Your face is the first thing that you present to the world, and your skin is the most important feature of your face. Practicing proper skin care is an essential part of everyday life, and there are a variety of products on the market to help you with the process. The most important key to proper skin care is the overall cleanliness of your skin.

If you want better skin, drop the fat-free diet. Believe it or not, your skin actually benefits from eating fats. Try adding a little more fat to your diet. Stick to healthy, unsaturated fats. Foods like olive oil, almonds and fatty fish all contain unsaturated fats that will reduce dry, itchy skin.

To avoid acne, wash your hands before you touch your face. The oil and bacteria that you often have on your hands at any given moment during the day, can easily clog the pores on your face. Washing your hands is a free and simple solution to stopping bothersome acne!

It is okay to moisturize. Although excess oil can be the cause of acne, many acne medications overly dry out the skin and moisturizers are the best way to remedy this. Just be sure to buy face-specific moisturizers that are labeled “non-comedogenic,” which means that they will not clog your pores.

If you want healthier skin, warm up the moisturizer prior to using it. Warm moisturizer is absorbed by your skin faster and more effectively. Lock in the moisturizer in a container and put it in the microwave for a few seconds to achieve this. Another way to achieve the same results is to just place it into a container that has been filled with warm water, which will eventually cause the moisturizer warm up as well.

If you have sensitive skin, be careful when trying out new products. No matter what skin type you do have, sensitivity can also be a factor. Pay attention when buying skin care products, and check labels to make sure there’s no ingredients that you know aggravate your skin. If you’re not sure, buy products specifically designed for sensitive skin.

If you really want to have healthy skin, you have to stop smoking all together. If you continue to smoke, the smoke from your cigarette will dry out your lips and eventually your skin. Research also shows that smoking will eventually make your skin look older and age.

Be careful not to over do it with skin care products. If you are constantly trying new products, you may irritate your skin and cause a rash or an acne breakout. Sometimes it is best to give your skin a rest for a few days and just wear basic makeup and use mild cleansers.

When shopping for skin care items, always look for the words “non-comedogenic.” This means that the product is easily washed away at the end of the day, and will be less likely to clog your pores. Non-comedogenic does not necessarily mean a product is oil-free, so be sure to check the ingredients if your skin is sensitive to oil.

When moisturizing your body, don’t forget your neck and chest. These areas tend to age earlier than other parts of the body, as they have fewer oil glands. Use a moisturizer that contains ingredients such as retinols, copper, kinetin and Vitamin C. Moisturize every morning and night using circular, upward motions.

Don’t pick at your cold sores. Not only does this interfere with normal healing, you could also spread the infectious agents around and cause more sores. The longer it takes for your sore to heal, the greater the likelihood it will leave a scar behind, particularly if it
s become infected.

You never want to scrub the top layer of skin off your face when exfoliating, so be sure that you always apply a gentle touch. Some people will scrub and scrub until their skin is raw. This is not helping anything. In fact, oil just collects in the micro crevices of broken skin, and you’ll be worse off than when you started.

If you suffer from acne it is recommended that you never, under any circumstances, pop your pimples. Popping pimples will push infected material deep into the skin. This is likely to lead to increased redness and swelling and dramatically increases the odds that you will get a permanent scar. Don’t pop your zits.

A clean and glowing face is vital to putting your best foot forward in this world. By following a regime of skin care that suits your skin type, you will be able to maintain and improve the overall quality of your skin. Whether it is lotions or just plain soap, finding what works for your in skin care will help you achieve the look that you desire to put forth to the world.

Skin Care Tips That Can Change Your Life was originally published on Spring