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Top Skin Care Products Deciphered

Before you can devise for yourself the best regime for yourself and give your skin some special care, you need to understand what the main skin care products are formulated to do. The skin has very simple needs: to be cleansed, nourished and protected. From the basic soap and water routine, today’s skin care ranges have evolved into a sophisticated selection.

These are the most common ones you will need when devising your skin care routine.

Facial Washes

These liquid cleansers are formulated to be lathered up with water to dissolve grime, dirt and makeup from the skin’s surface. They are usually suitable for both oily and normal complexions.

Cleansing Bars

These are special bars which cleanse the skin without stripping it of oil like regular soap does. It is a refreshing option for individuals with oily complexions as it helps to effectively clear the pores, which in turn prevents breakouts.

Creamy Cleansers

Cream cleansers usually have a light fluid consistency to make it easy to spread onto the skin. They contain oils, which dissolve dirt and make up on the surface of the skin. They are more suitable for people with dry complexions.

Eye Makeup Removers

This is a gentler form of a water soluble cleanser specially formulated to remove make up from the delicate skin around the eyes. Ordinary cleansers are usually either too harsh or not sufficient in removing stubborn eye makeup especially water proof makeup products.

Exfoliants and Facial Scrubs

These usually come in the form of creams or gels containing hundreds of tiny abrasive particles. They dislodge and remove dead surface skin cells as you massage the particles over dump skin to reveal fresher cells underneath.

Facial Masks

These are intensive treatments, designed to either deep clean the skin for those with oily complexions or to dramatically boost moisture levels in the skin of those with drier complexions.

Toners

Toners are meant to refresh the skin and remove the last traces of makeup after a cleanser is rinsed off. Different types of toners can have different benefits for different people.

For those with oily complexions, a toner can serve as a water binding agent as well as remove excess traces of oil from the skin’s surface. It can also contain effective disinfectants to help heal blemishes.

For those with normal to dry skin, an alcohol free toner can serve as a good addition to your moisturizer in soothing and adding antioxidants to the skin.

Moisturizers

The key function of a moisturizer is to form a barrier film on the surface of your skin to prevent moisture loss. They usually contain ingredients that smooth and soothe the skin. All good and well formulated moisturizers must also contain sunscreen to protect your skin from damaging UVA rays. The drier your skin, the richer the moisturizer you should choose.

Eye Creams

The delicate skin around the eye is usually the first to show signs of aging. These gels and creams contain special ingredients to plumb out fine lines and keep the skin soft. They are also great for soothing tired eyes to help reduce puffiness and under eye circles.

Night Creams

These are intensive creams formulated to give your skin extra pampering while you sleep. The difference between these creams and day time moisturizers is that they usually do not contain sunscreen and also have a thicker consistency since you wouldn’t be laying them with makeup.

Acne Treatments

These are typically topical disinfectants that can either be obtained over the counter or by prescription as an antibiotic. Over the counter acne products usually contain benzoyl peroxide in concentrations from 2% to 10% to help kill bacteria in the skin that cause blemishes