Skin Care » Dry Skin » Oily Skin » Mature Skin



Beautiful skin is more than skin deep. The skin is largest organ of nourishment and elimination, with the acid layer, or coveting of the skin, inhibiting the growth of disease-causing bacteria. Skin problems are one of the surest signs of poor nutrition, and improved nutrition is quickly mirrored by skin health. Some of the causes of skin problems are emotional stress, poor diet of refined foods and too much sugar, too many saturated fats, caffeine overload, food allergies, liver malfunction, poor digestion and assimilation, irritating cosmetics, essential fatty acid depletion, synthetic fiber clothing, PMS and menopausal changes.

Beginning at the age of thirty, there is a reduction of elastin and collagen (fibrous protein) production in the connective tissue where the elastic and collagen fibers are found. The skin enzyme, elastase, attacks the elastic fibers and destroys the elastic, therefore your skin loses its tone. The contour of your skin, wrinkles and lines are determined by many factors, including moisture and the relative health of collagen. Aging of the skin occurs when collagen becomes hard and cross-linked with neighboring collagen fibers.

How to Treat It

Products created for sensitive skin have one thing in common: minimal ingredients (fewer than 10 are recommended) with no unnecessary bells and whistles such as dyes and fragrances. Since sensitive skin is often dry, a simple splash of water will effectively remove any surface oils in the morning. Wash with a very mild cleanser in the evening, when you have makeup and the day's debris to get rid of. While you might think that you should go nowhere near an exfoliating scrub, you still need to help your skin shed that dead upper layer quickly rest assured that a gentle scrub will get the job done effectively. Next, moisturize, which is important both to increase skin's resilience and to boost its ability to protect itself from environmental irritants. Always use a daytime moisturizer with sun protection. Finally, choose a night cream that's targeted for sensitive skin. Some experts even recommend baby moisturizers, which are particularly gentle.