Healthy Skin Maintenance Is in Your Hands
Skincare 101
- Wash skin twice a day
- Gently exfoliate with a washcloth for 30-40 seconds once a day
- Apply sunscreen daily to face, neck, ears, hands and other exposed areas
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily to keep skin and body properly hydrated
- For oily skin, experiment with soaps and cleansers with a detergent base that will dissolve more oil without irritating the skin, followed by an astringent or toner
- For combination skin, treat each zone accordingly
- For dry skin, choose softer soaps with a neutral pH to cleanse the skin and follow with an emollient-based lotion
November 2004 — First impressions last a lifetime, or so the saying goes. So why not put your best face forward?
Clean, healthy skin is a great way to make a positive impression and feel good about your appearance. Whether you have oily, dry or combination skin, proper skincare is a relatively easy habit to adopt.
Wash Away the Day
"Overall, Mother Nature does a good job of cleaning, toning and clarifying our skin," says Stuart Sobel, MD, dermatologist on the medical staff at Memorial Regional Hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Memorial Hospital West. "Our most important job is to wash excess dirt from our skin and take appropriate precautions against the elements."
Different Types, Different Care
Caring for oily skin means using a detergent-based soap that will penetrate the oil and wash more of it away. The challenge is to find a soap that will not irritate the skin. Sobel suggests experimenting with different soaps and astringents to find the right ones for your particular skin type.
"Oily skin is the result of hormones and oil glands. Altering the flow of oil is not possible, except in the case of hormone therapy," says Sobel. "What will help, though, is washing more often to remove oil, then applying an astringent or toner to dissolve remaining oil."
"When it comes to caring for dry skin," says Sobel,"use soap with a neutral pH, followed by an emollient or lotion to help add oil to the skin." Again, experimenting with different soaps and lotions is suggested.
Combination skin — skin that has both dry and oily areas — requires a combination of care, according to Sobel. "People with combination skin have the most work to do. Wash skin with a non-irritating soap and apply astringent to oily zones and an emollient to dry zones."
Protect Yourself
Another fundamental component of skincare is sunscreen. Remember that you need to apply it every day, not just when going to the beach. That's because you're also exposed to the sun's harmful rays while walking in and out of a building, riding in a car or sitting under an umbrella at a sidewalk café.
"Life in South Florida makes sunscreen an especially vital part of the skincare regimen," says Sobel. "Sunscreen should be applied to the face, neck, ears, hands and other areas of exposure. When it comes to preventing sun damage, one cannot take enough precautions."
For referral to a dermatologist or other physician, call Memorial Physician Referral Service at (800) 944-DOCS.