These days, it seems as though there are more skin care products on store shelves than you can shake a stick at. Just looking at cleansers, there are a ton of choices to me made. For example, do you need a cream cleanser or a gel one with microbeads? What are microbeads, anyway? Not to mention the brand names…you can be in the facial cleanser aisle all day looking through them all before you make a decision. After that, once your face is clean you should probably exfoliate a few times a week. But which one is a girl to choose? Do you want a product that features a natural exfoliant (like apricot) or do you want one that science has created?

Those are just the skin care products you use on your face in the shower…what about once you’ve dried off? Well, according to the beauty magazines I’ve read you should then put on an anti pimple concoction to keep your skin clear. After that has been on for twenty minutes it’s time for a moisturizer. The general consensus on facial moisturizers is that you should wear one that has at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. Make sure you apply it before you’re exposed to sunlight, though. Otherwise, you’ll be paying for it later with wrinkles and sun spots galore.

After your face has been prepped with at least four skin care products so far, if you so choose you can now apply your makeup. From the foundation and concealer (to hide the sun spots and dark circles under your eyes from before you wore SPF lotion) to blush and eyeshadow, skin care products can get really expensive. If a normal American woman did a tally and totaled up all of the money she spent on the skin care products she uses every day, I bet it would come to well over $100!

You have determined you need a skin care regime, it’s time to find the proper skin care products for your use. The first important rule to stick by is that you should never use regular bar soap on your body, especially on your face. Even the best and most expensive bar soap is still going to be harmful and drying on your delicate skin, so you need to make sure that you always use an appropriate face cleansing product instead. You should never wipe your face dry after cleansing. For proper skin care you should stick to just patting it dry. Regular stimulation with moisturizer is also very important, but remember that only moisturizing a certain amount is going to be enough, and if you try to overdo it, you are just going to make the problem worse. By including a proper amount and type of moisturizer in your daily skin care regime, you will be increasing the water content of the outer layers of your skin, thus nourishing it with the moisture that it needs.

Drinking a proper amount of water is crucial to proper skin care. Not only do you have the keep the exterior of your skin moisturized, but your body as well so that it can produce and pump moisture to your skin. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day will help tremendously, and you also want to eat a healthy diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. You should also try to avoid having baths and showers that are very hot, as this will only dry your skin out even more. When you can, rinse your skin and hair under lukewarm to cool water. As well, when you have a bath, try adding a few drops of bath oil to the water, as this will help lubricate your skin. Make sure that the moisturizer you apply after the bath will adhere properly on your skin.