GET YOUR FACE AT IT'S BEST: BEAUTY KNOWLEDGE

Your face is exposed to sun, wind, heat, or cold every single day. It could use some TLC. The first step in caring for your complexion is learning your skin type:
Dry skin flakes or feels tight, rough, or itchy.
Oily skin looks shiny or greasy, and your pores may be large.
Combination skin is dry in some parts and oily in others.
Sensitive skin stings, burns, or itches when it reacts to some cleansers and makeup. Some people with sensitive skin may have acne, rosacea, or allergies.

Face-Cleansing Basics
Learning your skin type helps you know what to clean your face with and how often to wash.
Dry skin: Use a gentle cleanser instead of soap twice a day.
Oily skin: Use an oil-free cleanser that's noncomedogenic (won't clog pores) twice a day.
Combination skin: Use a mild cleanser that isn't too drying twice a day.
Sensitive skin: Use a cleanser that's free of alcohol, soap, and fragrance once a day.


Keep Skin Moisturized
In the morning, save time by using a moisturizer that also has sunscreen in it.
Dry skin: Use a creamy moisturizer right after washing to help lock in moisture. Reapply later if your skin feels tight.
Oily or combination skin: Use a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer.
Sensitive skin: Use a creamy moisturizer.
At night, whatever your skin type, you should apply a moisturizer that doesn’t contain sunscreen.


Protect Your Face From the Sun
Wear sunscreen every day, even if it's overcast or you’re indoors. The sun's harmful ultraviolet rays can pass through clouds and windows. UV exposure increases your risk for age spots, wrinkles, and skin cancer. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Some moisturizers and cosmetics already have sunscreen in them.


Skin of Color
People with dark skin, such as African-American or Hispanic people, might be overly sensitive to chemicals in some skin care products. And when dark skin gets irritated, it may be prone to scarring and hyperpigmentation (dark spots or patches). People with dark skin need a simple, gentle skin care routine. Moisturizer helps prevent skin from looking dry. Sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, wrinkling, and hyperpigmentation.


Skin Care Products: In What Order?
Once you know which products to use, use them in this order:
Morning: Cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen (if separate from moisturizer). Then apply your makeup.
Night: Cleanser, retinol product (to help even out skin color and improve skin texture), moisturizer that doesn't contain sunscreen. If the retinol product is too strong, try applying it after the moisturizer.


Blemish Care at Home
Your first instinct with a pimple may be to pop it or put toothpaste on it. But squeezing it can push pus into your skin and leave a scab. Applying toothpaste can irritate your skin more. Be patient. The pimple will go away on its own. To speed up healing, use acne products that have salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide if you have mild acne. Choose liquids or gels for oily skin. Lotions or creams are good for dry skin.


Professional Blemish Care
You may need to see a dermatologist if your at-home acne treatment doesn't work. The doctor may suggest various types of prescription medications or may try draining large, stubborn acne cysts. Laser and light treatments (phototherapy) can also treat acne, but they are expensive. Light chemical peels help loosen blackheads and reduce the size of pimples. The doctor may also remove blackheads and whiteheads with a pen-like tool.


Removing Facial Hair at Home
You have several options to remove facial hair at home.
Plucking only requires tweezers. It removes a single hair at a time and may hurt.
Depilatories are liquids, creams, gels, aerosols, or roll-on products that dissolve hair. On your face, you should only use a depilatory that is meant for facial hair. They may have an odor, may be messy, and may cause a rash or more severe skin irritation.
Waxing removes hair and its roots. You spread hot wax over the hair and quickly pull it off when it hardens. The results last about 2 to 3 weeks but may hurt.


Treating an Ingrown Facial Hair
Ingrown hairs occur when hair curves and grows into and under the skin instead of growing out of the hair follicle. This irritates skin. Hair removal methods such as plucking, waxing, threading, sugaring, shaving, and using depilatories can cause ingrown hairs. Use an exfoliating wash to remove dead skin cells, and put moisturizer on the area. If the area is painful, swollen, or red, see your doctor.


Exfoliation
Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and improves the look of skin. Food-based scrubs can be harsh on the skin. Look for exfoliants with synthetic beads instead. Other options are chemical exfoliants with glycolic or salicylic acid and spinning brushes. If your skin is dull or dry, try exfoliating instead of washing once or twice a week. Stop if it makes your skin worse.


Facials
A facial is a group of skin treatments. It may involve cleansing and exfoliating the skin and cleaning out pores. Facials make skin look smoother temporarily. However, some people may have an allergic reaction to plant-based facial ingredients. Trying a facial at home may also be risky. Some facial products can produce sun-related rashes. Exfoliating at home may be a better option.


Facial Masks
Facial masks serve different purposes, but their benefits are questionable. Some products claim to tighten pores or decrease redness. Masks with ingredients such as glycerin may moisturize the skin.
Clay masks are drying so they can be helpful if your skin is oily. They may clean the skin and increase circulation for a short time. A downside is that clay masks can block pores.


Toner

Toner is a liquid that may decrease oil and shine on the face. Alcohol-based versions can also remove makeup and dirt from the skin. This is why some people use it as a secondary cleanser. Toner can be irritating. It's not a good choice for dry skin or skin that's prone to redness. If you choose to use toner, apply it once or twice a day based on your skin's needs.

Ways to Keep Skin Healthy
Here are more ways to help keep your face looking its best:

• Don't smoke. Chemicals in the smoke make skin age faster.
• Eat fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains for healthy skin.
• Exercise every day. Exercising helps your skin by increasing blood flow. And sweating flushes out dirt from your skin.
• Find ways to lessen stress. Stress can make your skin more sensitive and worsen acne.