Monthly Archives: February 2011

Our skin is our largest organ. It covers and protects all the other organs inside of our body. This makes it our most important organ as well. Millions of cells which together form the upper most layer (epidermis) fall mainly into five categories. The various proteins and other products secreted by these cells decide the color and skin. Apart from these cells, our skin also has pore spaces and hair follicles. Depending on the number and functioning of the above components of the skin, it can be of five different types: Oily skin, Normal skin, Dry skin, Combination skin or Sensitive skin.

Hereditary factors hold a key role in deciding a person’s skin color and type. This happens when a baby is born. With age, both skin color and the skin type are affected by factors such as exposure to environmental pollutants, stress, lifestyle, diet and hormonal balance. Aging is an inevitable change and it brings about certain irreversible changes in one’s skin also. This process cannot be reversed but certainly can be delayed by following proper skin care steps.

Combination skin
Combination skin is when your your forehead, nose and chin area are oily while your cheeks are dry. People with combination skin have to be very conscious when selecting a particular product for themselves. They need to make sure that they do not add more oil to their oily areas (forehead, nose and chin) and also do not whip off extra moisture from your cheeks making them drier. The product to best suit combination skin is one that can maintain a balance of oil and water at the t-zone area as well as the cheeks.

Tips for those with combination skin type

* Spare on oil based make up products. The T-zone constitutes the  largest portion of your face and thus oil based products are a big NO for combination skin.

* Exfoliate your face at least once every week. A Gentle cleansing face wash is preferred for daily use.

* Make sure to cleanse, tone and moisturize your face at least twice daily.

* Avoid using thick night creams, go for gentle bed time lotions.

* Properly moisturize your face with a good water based lotion after cleansing. This would help you avoid over drying of your cheeks.

* Moisturizers with added sunscreen are always a good choice.

* Make sure to use alcohol free, gentle toners for cleaning the facial pores so you will not dry your cheeks.All skin care products are usually labeled with the skin type they are meant for. Whenever buying a new product, check its label properly or consult your dermatologist.

By Naomi Andrews
skin care cosmetics for all skin type

Hi,

A person’s skin can be of various shades from very dark to fair or light colored. The color of your skin is governed by the amount of skin pigmentation and coloring proteins released by the skin cells. Melanin is the main protein factor responsible for various shades of the human skin. More melanin results in dark color skin while less melanin results in a light color of the skin.

Skin discoloration is due to many reasons like Melasma, sun damage, acne, post inflammation, or even bug bites. Changing skin pigmentation is a sign of skin abuse. This abuse might be caused by factors like age, hormonal changes, diet deficiencies, pollution and ultraviolet radiation. Changes in the skin pigmentation might occur as darkening or lightening of the skin color. Both the above have their respective causal factors, precautions and treatments. In the below paragraphs, we will deal with hyper pigmentation i.e. darkening of the skin. In hyper pigmentation, the skin does not darkened uniformly. Instead patches of dark skin are formed over various areas. These start as small spots and gradually turn into wide patches.

If your skin color or pigmentation is changing, i.e. it is becoming darker than its original shade then it is time to be extra careful towards your skins’ health. You might unknowingly be harming your skin or your protective measures might not be completely effective. Darkening of the skin also occurs when exposed to sunlight. This is referred to a sun tan. Our skin has its own mechanism to recover itself from tanning. Prolonged and repeated exposure to UV rays is definitely harmful for the skin. It might lead to permanent darkening of the skin.

Possible solution for treating hyper-pigmentation
You can get rid of any of the above by using skin whitening creams or lotions and systems offered by various cosmetic manufacturers. You can get the treatment done by a professional at a salon, Dr’s office or you can treat yourself at home. Skin bleaching is a cosmetic treatment also known by the names skin whitening or skin lightening. These treatments are basically facial cosmetic treatments done to cover facial skin imperfections.

Drugstores have numerous options of bleaching creams from fruit base to chemical based products. You can consult your skin professional and select a product to suit your skin type. Apart from bleaching creams certain skin whitening creams with natural ingredients like Vitamin E , chamomile and green tea extract are available to treat darkened skin. Daily use of these creams effectively cover and treat the abnormally pigmented patch of the skin and give you evenly colored and glowing skin.

By Naomi Andrews
Skin Care Cosmetics