Step 1: Cleanse your skin
Step 2: Apply toner
Step 3: Exfoliate
Step 4: Apply moisturizer
Step 5: Apply sunscreen.
Step 1: Cleanse your skin
What is a cleanser and what does it do?
Cleansers are a facial skin care product that is used to remove dirt, dead skin cells, make-up, excess oils and impurities from your skin. It is important to clean your skin to ensure that the pores in your skin don’t become blocked. Glands under the skin produce sebum (skin oil) which reaches the surface of the skin through pores. Under normal circumstances sebum forms a barrier which protects the skin from bacteria and other harmful agents from entering the skin and also reduces water loss from the surface of the skin. Dirt can cause blockages of the skin pores trapping sebum and dead skin cells together creating an environment conducive for bacteria to cause inflammation. This results in acne. So, it’s very important to clean your skin to prevent clogging your skin’s pores.
Cleansing your skin is very important step in your skin care routine if you live in a city like Kolkata where both humidity and dust levels are very high. High humidity helps dust stick to your pores causing blockages which can cause a host of skin ailments including acne.
How to apply a cleanser?
Ensure you wash your hands before applying cleanser so you don’t transfer bacteria to your face. Wet your face with warm water to open up the pores of your skin and then apply the cleanser using circular motions. Many products work best if you leave the cleanser on for a minute to dissolve the dirt and penetrate your pores. Remove the cleanser using damp cotton pads until all the cleanser is removed. It is very important to ensure that no cleanser is left on your face as this can cause irritation. Finish by washing your face with cold water to close the pores which will prevent dirt from getting back into the skin. Finally dry your face with a clean towel. It’s very important to ensure that the towel is clean since dirty towels can transfer bacteria to your skin.
How often should you cleanse?
Cleanse once in the morning before applying make-up and once at night before going to bed. Very important if you live in a humid and dust prone city like Kolkata.
Step 2: Apply toner
What is a toner and what does it do?
A toner is water based liquid with active ingredients that primarily help restore the pH balance of your skin and also removes any dirt and traces of makeup that were not removed by the cleanser. So what is pH? pH is a scale that can tell you if your skin is acidic or alkaline. Normal skin is slightly acidic and has a pH of 5.5. pH of 7 is neutral. Anything over below 7 is acidic and over 7 alkaline. Skin being slightly acidic helps retain moisture and lipids and protects against bacteria & pollution. Acidic skin looks dry and irritated (redness) and typically happens when someone has used a product that does not agree with their skin. Alkaline skin can look overly dry or oily. Alkaline skin has high enzyme activity which breaks down collagen which can accelerate aging.
How to apply a toner?
Once you have cleansed your skin apply a few drops of toner on a cotton pad. The cotton pad should feel damp but not wet. Wipe your face & neck with the cotton pad applying sufficient pressure so the product enters the pores of your skin but not so much that you end up pulling your skin.
How often should you use toner?
Once in the morning after you wake up and once at night before going to bed
Step 3: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of our skin.New skin cells from the deepest layers of our skin migrate to the outermost layer of our skin replacing dead skin cells (process of cell regeneration). As we age this process slows down and dead skin cells are not replaced with new skin cells as quickly as before resulting in clogged pores and more visible signs of aging. Clogged pores can lead to some common skin issues such as acne, blackheads and whiteheads.
Exfoliation helps clear clogged pores which in turn helps reduce acne, blackheads and whiteheads. Exfoliation removes dry dull skin making your skin feel smooth and radiant. This process also minimizes hyperpigmentation (patches of skin that are darker than the surrounding area) & improves hydration.
How often should you exfoliate your skin?
One should exfoliate their skin twice a week after thoroughly cleansing and rinsing their face with lukewarm water. Moisturizer should be applied immediately after exfoliation.
How to exfoliate?
- Remove your makeup
- Cleanse your face (this is a must in dusty humid climate like Kolkata)
- Wet a clean cloth in hot water and gently wipe you face to open up the pores so your skin is more responsive to exfoliation.
- Gently apply exfoliation product in upward circular motions to your entire face to remove dead skin cells. Do not rub too hard. Let the exfoliating product do its job.
- Rinse the exfoliation product with warm water and then wash your face with cold water to close the pores.
- Pat dry your face with a soft clean towel
- Apply moisturizer
Step 4: Apply moisturizer
What is a moisturizer and what does it do?
One of the functions of our skin is to prevent water loss through a process called transepidermal water loss. Skin can lose moisture in a number of ways including as a result of low relative humidity in winter, bathing or washing hands very frequently, using harsh soaps, taking hot showers etc. The function of a moisturizer is to prevent the loss of water from the epidermis (outer layer of your skin). Moisturizers are of three types: occlusives, emollients and humectants. Humectants help attract and retain moisture in the epidermis. Humectants include ingredients like glycerin, urea, and pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. Glycerin is a commonly used humectant that is relatively low cost and has high efficacy. Occlusives are very simple they form a physical barrier on your skin that water cannot penetrate keeping your skin moist. The most commonly used occlusive is petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline). Occlusives while very effective can feel heavy and therefore are typically combined with an emollient. Emollients are oils and lipids that smooth the skin surface and make it feel soft. A common emollient is shea butter. Your cosmetic moisturizer most likely is a combination of some or all of the different types of moisturizers ( occlusives, emollients and humectants).
How to apply moisturizer?
Apply moisturizer to your face and neck using. Use upward strokes (lift your skin). Don’t forget to apply under your eyes. It is important to apply moisturizer even if you live in a humid city like Kolkata.
Step 5: Apply sunscreen
What is a sunscreen and what does it do?
The purpose of sunscreen is to protect the body from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV rays). UV rays have several harmful effects such as accelerated skin aging (wrinkling, sagging skin etc), sunburns and skin cancer. There are two types of sun’s UV rays UVA and UVB. UVB rays are the chief culprit for sunburn (redness) and UVA rays which penetrate deeper into skin and are associated with causing accelerated aging & skin cancer.
There are two basic types of sunscreens physical and chemical blockers. Physical blockers use ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide reflect sun’s rays by acting as a physical barrier. You may have seen lifeguards with noses covered in white. They are wearing a physical sun blocker. Chemical blockers absorb the sun’s rays. These are transparent and deteriorate in their ability to absorb sun’s rays over time. Typically you should reapply every two hours. This is absolutely critical step in a sunny city like Kolkata.
Who should use sunscreen?
Anyone over the age of six months should use sunscreen. Sunscreen should be used even for those who work inside especially if they spend time close to windows since they are exposed to UVA radiation since windows might filter out most of UVB radiation but not UVB.
What is SPF?
SPF is an abbreviation for sunburn protection factor. This is the measure of the protection a product will offer from UVB rays. SPF 15 blocks nearly 93% of all incoming UV rays. SPF 30 blocks around 97% of all UVB rays and SPF 50 blocks approximately 98%. These differences may seem small but have a significant impact. Most people don’t apply sunscreen properly or don’t reapply as often as needed. So, using a sunscreen with SPF 50 may only bring most people the effects of a sunscreen with SPF 20. No sunscreen can block all UVB rays.
What SPF sunscreen is right for me?
This depends on the type of activity being performed. Generally speaking if you are spending most of your day indoors with a little bit on sun exposure here and there then SPF 30 should be enough. If you are spending significant time outdoors then a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 maybe more appropriate.
Dr Bandana Gangulie is a lady dermatologist based in Bhowanipur, South Kolkata.