The biggest problem I had growing up was dry skin. Then there was a point in my life where my skin became very problematic. Pimples spread out all over my forehead and dotted my chin. They were painful and they were definitely not pretty. I went to the only dermatologist my mom was willing to take me too and employed a very aggressive regiment of skin peeling topical medications. They hurt as well. My skin was still having problems. When I switched to a better doctor (much later on) he put me on Accutane and a topical steroid. He also was able to determine that I was one of the 10% of Americans that are allergic to benzoyl peroxide (he had a good laugh about that one. 'Wow! finally got to meet one of you!'*).
I don't think Accutane was the best idea for me and the steroid caused what a Japanese doctor diagnosed as steroid induced dermatitis. Basically, a lot of reddening and increased sensitivity because the skin had been thinned out. So I stopped using it.
So my skin was weakened, damaged, easily irritated and had uneven coloration. The Japanese called it 'atropy'. A lot of children have it but eventually grew out of it. I had great skin and eventually developed it. Luckily, I met someone who gave me a lot of good advice and I developed a skin care regiment out of it.
It follows the same logic as my 'Cleaners' entry. But the hardest part about finding good facial products is the testing because there are so many products out there. Which ones are good and which ones are bad depend on the person using it. I was using this product called NOV when I was in Japan. Worked great. My Belgian friend really liked how my skin looked so she used the same product. Her face ended up blowing up like a red balloon (and was about the same color).
So the first rule you use when looking for a good facial product:
Test
Using the crook of your elbow or an area near the back of your jaw where your neck meets your face, dab a small amount of product on. Those are the most sensitive areas. If it stings or turns red, the product is definitely not for you! Best of all, the spots are inconspicuous so no one will notice. If after a little while (or if you're really sensitive, give it about 48 hours) it feels fine then the product might be fine.
On to the next area ...
Toner
In Japan they call it 'water'. Toner is like moisturizer that adds water moisture, hydrating your skin. I use toners with no alcohol or only have a little alcohol. Alcohol evaporates faster than water and can leave your skin dry. Asian skin needs water moisture, not so much oil moisture (which is what lotions are for) so I always use toner as soon as I finish washing my face, which is the best time to apply moisturizers, when the skin is still a bit damp and receptive.
Application:
Putting about a dime sized amount on to the palm of my hand I use the third and fourth fingertips of the other hand to dab the toner on to my face. A cotton pad can also be used but I like using my fingers. I hit the key areas, forehead, cheeks, nose, chin and then spread the toner evenly over my skin by patting my hands over it.
Another method is to press the dime sized amount of toner between the palms and using your palms to gently pat all over your face. Both methods work as long as you spread the toner evenly everywhere.
Moisturizer / Lotion
I follow with a milky moisturizer. As I said before, lotion adds the oil moisture skin needs. Asian skin doesn't need a lot of oil because it is thin. Oily Western lotions end up clogging pores because they are so thick. I like milky lotions because they are still very liquid but can glide over the skin and they aren't heavy. Apply the same way as toner. About a dime sized amount, maybe a bit more and dab on the key areas: forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and then using the third and fourth fingers, gently massage or glide the product all over the face. Don't neglect the area on the bridge of your nose and between your eyebrows as well as on the sides of your eyes where your skull indents. By the way, those are great accupressure points!
Cream
I generally only use creams during the winter and before I go to bed at night. Creams have a lot of oil moisture. Oil moisture does have the advantage of lasting longer. My dry areas are generally the tip of my nose and around my mouth area so I dab on a little cream in those areas. I just found this great hyaluronic acid cream from Aquamoist (Japanese product) and it is more like a jelly than a cream. It holds a lot of moisture and it feels really light. I use it as a night cream because of that.
For those with drier skin, a thin layer of cream might help. But again, experimentation is key. Everyone's skin is different so everyone's reaction to a skin product may also be different.
People have also been asking me to recommend some brands. I don't vouch for all the products but from experience I have used them with favorable results.
Missha (yes, I recommend them a lot, I know. And no, I do not work for them :) )
L'Occitane
Prescriptives
Origins
Benefit
Body Shop
Bath & Bodyworks
Clinique
Some people like Shiseido but I'm allergic (even to their D program)
For Japanese products:
Acseine
Arouge
Nov
Avene (okay, French but only lately have I been able to find it in Duane Reade)
DHC
Kanebo
And Sephora is a good place to find products because there are always test products and they give samples.
Tinted Moisturizers
And for those who hate makeup like me (I'll cover a bit on makeup in my next article) they can go for tinted moisturizers. Dior used to have it but not anymore. Good news is there are others here:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/section.jhtml?categoryId=C10550
Seasons
The rule for Cleansers goes the same for lotions, change them and also use ones appropriate for the season. Rotate facial products so your skin will not get used to them and hence they lose effect. For spring and summer, toner and milky lotion that aren't heavy are great. During winter, a heavier lotion and a cream to make up for the moisture getting zapped out of your skin is better.
Cost
A good toner can run cheap, like Missha has big sales and can cost you around $10 or less or can go as much as $50. On average I'd say $30. I don't think of this as expensive because first off, it's my skin, I want it to be as healthy as it can, and second, using only about a dime sized amount once a day, facial products can last upwards of 3 months or more.
Good to stay in the know. If anyone has any other brands or products they'd like to recommend feel free to shoot me an email or a comment.
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