Importance of Skin Care: Ever Wondered Just What Exactly Our Skin Does?

The following article provides some insight into why good skin care is important and suggests a simple skin care regime anyone can follow to help your skin perform at its best.

Our skin's functions are too many to go through here in detail, however it protects our 'insides' from the external environment, acting both as a barrier and a filter between 'outside' and 'inside' our bodies.

The skin helps in regulating our body's temperature, like when we have a fever or we're physically working hard, we tend to sweat, which is the body's way to attempt to lower the temperature.

The skin also protects us from harmful substances entering our body, and it eliminates many toxins. This takes workload off our Liver and Kidneys to filter out by-products from our body's metabolism. The skin also breathes!

These are just some of the important functions of our skin and as you can see, looking after your skin is vital, not just for your outer beauty, but for maintaining your inner health.

Now there is skin care and there is skin care... well, we all (hopefully) wash our body (skin) every day and we may even rub some body cream on and that is pretty much that. Women (most) go one step further when they make-up their face. Often using a cleanser and then a moisturiser before applying make-up. But is that really skin care?

I think not. I would consider it an attack on the skin rather than caring for it. You see, most of the products marketed to women are full of artificial colours, stabilisers, emulsifiers and other chemical, which are supposed to help in achieving a 'beautiful complexion'.

Some products are advertising hormones, which are supposed to make your skin re-gain that youthful (no wrinkles) look ? but more often than not these 'hormones' are artificial or synthetic and may well cause problems with the hormonal balance of the body. This is NOT Skin care ? this is plain old manipulation and marketing.

Real skin care is much more than that and is more than just skin deep. Your skin is a living, breathing organ of your body. As such, just like every other organ in our body, it needs to be fed from the inside ? it requires nutrients.

There are 4 basic ingredients to feeding the inside: Good nutrition: keep it simple, fresh and unprocessed. That is the best nutritional advice I can give. The simpler the food, the less processing and the fresher your food is, the better it is for you. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain so many of the nutrients we need to maintain our health. Sure have the odd processed, high in fat meal when you're enjoying a meal out or have to attend a Luncheon or what ever. But make sure you have more natural foods than not. Keep the diet varied ? don't eat the same old, same old? risk a new veggie ? one you haven't tried before ? you might like it ?

Adequate rest and relaxation: don't work yourself to an early grave ? it's not worth it. Make sure you get the sleep you need. Did you know that a study in England showed that your IQ (intelligence) drops if you do not have 8 hours sleep per night?

Think about it, do you get more work done if you feel well rested? Can you concentrate better if you're not tired? ? I bet you can.

Well, why not invest some additional time into rest and relaxation so that you gain an increase in energy and concentration? I'm sure you will find you will get more work done in less time if you've had sufficient rest.

Sufficient water intake: that's a biggie. Most people (irrespective of were they live) will utilise around 3 litres of water per day ? hey, don't believe me, all the medical texts say so. Our body simply needs water to function.

If you do not drink at least this amount, your body will either not function well (on some level) or it will take it from where ever it can. That is called dehydration. You know, dry lips, dry flaky skin, parched mouth, cracks on you tongue, premature wrinkles? the list goes on. So, drink up (water, mind you) or shrivel up ? it's up to you.

Fresh air and sunshine: well, what can I say. Taking a deep breath of air and tell me it doesn't feel great? Well? Oxygen is the stuff of life. Fill your lungs with it. Here I could go into how most of us do not know how to breath properly, but I'll save this for another article.

So what does all this have to do with skin care? Well, that is the point of putting expensive, beauty products on your skin, when you do not give it the stuff of life from the inside? The cells that make up your skin need the right nutrients for proper development, growth and all that? You can help your skin by using good quality skin care products, but you have to support this from the inside as well. Only in that way can you expect to get good results from proper skin care.

So what's proper skin care?

Well, for starters there are 3 basic steps.

1. Cleanse and Condition

2. Hydrate and Tone

3. Moisturise and Revive.

OK. Cleansing the skin seems obvious and I know, you do know how to use soap ? wrong, this is one sure way to make your skin dry-out quicker. Most soaps remove the natural oils of the skin, change the natural pH levels and do nothing to remove the dead layers of skin, which can block your pores and lead to blackheads. And, oh no, not pimples! The skin produces oils and acids to help it function, to protect it from loss of excessive moisture, to form a barrier? etc. So please do not use soap or detergents unless it is necessary.

Using a loofah or a gentle 'scrub' will remove the dead skin cells and this in turn will promote better blood circulation and help your skin to breath.

The next step is to hydrate and tone the skin. Say what? Well, you've just removed the dead skin layers, rubbing the skin with a loofah and or a specially formulated cleanser, now it's time to remove the residue, sooth the skin and prepare the skin for getting a good feed of nutrients from the moisturiser.

Preparation of the skin prior to putting on the moisturiser is not dissimilar to preparing a surface about to receive a new coat of paint. You wouldn't just paint over a wall that hasn't been cleaned and prepared for the new paint, would you? It would be a waist of time and money? well, good skin care is the same. You first get rid of the old layer of paint, than you give it a primer and finally the top-coat.

Ah, I already use a moisturiser? Great, at least that's a step in the right direction. But, have you looked at the ingredients? Are they natural, or are there numbers and words you don't recognise on the label? If so, then consider that your body absorbs these substances and if they are not useful, (preferably of a natural kind) then the body has to eliminate them - and that's more work and not necessary.

In some cases, the body actually can't eliminate these substances and has to store them. This is a potential problem and could cause health issues down the track. Pure essential oils, or herbal extracts are usually good ingredients to have in your skin care products.

So there you have it - the importance of good skin care. These steps, if you follow them, will help you to achieve the results you want and your body will thank you too.

About Authors:
Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapists, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it's fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.

---

The Benefits of Sunless Tanning Sprays

Some people desire enough of a tan for just one... Read More

Beautiful Eyes

Beautiful skin care starts with what people notice first. Eyes... Read More

Deep Vein Thrombosis...an In Flight Risk

DVT?an in flight riskby Cathy Gatson Planning to do some... Read More

Are Parabens Really Safe

You've probably heard the news stories about parabens and the... Read More

Divine Food for Divine Beauty

Excerpted from the book "Your Right to Be Beautiful: How... Read More

Sunless Tanning: Tips For A Safe, Gorgeous Tan

Tanning products, both sunless and sun, work on the epidermis,... Read More

Dangers of Tanning Beds and How to Prevent Them!

The subject of the dangers of tanning beds use has... Read More

Beauty Sleep

Beauty SleepThe health and beauty of a good night's sleep... Read More

White Asian Skin Against Tanning

The paler the skin, the higher the classPale skin has... Read More

Do-It-Yourself Manicure

Your hands are as obvious as any part of your... Read More

Brow Lift Information

As you age, your skin becomes slack and loses its... Read More

7 Tips for Beautiful Skin

For most women, part of their morning and evening routines... Read More

The Truth About Beauty

Why this fascination with beauty?The demand for beauty services in... Read More

Skin Calling: Pure-Plant and Vitamin Topical Solutions for Youthful Skin

In today's busy, stressful and at times rat race world,... Read More

Are You Happy With Your Hairdresser and Salon?

How many times in your life do you think you... Read More

The Dangers of Plastic Surgery

There is very little in this life that comes without... Read More

Color Contact Lenses for Light Eyes - What Works Best?

You may ask why a person with naturally blue or... Read More

Aromatherapy Skin Care

When there is easy way to do your aromatherapy skin... Read More

Mineral Makeup- Natural Beauty

As we become more aware of our environment and more... Read More

Lens Materials Found On Sunglasses

Did you know that there are multiple types of lens... Read More

Smoking, Can it Harm My Skin?

Yes it can harm it in several ways. Here are... Read More

Risks Of Tanning Beds - Not All They Are Hyped Up To Be

The risks of tanning beds aren't all that it's hyped... Read More

The Swan on the Chopping Block

When Anderson wrote "The Ugly Duckling", he was imagining a... Read More

Fake a Tan with Sunless Tanning Lotion

A great tan is associated with health and beauty. While... Read More

Beauty Tip: Foundation Secrets For A Flawless Complexion

1. For a natural look your foundation must match your... Read More

Unpowered Color Contacts - An Optical Illusion

Gone are the days when contact lenses were the domain... Read More

Mineral Baths: Smart Bathing Versus Hard Bathing

"There is a power of choice- what we do today... Read More

Radio Frequency Energy Fans Thermacool

I guess you wouldn't think that radio frequency energy would... Read More

Natural Skin Care Mask

Healthy skin is one of the most common health and... Read More

What Causes Aging?

Although we experience the aging process as a progressive physical... Read More

What Exactly is a Tan Towel?

Many of us have heard about the latest trend in... Read More

Beauty Doesn?t Have To Be Expensive

Where do you buy your beauty supplies? If you buy... Read More

Wrinkles and Liver Spots are Signs of Aging, Mature Skin

WrinklesGravity is the skin's worst enemy. Weakening of collagen and... Read More