Skin Care Tips for Asian Skin

The skin is the natural protective covering of the human body. It is the largest sensory organ and it is the first thing people see when you meet them. Subsequently, it is the foremost concern of women to keep their skin smooth and supple. However, Asians experience skin problems from skincare products that work well for Caucasians. This is because of the differentiation in their skin characteristics.

To help you take care of your skin well, let us understand what issues Asian women face:

• Irritation

Changes in weather affect their skin due to temperature variations. Weather in Asia is often changing in extremes. Too hot makes skin oily because your adrenaline induces additional oil secretion. This is to protect the skin from too much heat. During cold months, the oil secretion of your body is minimal. This dries the skin. These changes in weather make the skin easily irritated especially for Asian Women.

Popular skincare products made for Caucasians irritate the Asian skin and may wreak havoc to it. This is because Caucasians consider their skin characteristic in creating their products. Therefore, Asians should look for products that meet their skin characteristics. This proves that popular and expensive does not correlate to effective.

Stress, hormonal imbalance and internal health problems easily show on Asian skin as well.

• Skin pigmentation or dark spots

Dark spots appear on Asian skin early in life. This is the reason why Asians worry about whitening rather than wrinkling. Wrinkles appear quite later but of course, lifestyle and internal health problems may create skin issues. Exposure to sun is likewise negative for your skin and may cause discoloration.

• Prone to acne

Because of the hot weather in most Asian countries, their skin is oilier. It easily traps dirt, clogs the pores and may cause acne. Skin exfoliation is necessary. Knowing the issues that your skin may face will help you take care of it well. However, you may also need to look at your skin type to be able to choose products that fits your skin type.


Skin Types

Taking care of your skin starts from knowing what your skin type is. This is important to make sure that you use products for your skin type and avoid skin problems later on.

What are the skin types and their characteristics?

• Normal Skin
• Dry Skin
• Oily Skin
• Combination Skin

Normal Skin

This type of skin is what you are born with.

• Smooth and supple skin
• Even skin tone
• No greasy patches
• No flaky areas
• No visible pores

As mentioned, you are born with this type of skin. Look at a baby this is his skin type. However as you grow older, the environment and the food you eat including your lifestyle affects our skin. Some people keep their skin type long enough not to worry about it. Products for their skin are easy to find.

This however does no mean people with normal skin can forget about skincare regimen because as mentioned environmental factors may step in anytime.



Dry Skin

Dry skin is common to older women. This type of skin has low sebum production. It is prone to sensitivity because it cannot retain moisture.

• It feels tight
• It is prone to chapping and cracking.
• Flaking is also sign of dry skin

Additionally, dry skin easily create lines and shows signs of premature aging. It is therefore necessary to take care of your dry skin by using products that will keep the skin moisturized and hydrated.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is common to women in their puberty. It may be hereditary and so there are people that even as they get older, their skin is still prone to breakouts.

• Shiny and thick
• Dull in color
• Visible pores
• Prone to pimples and blemishes

There is excess production of sebum and often oil oozes and the skin feels greasy. Make-up does not stay long in the face. However, if you have this skin type, do not despair. All you need to do is find the product that will help manage your skin problem.



Combination Skin

Combination skin has a combination problem. You have a dry skin, mostly on your T-zone or the nose and the forehead. You have oily skin mostly, on the U-zone, which is the cheek, chin and the other cheek.

You therefore need to take care of your skin in two ways. It may seem expensive but choosing the right product may help you take care of both your skin types with ease.

There are other combinations where oiliness is not on the U-zone but other areas and dry not on the T-zone. Remember each individual has its own skin characteristic. Patches of flaking may happen just anywhere in your face.

It is therefore necessary to assess your skin. This will help you understand what your skin needs and what problems may occur if you do not take immediate action.



SKINCARE REGIMEN

For the skin in your Face:

Regardless of your skin type, you will need to follow a regular face care regimen that will ensure you keep your skin healthy. Especially so when you are exposed to stress on a gigantic level, this is common Moms who wear so many different hats.

Step 1. WASH YOUR FACE

Wash your face with mild facial wash. You will need to avoid washing your face with soap because soap contains ingredients that may be harmful to your skin. Most soap contains lye or sodium hydroxide. Lye will cause your skin to dry and it will strip your skin of its natural moisture.

This is not to say that soap is good for oily skin, because lye causes harm to whatever skin type big time.

My recommendation is therefore to choose mild facial wash.

Mild Facial Scrub will help deeply clean your skin. However, the use of scrub should only be once or twice a weak because it may cause sensitivity.

Step 2. USE TONER

This will help deeply clean your face and take away traces of dirt that your facial wash may leave behind.

Toner will likewise close the pores to help your skin absorb the moisturizer that will follow.

Toner also helps lighten the impurities that may show in your face.

Ensure that in choosing your toner, you will take note of your skin type. This is so you may avoid products that may cause problems for your face.

Step 3. MOISTURIZE

Moisturizing is the most important skincare regimen of all.

Moisturizing is necessary to keep your skin smooth and supple. Firmness and elasticity are the manifestations of clear and flawless skin.

Moisturizing is part of the skincare regimen to help keep the keratin or the protective layer of the skin intact. Regular moisturizing will avoid chapping and flaking.

It may be necessary to mention that having oily skin does not mean you do not need this full regimen, including moisturizing. This is because your excess oil secretion does not compensate for the moisture that your skin needs.

Moisturizers keep the balance of the moisture in the skin to help enhance the barrier against bacteria and other environmental aggression.

Cleansing and Toning the skin will help take away dead skin and moisturizers will help replace the dead skin with new once.

This is the reason why the 3-Step skincare regimen is necessary to ensure clean and clear complexion.

To help ease your mind, there are three kinds of moisturizers and these three types answer to the different skin types.

Fluid moisturizer – it is water base and not sticky. It is best for oily skin, because it moisturizes without adding oil to your face.

Cream moisturizer – this is the commonly used moisturizer. It is good for normal and dry skin.

Serum moisturizer, it is light in consistency but with more active ingredients. Extremely dry skin or damaged skin needs this type of moisturizer.


For your Body Skin

As you may know, the skin in your body is not as sensitive as the face. However, it is still necessary for you to take care of it to avoid problems that may cause ugly marks on your skin.

Here is how you can take care of the skin in your body:

Step 1. Cleanse

Use mild soap when you bathe. Harsh chemicals may strip the natural moisture of your skin and will make it look and feel dull.

Step 2. Moisturize

Use body lotion to moisturize your skin. Again, you may need to consider your skin type. Find products that fit your skin type.

Massage your skin as you apply your lotion. This will help tone your skin and avoid sagging while moisturizing your skin.

Step 3. Protect

Use sun block if you expect to be under the sun for long hours. This is especially so when you are going to the beach or just working under the sun.

Use sun block even if you have darker skin. This is to protect your skin cells from harmful UV rays. People with darker skin feel they do not need sun block, but they do. This is because the sun’s harmful rays will damage skin if you do not protect it with sun block.

Use lotions with UV filters to avoid damaging your skin due to radiation especially if you work with computers long time.

Step 4. Pamper your Skin

In the stress-stricken world that we live in, occasional relaxation and pampering is necessary.

Spa and massage will help improve your wellness. This occasional pampering will likewise improve your skin’s elasticity and provide the caring and nourishing touch your body requires.


For the skin in your hand

The hand is the most neglected part of skincare activities. However, because ageing easily shows in your hand, you will need to take care of it as well.

Use hand lotion, it will take care of your hand to avoid too much wrinkling. Since it is common to wash your hand often, use hand lotion as often as possible. This will ensure that your hand will keep up with you as you go about your daily activities.

For the Skin around the Eye

The skin in your eyes is 30% more sensitive than your facial skin. Therefore, signs of ageing such as wrinkling, Crow’s Feet and laugh lines will show in your face easily.

There are products especially designed to moisturize and take care of the skin around your eye. Take advantage of eye creams, this will keep you looking beautiful without breaking the bank.


FOOD FOR GLOWING SKIN

The food you eat also plays a role in keeping your skin glowing. Unhealthy lifestyle in combination with diet involving refined sugar, coffee and soft drink depletes energy in your skin that may cause drying and premature ageing.

Having said this, please note that there are foods that will likewise help your skin glow such as:

Nuts
Grains
Fruits and vegetables
Milk
Yogurt
Honey
Yeast
Vegetable Oil

These foods will help your skin glow. Include them in your regular diet.

You may also take vitamin supplements especially Vitamin E to add life to your skin.


TIPS FOR HEALTH SKIN

Healthy lifestyle is necessary to keep a healthy body. The above skincare regimens in combination with a healthy lifestyle will keep you at the peak of life:

• Eat a well balanced diet. Include all the food groups but take them in moderation. These food groups help your body combat normal day-to-day activities while improving your general health and wellbeing. If you are however prone to high blood pressure or diabetes, take only minimal fats and oil.

• Drink plenty of water. Eight glasses of clean and fresh water a day will ensure that your skin is well nourished and hydrated especially during summer months.

This may seem absurd as you only eat 3 to 5 meals a day. It is not so, there is a way to drink more than eight glasses a day. Let me count the ways:

1. During the night, you loose water and so you need to replenish it as you wake up in the morning. This is one glass of water down.
2. For breakfast, drink one glass of water down.
3. Morning snack a glass of water will complete you meal.
4. Lunch one glass of water
5. Afternoon snack another glass
6. Dinner one glass of water as a minimum
7. Do you exercise? If you exercise, you need to prepare your body to sweat, so take one full glass of water before you start.
8. After you exercise, you much have sweat a lot and you need to bring down another full glass of water.

This complete the eight glasses a day requirement. However, this is not enough. During your meal, you will feel thirsty after taking a salty or spicy food, drink water instead of soft drink or fruit juice. An hour after every full meal, drink water to help digest the food you eat.

You may also feel thirsty during the intervals and even during an intense meeting, so drink water as well.

I understand that this is too much water and if you are not accustomed to it, you will feel bloated. However, as in anything your body in not used to, regularly striving to drink this much will make your system get used to it in time.

Let me remind you that if you need to loose weight, taking water before you eat will help fill you up. Thus, water will help you loose weight. Is this not a good reason to forget about soft drinks and coffee?

• Give your body the relaxation it needs. If you can sleep for 8 hours every night, this will give your tired body the rest it needs. It will also give time for your skin to regenerate. Eight hours is best but if you find it hard to sleep that long, short naps during the day will compensate for it.

• Avoid a stressful lifestyle, if you feel stressed, try to relax, take a walk or exercise to keep the balance your body needs.

• Exercise, this is important for your health and general well-being, not just for your skin. You may find 101 reasons not to exercise but there are likewise 101 reasons why you need to exercise. Avoiding medical problems could help you move those muscles, what do you think?

Additionally, your skin will be firmer and your weight will be manageable if you exercise regularly. Therefore, move those muscles and stay healthy.

• Avoid excessive smoking and drinking. Smoking and alcohol do not only dehydrate your body. It also helps free radical generate faster. This may harm cells that will induce diseases and pre-mature ageing.

Mothers like you need to live life to the fullest as well.

You are not born only to –

• nourish your children
• provide the needed support to your husband
• augment the family finances
• clean the house
• mow the lawn
• wash the clothes

You have a life of your own, live it. This is the only consolation you can give your mother who raised you. Stop being a heroine, start being human.

Of course, you need to consider the financial status of our family and the future, but if you do not have enough energy to move forward, you will end up exhausted and may even develop medical problems in the future.

Finally, before you jump in the buying mode for skincare products, here are some points to consider:

• Find a reputable skincare product manufacturer and choose the product that fits your skin type.

• Avoid over-the-counter skincare treatment as they may wreak havoc in your sensitive skin.

• Read the label to ensure the product fits your skin well.

• Purchase small sizes for trial. Do not buy big sizes because the product worked for your friend. Please remember that your skin differs from other skin. Products that work well with them may cause damage yours. So, try the skincare product first.

If you find the product that suits your skin, stick with it until you feel it does not work anymore.

This is not to say that you will stick with it for life. My advice is to change your product in 6 to 12 months at the minimum. This will ensure that your skin will have adjusted to the product before you move to another product.

• If you feel any adverse reaction from products you used in your skin, visit your health care professional for his advice. Do not self-medicate. This is an advice of medical professionals and it is worth heeding this advice.

Take care of your skin and you will surely live a happy and long life with your family by your side.