Dermatology-Online

Proper skin care

General

The skin is the largest excretory organ in humans and for this reason the skin often reflects what is going on in the body.

Basics of skin care

For these reasons, the first step of good skin care is for following ideal conditions to care:

at least 7 hours sleep per night, if possible same bedtime (so that the body can adjust to it)
per day 2 - 3 liters of water or unsweetened herbal tea drink
if possible 3 times a week at least 30 minutes of exercise (if possible in the fresh air)
balanced diet with lots of vegetables and fruit, low sugar, meat, milk and grain products.

If these fundamentals are roughly adhered to, more attention can be paid to skin care in particular in order to perfect the care of the skin.

Determine the skin type

It'll be the skin types

"Mature skin"
"dry skin"
"Sensitive / sensitive skin"
"normal skin"
"Combination skin" and
A distinction is made between “oily / impure skin”.

The divisions have become finer and finer over the years, as the cosmetics industry makes great profits from the concern of those affected to take care of their skin in the best possible way.
In order to determine your own skin type, the face is cleaned with the most neutral facial wash lotion possible, which should contain as few fragrances as possible and also have few caring or other properties.
The face, gently patted dry, is then left in peace without make-up (no tonic, no cream!). In the course of the next hour the skin will show itself in its normal individual function:

Mature skin

Mature skin shows up in people from around 40 years of age and is characterized by a feeling of tension, wrinkles and possible dry areas. It does not have a greasy shine and usually has no blemishes such as pimples. Mature skin needs high-quality oils and moisture as care.

Dry skin

The dry skin is also tight, itchy, may be red and shows small flakes of skin. Here, too, high-quality oils and moisture are indicated as care.

Sensitive / sensitive skin

The sensitive skin reacts sensitively to fragrances and the like, is reddened quickly, often shows red spots, can itch and appear generally restless. The sensitive skin must be carefully supplied with sufficient moisture.

Normal skin

Hardly any woman describes her skin as “normal” anymore, which is why it is used as a separate term by fewer and fewer cosmetic companies. Normal skin does not stretch, shows hardly any impurities, is fine-pored, does not show any superfluous shine and only wrinkles that correspond to age. It corresponds to the "dream skin". Little care is required, as the balanced complexion should not be unnecessarily unbalanced. Light cream is ideal.

Combination skin

Combination skin has a lot of skin types: it is tight on the cheeks or is sensitive. The skin of the cheeks is dry and needs moisture. In contrast, the skin in the so-called "T-Zone" (forehead, nose, chin = T-shape) is greasy, shiny, impure and with enlarged pores in which blackheads often form.
It is the most common skin type between the ages of 15 and 30. For combination skin, the T-zone should be moisturized and the dry cheeks should be moisturized with grease, which, however, can be replaced by moisturizing care for some people, which is then applied to the entire face.

Oily skin

After the test described above, the oily skin type shines all over the face after a very short time, as increased serum production by the sebum glands of the face is typical. This overproduction usually leads to a blockage of the enlarged skin pores and thus to comedones (blackheads), which can develop into pimples and skin inflammations, which are then spread over the entire face. Read about this too: Clogged sebum - what to do?
This complexion is often the basis of the skin disease acne and is often referred to as "blemished skin" because of the increased frequency of inflammation in the skin pores.

Read more on the topic: Oily skin and pimples

The oily skin type can, however, also develop through aggressive skin cleansing with strong degreasing detergents and facial toner with alcohol, if the body tries in vain to compensate for this constant degreasing of the skin. Often a change in skin care and nocturnal gentle oiling of the skin with pure vegetable oils (for example almond, grape seed, jojoba or argan oil) can lead to a significant improvement.
With oily skin, the previous care routine must be carefully reconsidered. The above-mentioned nightly oiling is then possible to change, while moisturizing gels / serums without rich care substances are applied during the day.

Read more on this topic at: Skin type

Systematic skin care on the face

Caring for the skin on the face also includes the individual supply of moisture and fats.

The systematic skin care is exposed regular cleaning and maintenance together. Here the skin is adapted to the individual needs humidity and or high quality fats (Oil) provided.
Cleaning is done directly in the morning after getting up and in the evening before bedtime with a gentle as possible Cleansing milk for the face. Since modern cosmetic brands often focus on promising packaging and brand names, it is important to have the ingredients carefully checked for each individual product. Usually the choice is from Natural cosmetics It is much more beneficial for the skin, as the substances it contains are most similar to the natural components of the skin and do not irritate it unnecessarily.

Creams should no artificial fats and even no silicone included, as these have a very smoothing effect on the complexion, however no caring effect and so that the skin is only covered. This makes it insensitive to care substances, it comes to dryness or Pimples through the artificially clogged pores. Natural oils (for example Almond, grape seed, jojoba or argan oil) or Fats (for example Shea butter), on the other hand, sustainably care for the cells of the facial skin Supplenessso that the skin is exposed to daily influences dust, smog, Exposure to sunlight, etc. can withstand better without drying out and getting unnecessary wrinkles.

The metabolism via the skin is then also better possible, so that the detoxification of the body can take place sufficiently. There is an opinion that blocked excretion through the skin leads to internal discomfort, as in extreme cases Gastric / intestinal cancer can lead. For this reason, the metabolism as a whole should be kept in mind and the skin should not be "plastered" with artificial substances in order to ensure an adequate circulation of metabolic products.

As a facial toner are contrary to the ones often available in stores alcoholic Products natural means like Rose water (available in pharmacies) or homemade black tea (Let it steep for 10 minutes, in a clean jar can be kept for approx. 1 week).

According to new knowledge Aloe vera and Hyaluronic acid for a good Moisture penetration the skin, so this mixture is ideal for Combination skin or oily / blemished skin, but also as additional maintenance of sensitive / sensitive skin, drier or mature skin can be applied as well as for normal skin is ideally usable. In the trade cosmetic products with these ingredients are often due to other ingredients "contaminated“And besides that lies the price very high so far, so that the ingredients can also be mixed together yourself. Care should be taken that it is pure, however preserved aloe vera juice acts so that the end product has a sufficient shelf life. With hyaluronic acid, between lower molecular weight, medium molecular weight and high molecular weight Hyaluronic acid differentiated: The mixture of low-molecular and medium-molecular hyaluronic acid results according to new knowledge the best Gel mix for daily facial care, but after some experience it can also be varied individually as required.

Care should always be taken not to over-supply the skin with too many rich creams and cosmetics. Otherwise it may happen that the cells of the skin stop their actual function, namely supplying the skin with the necessary fats. This usually manifests itself in one Rash around the mouth, the so-called. perioral dermatitis.

Skin care of the body

As the largest excretory organ in humans, the appearance of the skin depends on the numerous processes within the body.

The personal hygiene differs enormously from the care of the facial skin, since the skin on the body is essential thicker than the delicate skin of the face and is therefore less subject to fluctuations. You don't see the current state of the skin on the body Total body metabolism and there is no differentiation between different skin types.
For this reason, there is less attention to be paid to body skin care than to facial skin care.

Cleansing the body skin:
It is important here that the daily sweat is washed off regularly, the the skin's own protective acid mantle but not unnecessarily destroyed. The typical "Odor of sweat“Does not arise from the sweat itself, but from the decomposition of it bacteria. Accordingly, the areas of the body where sweat occurs most frequently should be cleaned daily. These include the Armpits, as well as the Feet, partly the move, but also the Breast and genital region.
Daily cleaning is easiest with the morning shower, during the but on as possible moisturizing shower gels be respected and aggressive cleaning products should be avoided.
This is then, but if necessary only towards evening Lotion body skin possible. This is often more pleasant because in the evening after applying lotion, none of the care products gets on your day clothes and these don't “stick to your body”.

Care of the body skin:
Which cream the body can best tolerate has to be tried out. However, it is important to pay attention to the selection here as well natural ingredients, because the skin of the body also participates in a large part of the body's metabolism and should not be "pasted up" for this. Silicones and artificial fats should therefore also be avoided here. Natural cosmetics or a few Baby care products most reliably meet these criteria for skin care.

Hand and foot care

Part of modern society is also careful care of hands and feet, which have special requirements due to the immense daily stress.
In addition, a manicure and pedicure is possible, which can be done in the simplest form at home.

The skin and also the nails of hands and feet are strained by daily work and running, frequent hand washing and wearing tight shoes. The care of these areas must therefore mainly be lipid replenishing so that the thicker skin of hands and feet can defy its daily demands.

The easiest way to ensure adequate care is to carefully apply cream after washing and before going to bed, so that the creams can develop sufficiently and regenerate the stressed areas. Since the hands and feet are primarily areas that are subject to permanent stress, silicones and artificial fats are less harmful here and can sometimes ensure pleasant lubrication. If there is a particularly strong keratinization of the feet, a regular foot bath (possibly with the addition of fresh lemon wedges) and subsequent careful filing of the loosened callus so that the care substances in the creams can work well again.
You can find more on this topic under: Foot care