National Cleanse Your Skin Week - Ingredients For Your Skin Type/Issue

Cleansers for Combination/Sensitive Skin

Both combination and sensitive skin types should use ultra-gentle cleansers. Do not use physical scrubs or cleansers with microbeads as these can cause tears and further irritate the skin. Use cleansers that are fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and soap-free to ensure that you're not going to irritate your skin while washing.

Now this doesn't mean that you can't use a cleanser with fragrance. You want to purchase a cleanser that is lightly scented. If it has the strength of a perfume, put it back!

These are just a few of the popular cleansers on the market. Make sure you are reading the ingredients carefully and not just the label. There may be an ingredient that doesn't work well with your skin.

What is your skin type?

Still not sure what your skin type is? See below.

Normal Skin: Smooth, supple, acne free, not oily or dry/flaky

Dry Skin: Dry and flaky all throughout your face

Oily Skin: Oily all throughout your face and most likely has acne (hormonal if adult)

Combination Skin: Oily in your t-zone and cheeks.

Now that we have a better understanding of ingredients in cleansers and our skin type, what about other products in our skincare routine? Well, that's pretty simple. Using the cleansers as your guide, you will use similar products in your toner, serums, etc.

For instance if you have acne, your cleansers will have ingredients such as glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid in it (or essential oils for my natural folks). Therefore you will buy your remaining products in your routine with those same ingredients. Is it necessary to get all products for acne prone skin, no. You may feel like that having all acne products may be irritating to your skin, therefore swap some of the products with products for normal or combination skin😉

So now you may be asking yourself what ingredients should you look for when it comes to hyperpigmentation, dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles? There are MANY, too many to put in this blog, so I will give you a list to start you off.

Hyperpigmentation

Vitamin C - Vitamin C can reduce hyperpigmentation by blocking melanin production.

Kojic Acid - Similar to vitamin C, Kojic acid also works by inhibiting tyrosinase enzymes. It also protects the skin from environmental toxins because it is high in antioxidants. Kojic acid is popular because it comes from natural sources.

Retinol - is a form of vitamin A and their go-to ingredient for hyperpigmentation. Retinol is particularly effective at combating hyperpigmentation by encouraging cell turnover and bringing healthier, newer skin cells to the surface while exfoliating older, darker ones.

Niacinamide - Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, which is involved in cell metabolism. Topical application of B-3 can interrupt the process of cell pigmentation, thereby brightening the skin. It can also be used to treat acne, which can help prevent future hyperpigmentation or scarring.

Azelaic acid - is an organic acid found in grains, like barley and rye. It has anti-inflammatory properties and can suppress melanin production in the skin.

Fine lines/Wrinkles

Like hyperpigmentation, retinol, Vitamin C, Niacinamide helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Also:

Hyaluronic Acid - found naturally in the skin, hyaluronic acid works by attracting and holding onto water molecules, boosting skin’s moisture content and defending against moisture loss. This rehydration process helps to smooth and plump up the skin’s surface so that wrinkles and fine lines appear less noticeable. Gentle, non-comedogenic and non-irritating, it’s a must-have ingredient for even the most sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Peptides - These molecules occur naturally in living organisms. Certain peptides are able to stimulate collagen production, and have been shown to improve skin texture and wrinkling.

Tea extracts - Green, black and oolong tea contain compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Wrinkle creams are most likely to use green tea extracts.

Grape seed extract - In addition to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, grape seed extract promotes collagen production.

Dark Circles

Vitamin C - It is a skin brightener that can help brighten dark circles.

Niacinamide - Can lighten dark circles as it also brightens that shadowed undereye area.

Alpha Arbutin - Can soften the look of dark circles due to sun damage.

Retinol - It can stimulate the production of collagen, making the skin less thin and improve dark circles.

Sunscreen - Can prevent dark circles from getting darker due to the sun.

As you can see from ingredients above, they have many uses. The key to a routine is to find a balance of products that works for you, so don't be afraid to try different items until you get it right. A safe place to start is with products that have fruit enzymes as they work for all skin types.

In tomorrow's blog, I will pull this all together and give you several routines that you can start implementing immediately. I'll create a morning routine and an evening routine to show you how to can switch things up with your favorite products . We'll also discuss how double cleansing is beneficial as well as actives you need your serums.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below. I enjoy interacting with you on the blog.

See you in the next blog!

Beauty Mixtress™