It’s more than just skin deep

HELLO again to the wonderful readers of the GulfWeekly. I hope the past two articles I have written has helped all the beautiful women here in Bahrain!

This time my article will concentrate on our skin – knowing more about it and taking good care of it. After all, it is the biggest organ in our body and stretches from 1.5 to 1.9 sq m making up 15-20  per cent of a person’s body weight.
Skin
It all begins from within.
Water, water everywhere! On your face and in your body.
Water is the number one beauty treatment favoured by women of every age. You cannot create beauty without beginning with a clean, clear palette.
If you don’t drink at least 8-10 glasses a day, you are depriving yourself of the best beauty treatment on earth. Did you know that Japanese women spend twice as much time and money on their skin than any other women in the world? That is a fact!
Cleansing
The first rule of beautiful skin is to stop over cleansing it. This is an unnecessary habit, unless you’ve been up all night digging ditches (you poor dear!) your face is not dirty.
Your morning routine should not be more than reactivating last night’s moisturiser with a splash of warm water or milk. Why milk? Milk is lactic acid and will allow your face to receive a natural acid treatment.
Please be aware that the many acids on the market today are synthetic acids that have caused problems with some women.
There have been reports of everything from sensitivity rashes to permanent scarring. Be careful of the chemical acids you use, and when you can, substitute nature’s acids in your cleansing routine.
In addition to milk consider these natural acids:
Pineapple juice
Lemon juice
Tomatoes
Most citrus fruits.
Toning
Toning is your second step, and an important one. The purpose of using a toner is to remove residue soap, moisturiser, and oil. You can spend a lot for toner, or you can do what many famous models do. Carry around lemons. There are refreshing and more effective than those silly toners that contain only little lemon but lots of chemicals.
Other inexpensive alternatives:
Rose water
Witch hazel
Liquid boric acid.
Or try the following refreshing tea tonic: mix 2 teaspoons of green or chamomile tea with ? cup of water. Saturate a cotton ball, and apply all over the face. Allow it to remain on the skin until it evaporates.
Note:  There’s never any reason to rinse this or any toner off.
Moisturising
I am happy to pass on one of the most important ways ever to save money. It is not necessary to spend a lot on a moisturiser. Just learn to read the labels and look for these low-cost ingredients.
Lipids: listed as ceramides, cerebrosides, or sphingo lipids.
Essential fatty acids: Listed as sunflower oil, grape seed oil, and primrose oil.
Sunscreen: Now available in many moisturises as a step-saver.
Sun protection
You should always make sun protection a priority. Use a sunscreen formulated for your skin along with your moisturiser. Much of the evidence of aging; rough skin, wrinkles, age spots, etc., are really the result of too much sun. Always apply lots of it not only to your face, but slather it on neck, hands, and hairline.
Tip
Don’t buy a vitamin E, A, or C enhanced moisturiser. Go to your local pharmacy and purchase these vitamins in capsule form. Get as much potency as is available. Prick open the capsule, and add it to your moisturiser.
You’ll get all the benefits of expensive cosmetic creams without the extra chemicals or expense.
Add water
You’ll find most moisturisers more effective when applied to damp skin. It forms a thin film that will trap moisture in the skin. Evening is the most important time to take care of your skin. The sleeping hours are when your face is away from makeup, dirt,  pollution etc., and is free to rejuvenate. Your evening regime is also effective and useful in se-stressing your entire psyche to prepare you for the best treatment of all: beauty sleep.
Just follow these steps
Cleanse: Make it easy on yourself, your skin, and your purse by using just one product to remove both makeup and dirt.
If your skin is dry, use a lotion or cream based product that leaves behind emollients (it will feel like a light film on your face). If your skin is normal to oily, use a gel cleanser or a very mild facial soap.
Even though your skin may be very oily, be sure to use a gentle soap like Neutrogena or Dove. Never use a deodorant soap on your face or neck. If your skin is particularly sensitive, don’t even use it on your body!
Exfoliate: I cannot overstate the need for this step. What is exfoliating? It is very much like peeling an onion or removing tiles off a roof. Exfoliating is necessary to get blood flowing into the face, as well as to remove grime. Here’s what to use:
Take a packet of sugar (raw sugar works the best) add a couple of drops of olive oil to create a spreading condition, and gently rub it into the creases of your face.
Open a packet of instant oatmeal, mix it with water and create a paste. Rub this mixture into your face and rinse off the residue. I would suggest that you use instant oatmeal on your face and traditional old-fashioned oatmeal to exfoliate the entire body.
Rub sea salt (available in health food stores) all over both your body and face. You’ll love its invigorating effects.
Masks: My favourite face mask is the result of my most memorable investigative reporting story. I had been informed that those very expensive spas that charge hundreds of dollars for “herbal wraps” were using mud.
● Next week I will give you some tips on how to make use of natural ingredients for masks. I have to end this article as the Editor Stan the Man will definitely go crazy if I go on and on with my tips … anyway there is next week and the week after to read about tips from moi!