Skin care 101.

“The skin you take care of in your 20’s you will inherit in your 30’s 40’s and beyond”- Iman.

Welcome to February people, it is the month of love and love is in the air!! please show thy skin some love too,lol.

I decided to share with you all my basic skin care routine and products i use which are within easy reach and very affordable. I realised  i had done several posts on makeup products and none on skin care which is very essential and infact should be top priority.

A healthy looking skin should be top priority for everyone. When your skin is well taken care of, you appear healthy, young, vibrant and ready to take on the world.
Skin care can be hassle free and effective when you use the right products consistently. I realised that i dont have to spend a lot of money to achieve great result with my skin. There are great products that are effective and dont cost an arm and a leg. I will be sharing about 2 skincare brands which i find very affordable, effective and very much within reach in the african market.

Clean and Clear and The body shop skin care products.

First of all taking good care of your skin starts from within. Your skin is a good reflection of your lifestyle and eating habits. Ensure you incorporate a lot of fruits into your daily meals and also drinking a lot of water is important (the recommended daily intake is  about 4 liters). Also avoid too much oily and processed food and you will be doing your skin a lot of good.

The basic DAILY skincare routine for all skin types involves 3 steps

1. Cleansing using the Foaming facial wash
2. Deep cleaning using the astringent
3. Moisturising using the moisturiser

   Two more steps for a weekly routine
4. Facial scrub
5. Face Mask

CLEANSING

The foaming facial wash is a soap free formular that removes surface oil, dirt and impurities from the skin.
A soap free cleanser ensures that your skin is not stripped of its natural protective oils and also prevents irritation.Generally, they are less harsh and drying which is perfect for sensitive (facial) skin. So ladies and gentlemen avoid using regular bar soaps on your face.
The body shop tea tree foaming cleanser is really nice. I love the fact that it comes with a pump which makes it very convenient to use. It also lathers quite nicely and it leaves my face feeling crispy clean after use.

Clean and clear  soap free gel wash also removes excess oil and dirt from the skin effectively. Clean and clear has products designed for all skin types so you can pick which ever suits you.

DEEP CLEANING

This is my favourite step in the skin care process because i am reassured that every dirt has been removed from my face. Deep cleaning astringent is used immediately after the facial wash. This is necessary to remove dirt still hiding in your pores. Use a cotton ball to apply astringent  over your face concentrating on the t-zone.

The clean and clear astringent works excellently well though it leaves your face feeling a bit tight and dry but that is why step 3 cannot be skipped. kindly note that i have combination skin so i tend to go for products designed for oily skin. The body shop tea tree clearing toner works great too.

Moisturising

I often hear ladies complain about how oily their face is so they skip moisturiser. Skipping moisturiser causes more harm to your skin because your skin is stripped of necessary protection and is  exposed to the harsh weather conditions e.g sun, harsh winter weather, polluted air etc. An oil free face moisturizer will work perfectly for your face if you have oily skin .
Clean and clear has an oil free face moisturizer which works well for oily skin. i have used it several times and it works perfectly

 Photo credit http://www.cleanandclear.com
I currently use the body shop vitamin C daily moisturiser spf 30(sun protecting factor) which is very perfect because of constant exposure to the sun.

Ensure that the facial moisturizer you choose has at least SPF 30 and above which is effective for African skin.

Facial Srub

Facial scrub is an essential weekly routine. This helps to get rid of dead skin cells leaving your face radiant and smooth.
Ensure you wet your face with warm water before applying the scrub.Gently massage for 5 minutes then rinse off.
The clean and clear morning burst scrub is oil free and  literally wakes you up. It has an invigorating citrus fragrance and  a lot of natural ingredients including ginseng. This scrub is a hit and a must have for everyone.
The neutrogena pink grapefruit foaming scrub is divine. It has a yummy fragrance and microbeads that gently smooth away roughness. it is perfect for weekly use as well.

Face mask

Masks like other skin care products are available in different formulations for different skin conditions. For dry skin you will need a hydrating mask, for irritated skin you will need a calming and soothing mask, for oily skin you will need a mattifying oil control mask. Masks should be applied for about 10- 15 minutes and rinsed off. There are some masks that dry up on the face and are peeled off . For some reason i haven’t seen them in the market for a long time.
I currently use the body shop tea tree  Face mask for blemished skin. It draws out oil and dirt to the surface to be rinsed away. I love the tea tree fragrance and the tingling sensation it gives when the mask is applied. it leaves my face feeling squeaky clean after each use.

There are also some natural ingredients used for home made masks

Avocado – For hydrating dry skin
Honey    –  Hydrating and moisturizing dry skin
Yoghurt  –  It exfoliates and softens he skin
Egg white- Removes excess oil from oily skin

For readers in Lagos Clean and clear products can be purchased from  health plus pharmacy and Casabella

For readers in Nairobi Clean and clear products can be purchased from Nakumatt stores, super duper cosmetics and  mimosa pharmacy

Body shop products purchased at  www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Thank you for taking time to read this looong post.Hope you found it useful. Kindly drop comments about your skin care routine and tips and subscribe if you haven’t.