WHAT SKIN ARE YOU IN?

Happy Wednesday Beautiful People!

I hope your day has been Awesome so far, & if not here's to making it better!

****For some strange odd reason my photos haven't been posting, I will take care of that soon. Thx for understanding!****

I've received some inquiries related to choosing cosmetics for cleansing, toning, moisturizing etc., & I wanted to address this publicly for the greater good of all FACES. Unfortunately choosing the best cosmetics for your particular skin is a real trial & error type of process. When you're lucky enough to find products that work for you, sometimes you still have to play the cosmetic field because skin changes over time. (Sometimes as much as in the course of a month) For women, changes can occur more often due to hormonal changes in our bodies. For both men & women, activity level, age, diet & other factors can influence the function of skin cells causing us to require specific products to maintain our skin's natural moisture level, softness & function.

My advice is always to give a product at least 2 weeks to determine it's efficacy, or adequacy, for your skin type. Unless, of course, you experience irritation or sensitivity. It's not as simple as grouping skin types & suggesting one product for all, because even within specific skin types we have variations of what we can handle on our skin. This is why cosmetic aisles are saturated with products, making your decision that much more difficult.

I'll provide you with some general characteristics of cosmetics that work best on different skin types & then its up to you to do your homework & footwork to find what best suits your individual needs. Let's go!!

You can typically categorize your skin type as 1 or more of the following 5: Normal, Oily, Dry, Combination or Sensitive.

There's a simple test described at All Women's Talk that suggests using a clean dry facial tissue(Kleenex, etc.) to wipe your face first thing in the morning. What you find on the tissue will help reveal your skin type.

REMEMBER: ALL skin types require the daily 3-part regimen of CLEANSING, TONING & MOISTURIZING!

Normal Skin:
Considered slightly moist, soft, elastic & flexible.
Wiping the face with the tissue will result in no visible residue or oil.
This skin type in generally non-problematic & requires the use of basic cosmetic products free of medicinal & therapeutic agents.

Oily Skin:
Characterized by abnormally high amounts of oil secretion; can often lead to acne (inflammation) & blackheads.
Wiping the face with the tissue will show a visible oily or greasy residue.
This skin type requires the use of cosmetic products that aid in oil-retention & reduction of enlarged pores. Salicylic-acid is a minor abrasive astringent used in most products made for oily skin. The desire of this skin type to reduce the 'shiny' appearance often results in the use of alcohol based products & lack of moisturizers. ALWAYS moisturize, but use creams that are less heavy & rich! NEVER use alcohol on the skin! Why, K. Sweet? Alcohol overly dries the skin & contributes to wrinkles! :) Don't do it!

***It is a feat to find toners containing absolutely no alcohol at all. It's safe to say that if alcohol is not the first ingredient listed on the product, it's not as concentrated & therefore not as harsh on the skin.***

Dry Skin:
This skin type is associated with a lack or insufficient amount of oil production. Typically dry skin can exhibits flakiness, sometimes redness & dry & scaly patches; can lead to whiteheads (caused by oil retention)
Wiping the face with e tissue will show no visible residue. The skin feels tight, dried out & possibly irritated.
This skin type requires the use of moisture enriching products. Avoid any product that contains alcohol or harsh astringents.

Combination Skin:
The most common skin type; characterized by both dry & oily areas. The T-zone, the area of the face comprised of the forehead and nose in a T shape, is often the oily area of combination skin, with dry areas around eyes & cheeks.
Wiping the face with the tissue will exhibit residue in the T-zone & no residue in the other areas of the face.
Combination skin requires attention to both areas, separately, to achieve uniformity in the skin's appearance. Treat oily areas as you would oily skin, & dry areas as you would dry skin. Cleanse oily areas often & Moisturize dry areas thoroughly. Many products specify their use for combination skin. These products are scientifically created with buffers that neutralize oily areas & treat dry areas simultaneously.

Sensitive Skin:
Probably the most problematic as it can become highly irritated by cosmetics; usually dry, or flaky & may show redness.
Wiping with the facial tissue alone could spark irritation; may exhibit same signs as dry skin but to a greater degree.
Products for sensitive skin are usually therapeutic in nature; providing some medicinal agent that helps to cool, calm & control the skin's irritation. Many products for sensitive skin contain Aloe Vera & Vitamin A, C, D or E,(or a combination of them)- all influential in balancing out skin deficiencies.

I hope that this information gives you a better understanding of your skin & assists you in determining the best product for you.

K. Sweet's Tips for Cosmetic Product Use

1. No matter what your skin type always CLEANSE, TONE & MOISTURIZE daily!
2. Avoid products containing alcohol as it dries the skin & causes wrinkles!
3. Allow a product about 2 weeks to determine if it's good for your particular skin!
4. Avoid products containing fragrances, parabens, sulfates, artificial color/ dyes, or anything you can't pronounce.
5. Discontinue use of any product that causes inflammation or irritation. Seek medical attention if this continues.
6. Don't feel obligated to use the same line of product for cleansing, toning & moisturizing. Just be aware of conflicting properties.
7. Explore natural products. They're good for you & the environment! :)
8. Oily skin types: Examine your diet, reduce fatty foods, salts & carbohydrates. Increase water intake!
9. Drink plenty of water! So important I had to say it again for everyone!
10. When in doubt, seek professional consultation. F.A.C.E. by K. Sweet provides skin analysis & consultation with every Facial Massage, Rolling Cream, Deep Cleansing & Makeup Application service. Email F.A.C.E. by K. Sweet for questions & appointments for services!

You're Beautiful!

THE PERFECT FOUNDATION

HAPPY TUESDAY MY LOVES!!!

I hope that yesterday's health review was beneficial to you in some shape, form or fashion. It's imperative that we focus on not just looking good but feeling good as well!

Now that we know how to keep our bodies healthy, let's talk about our most important asset, no not that one, the one we show off everyday: OUR FACE!

BeautyFact: The perfect foundation for ANY makeup application is a properly prepped FACE!!!

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, not everyone has figured this out yet. So let's get some understanding;

The skin is the largest organ of our bodies. It is living & active, consisting of several layers that work together to protect the body, regulate body temperature, absorb nutrients, release wastes, & detect pressure & temperature. (among other things) Sometimes referred to as the envelope of the body, the skin can be classified as normal, oily, dry, or combination. Healthy skin is slightly moist & flexible yet firm.

The skin of the face is often quite different from that of the body. This is why most facial skin cannot endure the use of heavier or more abrasive soaps that the body can handle. Your face is typically exposed to far more elements than your body. Your face is the first part of you to feel the cool morning breeze or the warmth of a hot sunshine on a summer day. It is attacked by the debris in the air & those fumes from that smog-inducing car you drive behind on the way to work. How many times a day do your hands come in contact with your face? What did your hands touch before they landed there? How many other people's hands touched those same things you touched before touching your face? Just think of all the things your face is exposed to on a regular basis & you may be a tad disgusted. That's why it's important to show your face some extra love & care to keep it in great condition.

Regardless to skin type, there are 3 key steps to preserving the quality of your facial skin, & they must be followed on a daily basis:

1. CLEANSE
2. TONE
3. MOISTURIZE

CLEANSING the skin removes all superficial dirt & waste products. Warm water & moist steam are two excellent facilitators to open the pores & allow deep cleansing to take place. You should always begin cleansing with 1-2 minutes of moist heat.EXFOLIATING cleansing involves removing dead skin cells to help unclog pores & reduce acne-causing bacteria. (PORES are small openings on the skin surface that serve as an escape route for sweat & oil) Skin sheds on an average of every 30 days & it is important to refresh the skin by removing dead cells & exposing the younger, newer skin cells beneath.
Learn more about the benefits of exfoliating!

TONING the skin involves the use of a toning lotion or wash to aid in further cleansing of the skin. Toners also remove makeup residue, refresh the skin & give the impression of reduced pore size. Toning will assist in keeping the skin taut & looking young by stimulating skin cells to reduce the appearance of fine lines & increasing blood circulation, which in turn provides the skin with more nourishment, leaving it healthy & vibrant. Toners with little to no alcohol are preferred for all skin types. Alcohol is a drying agent that is often used to dry out pimples, however it is too harsh on most skin. Oily skin types tend to use alcohol to remove oil from the skin but this, in fact, only stimulates skin to produce more oil.
Learn more about the benefits of facial toners!

MOISTURIZING the skin sounds like a no brainer but many people neglect this step for different reasons. Moisturizing the skin replaces essential nutrients lost in the cleansing process. A good moisturizer has an SPF factor of no less than 15. It pprotects the skin & encourages even skin tone (color). Again, oily skin types tend not to moisturize believing this will cause them to appear more oily...MYTH! By not moisturizing, the skin is left dry & (because it is living & active) it recognizes this as a problem to be fixed. It signals oil glands to produce more oil to protect itself, thus leaving the skin more oily.
Find out which moisturizer is right for you!

Now you have a basic knowledge of Skincare. Follow the guidelines & look into the links for further information on the best foundation for any makeup application.