Perhaps you’ve been working in close conjunction with a Colorado dermatologist for the past 10 years to manage a complex slate of skin conditions; or maybe you’ve been caring for your skin and face at home, casually. In either case, you might be laboring under several misconceptions about how you should best take care of your face. Here are 4 insights to help you think more productively about what to do (and, potentially more importantly, what not to do!):
- Wash your face at night before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning.
You intuitively know that you need to wash your face before you go to bed. Washing is a cleansing ritual that can prepare you for sleep; and if you wear makeup, you need to clean off the excess debris from the day so that it does not irritate your skin. But at night, your skin self-repairs and secretes a variety of substances, such as oils, which can clog pores during the day.
Plus, if you use treatments at night, like Retinol or certain acids, you want to make sure to wash those off your face upon waking, so that they don’t irritate the skin or make the skin overly susceptible to sunburns.
- Go easy with the cleansing wipes.
If you’re in between meetings or coming home from a tough day with the kids, wiping your face with a cleansing wipe can feel restorative and invigorating. Unfortunately, cleansing wipes can (in sensitive individuals) irritate the skin of the face, and they also don’t necessarily do a great job of deep cleaning bacteria, oil, makeup and debris. Many wipes just smear those elements around the skin. Use a wet sponge or washcloth to get more effective results.
- Don’t neglect your diet and exercise regimen.
What you eat, when you eat and how you exercise can have a profound effect not only on your waist and spirits but also on your skin. If you haven’t already done so, consider cutting back on processed foods, extra sugars, and trans fats; and make sure you get adequate protein, vegetables and healthy fats.
A good exercise regimen can boost whole body health and also help oxygenate the skin and make sure that your face gets plenty of nutrient-rich blood, which can give you a healthy flush in place of dull, flat-looking skin.
- Develop a nighttime face care routine (with the help of a trusted Colorado dermatologist)… and stick to it!
As ancient Greeks once sagely advised, success is not an act but a habit. If you want to preserve and restore your skin, you want to develop and nurture habits of good skin care. Use a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer to help your skin avoid dehydration (and the damage dehydration can cause) and limit skin aging. At night, your skin cells go into repair mode; assist and abet this process by using good products and paying attention to how your skin responds to treatments.
Schedule an appointment with an experienced Colorado dermatologist at Mountain View Dermatology by calling our offices now.
This is a guest post by the boulder dermatology office of Mountain View Dermatology – A company offering a wide variety of skin care services including skin cancer treatment.