The Beauty Bar Blog

Tag: dry

Choose the Right Products for Your Skin Type

Getting healthy-looking skin requires using the right products, but you must first evaluate your skin’s type and condition to choose the moisturizers and creams that are right for you to achieve the best results.

Your skin type is determined by the amount of oil your skin produces and how quickly it reacts to products or the environment. Choose your skin care products based on whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin.

Your skin’s condition can be related to the environment, products you use, medications you take, and lifestyle issues, such as stress. Skin can become dehydrated, break out, or develop other conditions. Choose products with ingredients designed to treat specific problems.

Combination skin that is oily in some places and dry in others is the most common skin type. Many people with combination skin are oily on the forehead, nose, and chin and have dry skin on their cheeks. If you have combination skin, use a light foaming cleanser, hydrating toner, and treatment gel on your T-zone during the day and a hydrating serum for your cheeks before you put on a hydrating moisturizer. Use an oil-absorbing moisturizer on your nose and chin. You can treat combination skin on your cheeks with products containing hyaluronic acid, aloe, green tea, and algae. Use salicylic acid, camphor, and niacinamide on your T-zone and silicone around your eyes.

If your skin produces too much oil, it can appear shiny or dull and have large pores and pimples. Combat this by using a foaming gel or clay-based cleanser and purifying wipes to remove oil. Apply a clay-based masque twice a week. Use a lightweight moisturizer and overnight treatment gel to exfoliate and absorb oil. If you are planning to spend time in the sun, choose an oil-free matte sunscreen. Use a cooling gel around your eyes. You can reduce oiliness by choosing products that contain laolin, bentonite, salicylic acid, lactic acid, sarcosine, zinc gluconate, benzoyl peroxide, enantia bark, and tea tree oil.

Dry skin can affect the whole body. You can add moisture to your skin with a creamy emollient cleanser, cream-based masque, hydrating serum, and heavier moisturizer. You should use a gentle exfoliant three times a week and use products with vitamin E, rose oil, argan oil, evening primrose oil, sunflower, shea butter, sodium hyaluronate, and avocado serols.

Consider your skin’s type and condition when choosing skin care products. Using the right moisturizers, creams, and other treatments can give you beautiful, glowing skin.

Tips to Fight Dry Winter Hair and Skin

The falling temperatures, wind, dry heat indoors, and hot showers associated with winter can take a toll on your skin and hair, causing them to appear dull and lifeless. Here are some tips to combat these common winter problems.

To keep your hair moisturized and healthy-looking, use a conditioner with silicone to protect the outer cuticle layer and lock in moisture. Conditioners containing quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, can help keep your hair soft and silky and prevent flyaways caused by static electricity.

Itchy and flaky scalp can be a result of simple dry skin or dandruff, which is caused by a yeast-like fungus. Try a hydrating shampoo and conditioner for a week. If they don’t help, try an intensive-care product. If that still doesn’t relieve the dryness and flakes, you have dandruff and need a medicated shampoo containing pyrithione to kill the fungus.

During the winter, dehydrated skin cells are replaced less often and build up. Circulation also slows down. These factors can combine to product a dull complexion. You can relieve this by drinking extra water and eating foods full of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and nuts. You should also consider taking omega-3 supplements to give your skin an extra boost. Wash your face every day with a milky or creamy cleanser, and then apply a cream or balm, instead of a lotion, to retain more moisture. Choose a brand that contains antioxidants, humectants, and emollients.

Since your arms and legs have fewer oil glands, they tend to dry out more in the winter. Replenish moisture in your skin by taking a warm bath with water and two cups of skim milk. Soak for 15 minutes, pat your skin dry, and then apply a milk-and-honey cream for additional moisture.

Following these daily tips can help you prevent many of the common hair and skin issues that come up during the winter and keep you looking your best.

Hair Care Tips for All Seasons

Whatever your hair type, here are some tips to keep you looking your best.

When you wash your hair, rinse it first with warm water. If you have long hair, condition before you shampoo. Lather shampoo at the scalp and work it toward the ends, using an amount the size of a quarter. Be gentle and use vertical strokes. Only shampoo your hair once, add conditioner from the mid-lengths to the ends, give it a few minutes to penetrate the hair, and then rinse with cold water. Use a shampoo and conditioner made for your hair type. If you have oily or fine hair, you may need to shampoo every day, but if you have normal or dry hair, you can shampoo every other day. To keep your hair looking its best between shampoos, use a lifting and texturizing spray gel, dry shampoo, reactivating spray, anti-frizz cream, or moisturizing oil. You should also use a shower filter to remove rust and minerals from the water that can damage your hair.

If you have wavy hair and want to accentuate the waves, scrunch your hair with mousse. If you have coarse hair, use a moisturizing product. If you want your hair curly, dry it upside down, or lean your head to one side as you blow dry and use a diffuser. If you are going to straighten your hair, treat it with a product to create smoothness and fullness. Blow dry with a brush or use a flat iron to straighten your hair and curve it at the ends. Do not air dry your hair, and brush gently to avoid breakage and frizz.

For curly hair, sleep on a silk pillowcase, or wrap your hair in a silk scarf to prevent frizziness. Apply styling products when your hair is sopping wet. Dry your hair by pressing gently with a microfiber towel, T-shirt, or paper towels, and avoid using a terrycloth towel. If you blow dry your hair, use a heat-protecting product and a low setting, and finish with a smoothing product. To air dry your hair, use hair gel or curl cream and wrap one- or two-inch sections around your finger to create well-defined curls. Lift your hair off the scalp with clips. Use a moisturizing mask once a week. Get your hair trimmed every eight weeks, and choose a layered style. Use a wide-tooth comb, never a brush. Start combing the ends and work upward. Don’t play with your hair, since that can make it frizzy. Avoid products that contain sulfates, alcohol, and salt, because they can dry your hair and damage curls.

To make your hair grow, you need to keep the follicles strong and prevent breakage. Eat a healthy diet full of protein and nutrients, omega-3 oils from salmon or supplements, and nuts, especially almonds. Keep your weight stable, because hair can be affected by extreme weight changes, as well as stress and hormones. Limit the use of heat, including flat irons and blow drying, because this can damage hair.

Cold Weather Skin Care Tips

With temperatures dropping by the day, you need to take extra care of your skin to prevent dryness, itchiness, and cracking. Here are some helpful tips from WebMD.

Visit an aesthetician or dermatologist at least once. He or she can analyze your skin type and suggest changes to your current skin care regimen, including inexpensive products you can try at home.

Clean your face with a cleansing milk, mild foaming cleanser, alcohol-free toner, or deeply hydrating mask. Using an oil-based moisturizer will help you retain more moisture than you would with a water-based variety. Be sure to choose an oil that won’t clog your pores, such as avocado, mineral, primrose, or almond oil. You can also opt for a lotion containing humectants, substances that attract moisture to the skin.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face and hands (if they are going to be exposed) 30 minutes before you go outside. Reapply if you are outside for a long period of time.

Wear gloves to protect the thin skin on your hands from the elements. Avoid wool, or put thin cotton gloves on under wool ones to prevent irritation. Remove wet gloves and socks, which can cause itching, cracking, sores, or a flare-up of eczema.

Use a lotion on your feet that contains petroleum jelly or glycerine. Exfoliate often to remove dead skin and help moisturizers penetrate the skin better.

Place several small humidifiers throughout your home to replace the moisture lost from heating. Avoid long, hot showers or baths, since they can break down the lipid barriers in the skin and cause it to lose moisture. Instead, take shorter showers or baths with warm water. For itchy skin, try a lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda.

If these tips don’t work, seek the advice of a dermatologist. You may need a prescription lotion or other treatment to help you make it through the winter.

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