Your daily skin care regimen can be just as important as facial exercises for fighting the signs of aging. The first step of your protocol should be washing your face. While it seems like an easy task, many people do it incorrectly. This can result in breakouts, an increase in the appearance of wrinkles and other unsightly damage.
The skin on your face is delicate and more sensitive than other areas of your body. The Stratum corneum, which is the outer layer of the dermis, is formed from dead skin cells connected by lipids, fatty compounds that help your skin retain moisture. You want to avoid damaging the lipids at all costs! Yet you don’t want dead cells to build up too much either or skin will appear dull and lackluster.
Avoid this by washing your face the right way! Start by taking off your makeup with a gentle remover using soft, easy strokes, especially around the delicate eye area. When you’re ready to apply cleanser, use warm to cool water—hot water can dissolve the lipids and strip skin of necessary oils. Apply your favorite cleanser using your fingertips and massage into your face using gentle, circular motions. Start at the bottom of your jaw and move upwards—think of defying gravity every time you cleanse. When you move downwards, you’re actually pulling the skin down, which promotes sagging. Strive to wash your face for a least 30 seconds of washing your face so the cleanser has time to work its magic.
If your skin feels irritated or there is visible redness, you are not being gentle enough. When you finish, gently pat your skin dry with a soft face towel. Then you are ready to follow the next step of your skin care protocol.
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