Dry Skin - Oily Skin Basics

There are four basic steps to successful skin care: cleansing, toning, moisturizing and special needs such as make-up. Our skin types are genetically determined, but can vary depending on the following factors:

• diet
• environment, such as climate change or pollution,
• stress or anxiety
• cosmetics and skin care products
• illness or traumahormone levels, such as during puberty, or pregnancy
• exercise levels
• age
• degree and length of sun exposure

To determine your overall skin type, use this simple blot test. Press one ply of a dry tissue onto your face for ten seconds, then remove and examine the results. Balanced skin is damp with no traces of oil. Dry skin has no oil or moisture residue on the tissue. Oily skin has left oily and possibly dirt traces on the tissue. Combination skin has oily and dry marks on the tissue.

Dry Skin

This skin type is characterized by:

• dry, flaky patches and is easily chapped
• feels tight across the forehead, cheeks and chin
• itchy and easily irritated
• sensitive
• bruises easily
• can appear powdery or scaly
• prone to fine lines and wrinkles

Dry skin is a result of decreased sebum production, the skin's indigenous oil, which is important in keeping the skin moist and lubricated. Consequently, this skin type has less of an oily barrier, allowing water to evaporate easily through the skin. This process can be worsened by detergents, heating or air conditioning, pollution, inadequate skin care, certain chemical ingredients in cosmetic products, overexposure to sun and wind and overuse of soaps and alcohol-based products. Helping to 'restore' dry skin involves protecting the skin with creamy, oil-based products and avoiding harsh soaps, scrubs or products which contain alcohol. Oatmeal soap, floral toner once or twice per week, rich formulation moisturizers in avocado, calendula or jojoba and facial oil in geranium or avocado at night are good choices.

Oily Skin

This skin type is characterized by:

• overall shine
• enlarged pores
• coarse texture
• acne spots and comedones (blackheads)
• sallow complexion
• tendency to repel and run make-up
• resistance to fine lines and wrinkles

Oily skin is the result of excessive secretions of sebum. It can be exacerbated by poor health, or a diet high in saturated fats and sugar. Emotional upset or stress can also trigger more sebum deposits on the skin. Oily skin is worsened by hormone level fluctuations, alcohol-based products and harsh soaps, both of which dry out the skin, thereby activating the oil glands to produce more sebum. Comedogenic ingredients, such as mineral oil and other ingredients which are derivatives of petroleum block pores and can lead to acne spots.

Regular cleansing aids in the removal of bacteria and waxy oils from the pores. Oily skin responds well to alcohol-free toner and a lightweight, natural moisturizer. To help 'normalize' oily skin and reduce significantly the frequency of acne break-outs and blackheads: Wild Oregano or Chamomile & Calendula soap, acne-prone toner once or twice per day, regular moisturizer in calendula, jojoba or grapeseed for daytime and acne-prone facial oil at night.

Beauty Organic Products For Problem Skin

As far as most people are concerned, beauty actually is skin-deep.

However, if you want to fully take care of your body, you need to take care of the inside as well as you do the outside.

Following a lifestyle that includes natural health practices will help you with this. You learn to eat food that takes care of you immune system, organs, and skin.

You will be able to enjoy all kinds of food that will help and not harm your body.

Natural health and beauty is a good thing to know about in that it will help you learn the practical side of health.

Your hair, skin, and nails are often neglected when you are taking care of yourself. But they are also very important.

Natural health and beauty helps you find a beauty routine that will benefit you in all aspects. You should learn which natural health tonics you can drink and what their benefits are on your skin and overall internal and external health.

This way you can give all you body's features a boost.

Junk food often damages the appearance and health of your skin. Your skin might look overly glossy or overly dry, but certainly not healthy.

Achieving natural health and beauty is also about reaching a state of tranquillity with yourself. It enforces the rules of life, which is to say that if you are healthy inside it will show on the outside. When you have or are deciding to start living a more natural, healthy way, you will need to know that you have to do the work.

There is no short cut around it. You are responsible for your own health; and if you do not take care of yourself, then no one else will.

Another thing to consider is that if you want the natural health and beauty products to work for you, then you have to use them. Don't waste money if you know that you are not committed enough to actually follow-through the prescribed plans.

The companies below have many products to enhance your natural beauty: