Which Types of Products Do You Really Need?

 

Here are the types of products that have been proven over the years with good science to help your skin:

· cleansers

Link to Cleanser Information

Link to Cleanser Recommendations

· moisturizers

Link to Moisturizer Information

Link to Moisturizer Recommendations

· sunscreens

Link to Sunscreen Information

Link to Sunscreen Recommendations

· repair creams: vitamin-A cousins (like Renova and Retinol), vitamin-C serums (not creams), a few other antioxidants, and hydroxy acids.

Link to Repair Cream Information

Link to Repair Cream Recommendations

You’re smart to find good products from these categories that work for your skin. That is money well spent.

Link to Skin Care Product Recommendations

All the other stuff out there on the market? Go ahead and play with it—have fun! Talk to your friends about it. Make it a luxury for yourself that is part of your own self-care. Go ahead and dream that you may find the fountain of youth.

But don’t mislead yourself into thinking that your hard-earned cash can get you the facelift in a bottle. And do try only one new product at time. That way you’ll know what causes a reaction if you get one. Even if it is the algae cream that cost you $150!

Tips on Ingredients in Skin Care Products

When you’re reading about cleansers and moisturizers, keep in mind that each of us has an individual skin type. You may have to try several different products before you find one that you really like and that agrees with your skin. We all have different reactions to fragrances, the feel of a cream, or even the color of it.

Still, that said, there are some good general rules about ingredients to keep in mind when considering beauty products:

· Avoid products that list any kind of alcohol in the first five ingredients.

· Avoid products with long lists of ingredients—the fewer ingredients, the better.

· If you are "sensitive," avoid products with plant extracts and fragrance. Try the Free & Clear^T line^.

· The term noncomedogenic ("doesn’t cause acne") may be helpful, but isn’t always.

Good Daily Skin Care: A Sample Routine

For a good daily routine, you don’t need to spend a lot or make it too complicated. Here’s a basic list of what you’ll need to do:

Morning:

Wash with a gentle cleanser.

Apply "repair," like an antioxidant and moisturizer.

Apply sunscreen—don’t forget the neck, chest, backs of hands.

Apply eye sunscreen.

Evening:

Wash with a gentle cleanser.

Apply moisturizer—wait ten minutes (this step and the following can be reversed).

Apply prescription Renova or another "repair" cream.

Apply eye cream.

If you have very oily or acne-prone skin, it’s fine to omit or limit the moisturizing step. And, if you’re using prescription skin creams, put those on after washing and before the other steps unless told otherwise by your doctor. Exfoliate gently once or twice a week.

Where To Find Good Products

Women and men ask me all the time what products really work, and where they can find ones that work for them.

I created the Skin Care Test and Acne Test so you can answer questions that will give you a skin care profile, with a regimen or kit of products for your profile.

Link to Skin Care Test

Link to Acne Test

Or you can browse in the Product Kits and Regimens directly.  And pick one yourself.  Or pick some individual products.  These links will take you to SkinCareRx.com, a good online skin care products store that carries the products I recommend.

Link to Product Kits and Regimens

And I have also put together some Booster Packs of skin care products for certain specialized areas, like Wrinkles Repair, Eye Care, Out door Sports, etc.

Link to Skin Care Product Booster Packs

Link to Skin Care Product Recommendations

 

From www.SkinTour.com and Dr. Brandith Irwin. Copyright 2008 SkinTour LLC. All rights reserved. Journalists, bloggers, and media may reprint this without permission so long as they include this credit box with the article.