Skin Care Info & Tips
Most Common Skin Care Mistakes
1. An unchanging routine all year-round.
Your skin changes with the seasons (not to mention other events such as pregnancy and aging), and so should your skin care routine. During winter months, you need heavier moisturizers to combat increased dryness in the air. Lighter moisturizers are needed when months are more humid and warm. It is important to periodically evaluate your skin care routine and be sure you are giving your skin what it needs at that moment.
2. Not using sun protection on a daily basis.
Everyone needs to be protected from both UVA and UVB rays. It needs to be part of the daily routine. Our Alpha Hydroxy Day Moisturizers and Vitamin E Stick, as well as some of our foundations, contain an SPF 15 to help protect your skin.
3. Overaggressive cleansing.
Cleansing too often or using products that are chemically too aggressive for your skin type can be very harmful to your skin. If you are over-doing it, your skin will feel drier than it should be and may even have occasional breakouts. A cleanser should clean without destroying the skin's lipid barrier. Use cleansers that clean thoroughly and gently. Use IMAGE & more products such as Deep Refining Cleansing Treatment for dry skin or Ultra Balancing Face Wash for oily skin.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea begins with redness of the skin which varies in intensity with the individual. Emotional disturbances such as anger, embarrassment, or nervousness, tend to intensify it. Rosacea is associated with excessive oiliness and usually appears after age 30. It may be the aftermath of neglected acne during puberty years.
The second stage of rosacea affects the capillaries and the sebaceous (oil) glands. The blood vessels dilate until they are often visible through the skin and the redness turns a purplish hue. If there are blemishes and infection, pustules (small elevations of the skin containing pus) appear. If neglected the skin becomes swollen, tough, congested, and has infected acne lesions. This advanced case is extremely difficult to treat because it has remained dormant for so long. It requires medical care.
Treatment with our products can often help a very stubborn case through proper cleansing, proper diet, and proper elimination.
Why is Skin Care Important?
1. Genes: Nature gave us the genes of our forefathers in European, African, or Far Eastern countries. Just as with plant life and birds, our skin and body characteristics were prepared by nature for the climate and conditions of the country of our heritage. It will be many, many centuries before nature adapts our bodies for this climate our forefathers chose to migrate to. Skin caring takes over the preservation and protection of our skin, which nature fails to provide because of our heritage.
2. Aging: Skin care can reduce the rate of aging, in many cases considerably, by replacing our natural protection to the elements which through aging our body functions can no longer apply.
3. Melanoma: Skin Cancer. Science has proven that prevention is 99% of the cure. Our sunscreened pure skin care products, without doubt, offer some essential comfort in knowing that we are protecting and preparing our skins against local climates.
4. Growing Old Gracefully: Skin caring helps immensely to maintain a smooth, clean skin, enabling our cosmetic needs to be less severe in the quantity used. This results in a natural, healthy look, enhancing natural facial characteristics. The results: good looks, healthy people growing old charmingly . . . gracefully.
A Look at Your Skin's Layers
The skin consists of three very important layers: the epidermis (outermost layer), the dermis, and the hypodermis (innermost layer). How you treat the three layers of skin will determine your beauty - good or bad. Your skin cells are dying daily. Every 130 days a complete new layer of skin develops.
SUBDERMIS/HYPDODERMIS
This layer is made of a soft layer of fatty tissue. It holds fat for energy and plays a significant role in determining shapeliness. It contains sweat glands and hair follicles. It contains nerves and blood vessels. Also acts as the cushion and shock absorber for the epidermis.
DERMIS
This is the second layer and key section of the skin. It is the skin's major support system. The dermis contains blood vessels that house your skin's supply of oxygen and distributes nutrients to the skin. The dermis also produces collagen - a protein that helps skin appear healthy, resilient and youthful. The hair shaft, tiny muscles and oil glands are also parts of the dermis.
EPIDERMIS
The epidermis is the visible part of your skin. It is only 1/1000 of an inch thick, but your whole appearance depends on the visible condition of less than a millimeter of skin. The epidermis consists of living surface cells which protect the body against bacteria and pollution. It provides additional means of removing waste products from inner layers. Here is where new cells are formed. It takes 28 days for the new cells to travel to the surface where they are eventually depleted of moisture and slough off. The epidermis contains living cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin and hair color.
In its ideal state, the skin appears perfectly smooth . . . like a baby's. As the skin ages, it becomes rougher and thicker, especially where it is exposed to heat, cold and pollution. In time wrinkles become more obvious and skin less supple. The skin is an extremely complex organ and its health is vital to our well-being. Healthy skin begins with good nutrition. The outer layer of the skin, however, needs the special assistance of a regular skin care program.
IMAGE & more's personalized programs, as listed in Skin Routines, offer maximum benefits because they are specifically structured for each skin type and problem. IMAGE & more products have been formulated to work together to produce the most beneficial results.
What are pH Levels?
pH is a measurement of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 1 to 14 with 7 being neutral (neither an acid nor an alkali). Pure water is neutral. Anything less than 7 is in the acid range (the lower the number, the more acidic it is), while anything over 7 is in the alkali range (the higher the number, the more alkaline it is). On this scale, normal skin has a pH range of 4.5 to 5.5 or 6.
Alkalis, in addition to being good detergents, are also an excellent environment for the breeding of germs. However, the outer skin is in the acid range which inhibits the growth of bacteria (bacteria thrive in an alkali environment, while an acidic environment tends to inhibit their growth). For example, if the skin were to be washed with an alkaline product (soap and water) and then left on its own, it would take the skin from 3 to 5 hours to rebalance itself to its proper pH range. During this time, it would be left vulnerable to the growth of bacteria.
If a product is labeled "pH balanced", it normally means that the cleanser, refiner, tonic and moisturizer will all work together to bring the skin back to its normal acid range.
However, IMAGE & more skin care products are "pH correct", rather than "pH balanced". This means that none of the IMAGE & more products leave the skin out of a protective pH range.
Solutions for Skin Problems
Breakouts
Regular use of a salicylic acid product can help to control breakouts. If skin is oily, use only oil-free, anti-comedogenic skin care and makeup products. A twice-weekly cleansing masque (such as our Aloe Mint Masque) is also a good idea. Try our Oily Skin Control Treatment to keep your skin free from breakouts.
Enlarged pores
An oil-absorbing cleansing masque , such as our Aloe Mint Revitalizing Masque or Revitalizing Treatment Masque, can help minimize large pores. Apply it over your whole face or just in the oily T-zone area.
Dry skin
A hydrating masque brings moisture to thirsty skin. Moisture-boosting gels, such as our Hydrating Moisture Gel, also help and can be used in place of, or in addition to, regular daytime/nighttime moisturizers.
Puffy, dark-circled eyes
Traditional methods, such as cold compresses or tepid chamomile tea bags, will reduce puffiness. More practical for all-day wear, liposome-packed eye gels have the same cooling, soothing effect, and can work on dark circles too. Our Eye Perfection Gel is perfect to strengthen delicate eye tissue.
