Beauty Myths. Ah, what a delicious subject to get one's teeth into! Read on and discover the misleading principles of skin care that we are innocently buying into. And discover the real ways to preserve your skin. We start off with Cleansers and toners, next month we’ll look at Moisturisers and Anti-aging treatments.
1. Cleansers - soap vs cosmetic
It is very simple: soap is very alkaline, and it removes the acid mantle of your skin, (which keeps its ph at the correct level, and stops it from drying out). This acid mantle is very delicate, and soap completely removes it, meaning that now your skin needs to make itself a new one. It takes 8 hours to do this. Just imagine what that drains from your skin, having to re-make that mantle every time you use soap on your face. A lot is what. And you need to use a heavier moisturiser afterwards because your skin feels so dry.
Now I know you Grandmother probably said 'Well, I never used anything but soap and water and it always worked for me.' Well, guess why she thought it worked? Because she was used to it. She never used anything else, so how would she know the difference? I'm not insinuating that your grandmother was stupid, just making a point.
Try this experiment next time you're washing: wash one arm with soap, and wash the other arm with shower gel or shampoo if you don't have shower gel. It really makes a difference. This is because the shampoo is so much less alkaline than soap. Now that you've experienced it for yourself, try it on your face: a cleanser made especially for your face will be even more gentle than the shower gel.
A note - this all applies even if you have oily skin. All of us, even us oilies, need that acid mantle. Don't take away what your body produces for your own good!
2. Toners - alcohol vs none
The toner debate is very similar to the soap debate and my answer is simple once again: don't let alcohol touch your face! Alcohol will dry your skin out like nothing else. You know when you use a toner (or skin freshener) that has alcohol in it, and it leaves you with a little stinging sensation?
Do you suppose that sensation occurs because your skin is saying 'oooh, that was wonderful, I liked that!'? Not even a little bit - when you sting elsewhere on your body, you think, 'Oh, why am I stinging? Has an insect bitten me, or have I sat on a nettle or something?' And the reason you think this, is that the skin has sent the message to the brain saying 'something is not right here, produce warning signal, produce warning signal.' So here's the hint: listen to that warning signal. Don't use alcohol on your skin.
Some think that alcohol can help dry out patches of very oily skin. This is true, but I don’t quite understand why you’d want to do that. Oily skin (unless very acne prone) is a blessing: because the skin is so moist, the aging process is far more delayed than in dryer skins.
Read Part II (Next Month) for the low-down on Moisturisers and Anti-aging supplements, but trust me, here is the deal, the BEST prescription for skin care and anti-ageing:
* Don't use soap or alcohol on your skin.
* DO use an eye-cream.
* ESPECIALLY use a sun-protection factor of 15 on your face daily.
* Use anti-oxidants.
This article is courtesy of Smart Poppy - Australia's Online Cosmetics Discounter
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