Whilst alot of skin care product ranges offer alternative product lines for their skin care products depending on your skin type, very often there exists little difference between those products for combination or oily skin and their dry skin alterntives. If you are prone to oily skin, you can provide alot of the necessary skin care yourself by adhering to some of the following advice, treatments and tips.
Oily Skin
Because of hormonal shifts during puberty, oily skin is commonplace at this time, but can also be quite common in our 30’s and 40’s as well. The skin generally tends to dry out with age, as the production of sebum reaches its high during adolescence and then slowly starts to decrease. During pregnancy and the menopause, hormonal imbalances also trigger an increase in the activity of sebaceous gland which affects the amount of oil the pores produce. Many people have skin that is oily only in certain areas, generally the facial region we call the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), and dry or normal in others, a skin type we generally refer to as combination skin. One great advantage of oily skin you might be pleased to know is that it tends to age more slowly than dryer skin types.
The causes of an oily or combination skin type are generally:
- Hormone levels
- Cosmetics and skin care lotions
- Humidity and hot weather
- Pregnancy and brith control pills
- Heredity
Cleansing Oily Skin
Although it may seem counter-productive to cleanse an oily skin with oil-based products, they actually prove to be very effective in dissolving excess sebum on the skin surface. Avoid cleansing creams since these generally tend to be too harsh. Choose a pure soap with no artificial additives instead, or try a lightly medicated soap or antibacterial cleansing lotion.
Oily skin requires special cleansing with plenty of warm to hot water and soap to prevent the pores from being clogged. You need to avoid harsh products that will strip your skin of oil since this can bring about a reaction known as reactive seborrhoea, where the sebaceous glands work overtime to compensate for the loss of natural oils. Do not use cleansers or lotions that contain alcohol since this these tend to strip too much oil away from the skin. Its also best to limit the number of times you wash daily since overwashing can bring about the same effect. While it is tempting to use products on oily skin that leave it feeling dry, this can again be detrimental since it can cause the upper layers of the skin to shrink which restricts oil flow through the pores leading to blockages and complications of the pores.
During cleansing, massage your facial area well with your fingertips, using an outward and upward motion, taking care not to rub soap into the skin since this can cause clogging. If your oily skin is also scaly, you may wish to try a deep-cleaning exfoliant every other day. Use a clarifying mask one or two times a week and a light antiseptic night cream from time to time if you wish. The latter should be used sparingly however. Choose an oil-free moisturizer to maintain a shine-free complexion.
Before applying makeup, use an antiseptic day cream with active ingredients that diminish sebaceous secretions. Look for benzyl peroxide in the list of active ingredients. Choose cosmetic and facial care products specifically designed for oily skin.
POSTED BY admin ON June 22nd, 2009.
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Why is it that Japanese woman have become renowned for having a beautiful complexion in their mature years? When you compare Japanese skin to fair western skin types in general, the results can be quite significant – fewer deep wrinkles and fine lines, better tone, less saggy areas, especially around the eyes. The genes probably have something to do with it, but then perhaps that may not be the only reason. Their diet is significantly different than most western diets, being largely dominated with oily types of fish which provide a very good source of Omega 3. It is quite well understood that omega 3 fatty acids are generally good for your health all round, but especially beneficial to the skin. Oily fish is generally not something that westerners typically consume alot of – apart from Scandinavia maybe. Another typical part of the Japanese diet is seaweed which surprisingly can be very nutritious.
Phytessence Wakame
In Japan, there are natural ingredients and skin care methods have been used for centuries that the western world may consider quite odd, and Im not necessarily talking about the Nightingale Droppings Facial either. Wakame, for example, a type of Japanese sea kelp, has not only been eaten by the Japanese for centuries but has also been considered an important skin care source for a very long time. Wakame, it turns out, is not only an extremely rich source of minerals such as potassium, iron, sodium, and calcium, but is also a good source of B-group vitamins, and antioxidants which can inhibit the activity of the harmful enzyme hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase is understood to break down hyaluronic acid in the skin, which, along with collagen and elastin, is important in maintaining the firmness, elasticity and smoothness of your skin.
Japanese companies making skin care products discovered the qualities of Wakame long ago, hence why it is a very common ingredient in oriental skin care today.If you are interested in Wakame then its important to know that there are different types. Look for Japanese skin care products that contain a high proportion of Phytessence Wakame in particular.
POSTED BY admin ON June 17th, 2009.
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The causes of acne are seeminlgy much wider than what was previously thought. Teenagers, specifically boys, seem to be more prone to acne because of the effects of the increased levels of the male hormone testosterone as they reach puberty, which stimulates the sebaceous glands in the skin which results in the production of more sebum oil. Conversely, African skin types, which are very rich in sebum, seem to suffer much less from acne. Medical practitioners are also reporting seeing more adults, generally women, that are suffering with acne in adulthood, yet their skin is confusingly often of a dry type.
Acne occurs when the pores of the skin become blocked basically. Each pore of our skin contains a hair follicale, containing the sebum (oil) producing sebaceous gland. These glands are supposed to produce a ‘healthy’ level of the sebum oil which helps lubricate the skin and helps our dead skin cells to part from the skin surface to be replaced by new ones. The cause of acne is when these dead skin cells around the follicles do not shed properly and cause the pore to become blocked. If bacteria are present then the clogged pore may turn into a spot and the area becomes inflammed causing the unsightly appearance we associated with acne disorders.
Recent medical research suggests that the causes of spots in adults is due more to inflammation at the cell level rather than being the result of a blocked pore. Stress, smoking, pollutants, poor diet, exposure to UV radiation generate high levels of free radicals in our body. Free radicals are molecules that have an un-paired electron in their outer ring. Not wanting to get into an explanation of molecular physics lets just summarise what this means for our skin. A free radical is an unstable molecule that is always searching for that extra electron to make it stable. If it manages to ’steal’ that odd elctron from another piece of matter then that matter is then unstable and it then searches for an electron to make up its number. This chain reaction can be damaging to human tissue and this is what we mean when we refer to damaging free radicals in the context of skin damage. The body does have a defense mechanism in the form of antioxidants. These are molecules which safely interact with free radicals, terminating the chain reaction they cause before the molecular structure of human tissue becomes damaged.
Acne Solution
A holistic solution for all acne sufferers is presented below and reflects alot of methods that have been found to be successful with sufferers of a wide range of skin problems.
- take measures to keep your stress levels down, and learn how you might control your reaction in situations beyond your control
- ensure you get between 7 and 8 hours sleep each night. This is a period when our body helps clear itself of stress and toxics
- try and adopt an anti-inflammatory diet (see below)
- drink plenty of still water. The effects of not drinking enough water is just not publicized enough. Try and drink 2.5 litres a day
- take supplements to control inflammation (see below)
- treat open spots with anti-inflammatory topical creams and lotions
- conventional medecine may be useful in the short term and may help prevent scarring in severe cases
Natural Acne Treatments
Supplements should include vitamins A and D, zinc and Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Vitamins A and D are part of the bodies requirements for stimulating the growth of healthy new cells. Zinc, specifically zinc picolinate since its well absorbed by the body, has hormone-modulating properties and helps heal new tissue. Omega-3 is essential for many functions in the body and specifically helps balance the inflammatory agent prostaglandin 2.
Topical skin care cream containing tea tree oil is beneficial since it contains the anti-bacterial called terpinen-4-ol, which has been shown to treat moderate acne by reducing the bacteria that cause a blocked pore to become infected. One topical cream – ActiveClear – contains tea tree oil, vitamin A and a herb extract called tribulus which is claimed to help reduce sebum production.
Acne Diet
Try and aim to eat a low glycemic index (GI) diet. This generally involves oily fish, or other quality protein sources such as chicken, turkey, soy products, at every meal, along with fresh vegetables (especially Advocado), fruit, salad, nuts, ground flaxseeds, yougurt and olive oil. Its important to keep your blood sugar levels stable since this helps prevent inflammatory response. Therefore, eat 3 small meals and 2 small snacks a day, and keep them well-spaced.
Antioxidants are also an anti-inflammatory so, in addition to your antioxident-rich fruit and vegetable diet, you are allowed to eat a little dark chocolate since this is high in antioxidants (aim for 85 per cent cocoa solids). Try green tea instead of coffee since this can help reduce imflammation and will also help maintain blood sugar levels.
