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 #2 of a 3 part post about; skincare myths, truths, mistakes and tips to help you care the largest organ of your body – your skin!

THE FIVE WORST SKIN CARE MISTAKES

SKIN MISTAKE #1- USING SOAP TO WASH YOUR FACE.

If you wash your skin with bar soap (no matter how much you paid for it), you strip your skin of all its water, which instantly creates dead skin cell buildup. After that, you have to quickly put moisturizer on to put back exactly what you just took out—makes no sense!  The binders that hold a bar soap together have a high pH balance, making it too drying for most skin types. But they also reverse the benefits from any exfoliants that you’re using, since those are intended to remove dry skin cells. Instead, in the morning use gel based cleansers for oily skin or milky – creamy cleansers for dry skin and Tu’el water loving oil and herbalizer cleansing system for the evening.

SKIN MISTAKE #2- USING HARSH PRODUCTS TO CONTROL OIL.

When it comes to skin care products for oily skin, many skin care companies focus on products that simply remove the oil by using strong, harsh and dehydrating ingredients. While it will give you an immediate ‘tight’ feeling, it then creates a backlash hours later with an increase in oil production.
The amount of oil your skin produces is tied to the hydration levels in your skin. Oily skins don’t need additional oil (which is why oil-free moisturizers like Hy-Drate are suggested) but you still need water in the skin. When the skin doesn’t have the water it needs, the skin attempts to balance itself by producing more oil (by stimulating the nerve endings) to compensate for the lack of water. To lessen oil, choose gentle, sulfate-free, low-foaming cleansers, avoid alcohol-based toners and always use moisturizer.

SKIN MISTAKE #3- NOT USING TONER AFTER EVERY WASHING.

Toners are misunderstood. Most people aren’t really sure what they do and they often don’t use them because the alcohol found in most, is irritating. Toners without alcohol are a perfect way to give your skin the water and hydration it so desperately needs. Your skin cells are like fish, they need water to live – without water they die prematurely resulting in unhealthy skin—not to mention dry skin cells. Use an alcohol-free toner every time you wash, make sure to leave it damp before applying your serum or moisturizer to seal in the hydration. Try Senegece Climate Control.

SKIN MISTAKE #4- OVER-EXFOLIATING .

Exfoliation is extremely beneficial to the skin; it reduces clogged pores, blackheads and breakouts, removes surface dry skin cells and  softens the appearance of fine lines, making large pores appear less noticeable and encouraging new, healthy skin cell growth. But when it comes to exfoliation, less is more – work smarter, not harder. If you use facial scrubs, acids, enzymes and get professional chemical peel treatments too often, you can damage the health of the skin. By over-exfoliating, you thin the skin and damage the natural protective barrier which can accelerate aging and chronic, prolonged inflammation. Chemical exfoliation (acids) and physical exfoliation (scrubs) should never be over used and TLC must always be used in equal measure in the form of moisturizers, toners, serums and  calming – soothing masks.

At Star Brows, every time you come in for a service I look at your skin and make professional recommendations. The skin is always changing – so how you care for it must also change.

SKIN MISTAKE #5- PICKING AT YOUR SKIN.

Getting blemishes is a fact of life that can occur well into adulthood. While there are many things you can do to prevent them, it’s really important to treat them properly once they appear—and this is where many people lack knowledge. For the most part, a blemish will only last 5-7 days, but a post-breakout red or dark scar from picking at a blemish can last for months – sometimes a lifetime. The only time you should extract a blemish is when a visible whitehead has come to the surface of the skin. This infection needs to get out, so you can gently remove it. But if you pick at something that is deep under the skin, you’ll only make it worse—and an oozing scab is a lot more difficult to cover with makeup than a closed bump! Tu’el Clear-It is great for spot treating, as well as caring for post wax skin bumps.

See you at the spa!