dead cells and renew yourself every time you wash. If you have sensitive skin, there are plenty of products out there for you, too, including milk-based washes that are very nourishing. If you like a soothing wash, the cleanser at left, from Biore, warms as you wash - sounds great for right before bed, doesn't it? The Biore website also has a pore profiler which can help you choose which products are best for you if you're not sure what you need. Men, you can use any of these products and see results, and if your buddies look down their noses at you, you can just scoff when you walk out with the hottie and they're nursing their beers with each other. Of course, there is a number of products for men, too, including by Nivea, which you can find pretty cheap at your local supermarket or drugstore, but do find a cleanser you can live with.

You'll need some kind of moisturizer next. It seems counterintuitive, but dry skin will moisturize itself with oil, so if you hydrate it well with a non-oily moisturizer, you won't have nearly as much shine problems. In order to pick a product, you'll need to determine what kind of skin you have. Your choices are dry, normal (a little oil, but not a problem), combination (oily on the nose and forehead - the T zone) and oily. Once you figure out which category you fall into, it's easy to pick a moisturizer that's right for you. They pretty much tell you on the front of the bottle what kind of skin it's meant for. Additionally, they make moisturizers that also soothe sensitive skin, prevent aging or prevent blemishes; no matter which you choose, though, consider getting one with a sunscreen. No matter the time of year, you need to wear sunscreen on your face every day. One of our absolute favorite moisturizers is the Origins A Perfect World moisturizer. I call it face magic in a jar - I love how silky and soft it makes my skin feel. Now, the guys are starting to think this paragraph doesn't apply to them, but it most certainly does. I know so many men that complain about how their face feels after they shave, but they are just unwilling to use a moisturizer. How foolish! You're suffering for no good reason. Again, there are plenty of men's products out there, so put on your moisturizer after you wash your face or shave. Not only will you suffer less, but girls will want to touch your smooth skin - and that right there is a shared moment.

So, you've taken care of your face, but let's not forget the rest of the body! This part is relatively easy - just pick a body wash and be done with it. Again, you have a lot of choices here, so go with what you need. If you have dry skin, there are plenty of moisturizing body washes out there. You might pick one because it smells good, or that has a gentle daily exfoliant - all valid choices. It is important that no matter which one you choose, you also pick up a weekly exfoliant that you can use all over your body to polish all your rough spots. To this end, St. Ives makes a great line of exfoliators with their Apricot Scrub products. You may also want to pay attention to rough feet, elbows or other stubborn areas with their Hand and Foot Scrub. You'll be amazed at how soft your skin feels after a good exfoliation - you'll feel like a baby's behind all over. Now that you have a regimen, go put it to good use. You'll find you glow all over!