Caring for your skin is a lifetime pursuit, and it’s never too early to start. In honor of  National Skin Care Awareness Month (NSCAM) – I’d like to offer 50% off the Express Facial for your daughters or sons – 18 years old or younger, during the month of September.

Inspired by NSCAM here is Part #1 of a 3 part post about; skincare myths, truths, mistakes and tips to help you care the largest organ of your body – your skin!

COMMON SKIN MYTHS

MYTH #1- SKIN SHOULD FEEL TIGHT AFTER YOU WASH IT. THIS IS A SIGN THAT IT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY CLEANED.

TRUTH: Actually, if the skin feels tight after washing, it is a sign that the skin has been stripped of all of its water; this causes surface dead skin cell buildup. Then you have to put your moisturizer on to restore the moisture that you just removed—which makes no sense! Bar soaps (even if they say that they are moisturizing), foaming cleansers, and anything else that leaves your skin feeling tight is an absolute no-no! The most important part of your entire routine is what you wash with. It can make or break the rest of your routine. Look for low foaming cleansers that do not contain the ingredients Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, so your skin will have a comfortable and balanced clean. Check out our collection of cleansers.

MYTH #2- CHOCOLATE AND GREASY FOODS MAKES YOUR SKIN BREAKOUT.

TRUTH: There is actually no evidence indicating that these foods increase breakouts. The foods that most often are linked to breakouts are dairy products and citrus foods.

MYTH #3- THE SUN ISN’T AS STRONG IN THE WINTER, SO YOU DON’T NEED SUNSCREEN.

TRUTH: There are two types of rays: UVB rays cause your skin to get a tan or sunburn and they are not as strong in the winter as in the  summer. UVA rays are what cause premature skin aging and skin cancer and they are equally strong from summer to winter so you’re still getting UV damage even on a cloudy, rainy day in December. A UVA/UVB sunscreen needs to be worn 365 days a year, rain or shine, inside or out.

Did you know? 78% of all the sun damage over a lifetime, is from incidental exposure such as driving in your car, in your home or office near windows and simply walking to the mailbox. Yet another reason to wear sunscreen like: Tu’el Oil Free Sun Protector SPF 30.

MYTH #4- OILY SKINS DON’T NEED TO BE MOISTURIZED.

TRUTH: You don’t need extra oil, but your skin still needs water to keep the skin cells healthy and hydrated. When there is no water present, the skin cells die prematurely, resulting in dead skin cell build up, clogged pores and increased oil production. And BTW, drinking water – although great, is not an efficient way to hydrate the skin.

MYTH #5 -YOU CAN SHRINK YOUR PORE SIZE.

TRUTH: Large pores are an indication of how much oil you produced when you were in your teens—the formative years for your pore size. When your skin rapidly pumped out the oil, the walls of the pore stretched wider resulting in larger pores.  Many products will claim to actually shrink your pores, but there is no way to do this, pore size is genetic.

The best way to reduce the appearance of the large pores is by exfoliating often. By using a combination of both physical exfoliants like Tu’el Peeling Cream, and chemical exfoliants like Tu’el Glyco-A Gel on a regular basis, you will help remove surface dry cells so the opening of the pores are not as deep, making them look smaller.

See you at the spa!