Skin Care for Newborns

Most of us have experienced the joy of feeling a baby’s skin. Being extremely soft and tender, your baby needs your gentle handling. The bottom and folded areas of baby’s skin demand much attention as they are highly prone to rashes that manifest as reddened eruptions that would be extremely painful for your baby. The major rules of treating rashes in babies are:
• Do not apply soap on the rashes daily. Twice or thrice a week would do.
• Applying moisturizer or Vaseline worsens the area as these retain moisture.
• Pat dry the affected parts of skin and leave them open in air for as long as possible. Do not rub to wipe.
• Try using different brands of diaper.
• Mild baby powder could be of use.

Other important issues involve using gentle soaps for your baby that would contain coconut, palm or olive oil. Regular application of moisturizer keeps the skin supple. Wash your baby’s clothes separately using detergents that are non-irritants.

Skin Care for Children

Now that your child is no more a newborn, he is now more understanding and his skin could be matched with yours, although they still have the trace of a baby’s skin. This is a time when you must make your kid understand how important hygiene is. Make washing hands with soap after play, a habit. Staying under shade during peak sunny hours could save them from a long-term effect into skin cancer. Cautiously it is possible to apply a broad-range sunscreen before they leave home. Wearing loose-fitting and well-covered clothes in summer could counter the sun rays.

Mark the Difference That These Foods Make:

Fruits:
• Watermelon and Papaya being rich sources of Beta-carotene are known to protect from the possible damages caused by exposure to sun.

• Banana: Provides Vitamin B that prevents the skin from drying as the act as co-factors for certain enzymes present in the skin.

• Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits like Lemon, Sweet Lime, Oranges and other fruits like strawberries are dominant sources of Vitamin C which make an important component of the cytoskeletal compound called collagen. It thus helps in maintaining the structure of skin.

Vegetables:
• Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes are sources of Beta-carotene.
• Legumes and Leafy vegetables enrich the diet with vitamin E which prolong ageing.
• Green Peas and tomatoes are again sources of Vitamin E.

Meat:
• Seafood, Turkey and Pork provide you with the mineral Zinc that makes the skin look firmer and younger.
• Tuna fishes contain Selenium that protects your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays.
• Salmon and extra lean meat also provides Vitamin E.
• Poultry food, red meat, fishes and eggs are ultimate sources of vitamin B, while egg yolks make up for the missing vitamin A in your diet that are

Dos and Don’ts for Preserving The Immaculate Skin You Are Born With:
Here are some guiding principles for you to stop you from losing heart in keeping your skin free from pimples, acne, wrinkles and some forms of skin cancer.

Do’s:
• Eight glasses of water a day rejuvenates skin.
• Letting you sweat out profusely either through workouts or steaming yourself while bathing or cooking helps in natural cleansing of skin as the sweat possess antibiotics that kills localized bacteria and presents a fresh look.
• Use of moisturizers, scrubs or cleansers possessing chemicals such as alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acids and glycolic acids help clean skin pores especially if you are prone to blackheads.
• Ensure you are completely covered before you move out on a sunny day. Apply your sunscreen at regular intervals.
• A vitamin-E rich diet or cream may lessen the severity of damage.

Don’ts:
• Avoid food that you are allergic to.
• Unauthorized and inexpensive face creams need to be kept away as these may lead to pimples due to blockage of skin pores.
• Treat your hypertension as these may prove to be the causal factor of your mottled skin.
• Do not exert gesticulations with your face as these may lead to early wrinkling.
• Avoid a close-cut shave to prevent painful and harmful nicks.
• Going for a skin tan may not be a great thing to do as these increase susceptibility to spots as well as skin cancer.
• Shun desiccation.

What You Must Not Do:

Once we get aware of the prominence of blackheads on our skin, it is a common and usual tendency to find ways to get rid of them as soon as possible. At this stage, scrubbing too hard or trying manual removal is extremely dangerous as these worsen your skin with scars and enlargement of pores. Moreover, the soap you use should not be harsh since those results in a drier skin facilitating oil production. So all you must do is treat them gently, patiently and rightly.

Methods to Discard Blackheads:

There are numerous natural ways to get your face free from the awful black dots, the ones that you could practice within the comforts of your home environment.
 Increase your intake of water and fruit juices to keep your skin hydrated at the same time avoiding oily and sugary foods.
 Treatment with steam along with mildest pressure on the area can help remove blackheads. However do not exert if this does not help.
 Home remedies include the exploitation of combinations of oatmeal and yoghurt, lime juice with milk and almonds, honey with cinnamon powder, black pepper and curd. All requires mixing the ingredients and leave applied on the face for 10-15 minutes.
 Pastes of turmeric, sandalwood, fenugreek leaves, radish seed and tomatoes are known to be effective. Lukewarm water is used for grinding.

Why Do Men’s Skin Necessitate Much Care?

There are various reasons as to why men’s skin demand much more care than women actually do. The following gives us the definite views as to how a man’s skin and skin care must vary from that of a woman’s:

1. Men have 20% thicker and coarse skin that women do that is prone to inflammation and bruises. Moisturizer is a must.

2. Albeit men’s skin is greasier than women’s, regular shaving and usage of varied shaving cream and after-shave lotions make them dry with each passing day.

3. For men are much more exposed to sun rays as compared to women, they require the regular application of sun block and whitening creams.

4. As compared to women, one in every four men is into smoking which liberates scores of damaging free radicals in their body. Antioxidants help.

5. Even in relatively lesser degree, men are prone to aging wrinkles and lines. Anti-aging creams provide the best solution.

What to Look For?

While shopping for exclusive men’s beauty care products, there are few things that need to be kept track of. These include
 A number of cheap products ensuring a longer duration of expiry should be kept away as these might prove dangerous for your skin.
 Look for the label of the brand and more specifically the ingredients which must include bioactive ingredients like Capuacu butter, Witch Hazel, Phytessence Wakame, Coenzyme Q10, etc.
 Beware of Parabanes, Alcohols, Mineral Oils, Petrolatum as ingredients.

Dealing with Pigmentation
Dealing with pigmentation depends upon the causal factor. For instance, if these make appearance as a result of excessive exposure to sun, then avoiding going out in the sun is the best remedy. Completely covering exposed skin and applying sunscreen with minimum SPF 30 could stop further darkening of patches. The application of sunscreen demands reapplication every two hours to keep up their activity. Moreover, a sun block cream or spray containing zinc oxide gives best results in checking pigmentation.

Treatment
Pregnancy and menopause are the phases in a woman’s life when the hormonal changes are at the peak. Most women suffer from darkening of skin during or after childbirth a part of a natural phenomenon of mammals. After a certain period of time the skin color retracts its originality. However if it doesn’t, several lightening creams could be applied. Lime possesses the natural ability to lighten skin. Although a healthy diet makes a difference in treating pigmentation, treatment of dark patches could be carried out by drugs like amiodarone, tetracyclines, psychotropics, diltiazem, antimalarials, etc. But their intake should be supervised and recommended by a skin specialist or a physician. You may look for chemicals like ascorbic acid or glucocorticoids or retinol in ointments meant for topically applying over the affected areas.

To keep away from medicinal reactions or allergies, herbal or organic treatment performs well over hyper-pigmentation. Ginseng Extract, Caraway Extract, Carrot Seed Extract, Geranium, Limonium, Cucumis Sativus and Paraffinum Liquid have been known to successfully even skin.

Tightened Skin beyond Winter?

Wondering what could it be when the dryness and tightness persists way after the winter is gone? It could be that you are born with a dry skin type. Your skin has the inability to retain enough moisture and so it is advisable to provide topical moisture and prevent draining out the natural moisture.

Care: Avoid washing your face under tap water and use only lukewarm water for washing and bathing as hot or cold water may drain out excessive moisture. Ensure that you use a cleansing cream of neutral pH that lacks non-detergent substances. Pat dry after wash and do not rub. A gentle massage with moisturizer or oil helps.

Is Your Skin Over-Reactive?

Having embarrassing eruptions on your face after waxing, threading or a make-up might be indicative of a sensitive skin. Make a self-analysis to find the degree of sensitivity and irritability of your skin during exposure to various external conditions.

Care: Replace your toiletries with everything mild. Look for a label that reads “for sensitive skin” while purchasing cosmetics, cleansers etc. Avoid the use of exfoliating creams. Flavored and scented creams or cleansers may have additional irritants. Excessive washing of your face be best avoided.

Never Needed a Moisturizer?

Some skin types have more than the usual secretions by the oil glands (sebum) that leaves them with an oily look. An oily skin demands much care as these attract dust that leads to clogged pores and breakouts and blackheads.

Care: Foamy cleanser in hot water helps. Carry facial tissues. Spicy and oil foods need to be avoided.

Sleep Fresh
Knowing the fact that washing your face with fresh cold water helps your skin is not all. You often forget how you went to bed after a long, taxing day. So why not make washing your face soon after your supper, a habit? This would not leave you with an option to let your skin unattended even when you are too worn-out for it.

Modified Make-up
You would not leave your house without wearing that make up, will you? Go ahead with the same but involve sunscreen as a part of your daily make up throughout the year. Who says the winter sun’s UV rays are friendly? That’s not all; make sure you remove your make up with a cleanser once you get back.

Know your Skin
Are you into that cleanser just because your friend has it too? Know your skin, if it is of a dry sort, look for a cleanser that is meant for your skin which foams less and use a moisturizer. Do not forget to carry your facial tissue when you are out if yours is an oily skin. Leave alone the eruptions on your skin or it might end up worsening.

Hygiene is Crucial
Removing the dirt clogged in the pores of your skin does not complete your regime. The brush that aids your make-up and your pillow covers need to be clean and fresh as well.

As a known fact, an eight-hour sleep and healthy diet are equally important.

The skin care products that you should be carrying with you and applying on the exposed parts of skin such as face, neck, hands and feet depends by and large upon the destination you have chosen to spend your vacation. Here are the few things you dare not forget in an attempt not to regret the uneasiness caused during and after your trip.

 If you are in a trip to colder regions, do not forget your moisturizer before you put on your make-up. Applying moisturizer soon after a shower when your skin is still damp retains the moisture for a longer period.

 Your make-up must comprise of oil-based creams rather than dry bases in winters and colder places.

 Holidays may or may not demand working out. If you have not got an opportunity to expend your energy, find ways to exercise as this increase the flow of oxygen to skin thereby keeping up your glow throughout the trip.

 Sunscreens are a must during holidays especially those involving remaining outdoors for a longer period and those with water amusements especially for children who have soft and sensitive skin.

 Your lips are the most neglected of all. Sunburns may occur on lips as well and so let your lips have their share of sunscreen as well.

 If your holiday destination includes skiing, a thick layer of moisturizer all over is imperative.

 In water destinations, the bleaching powder or other disinfectants in water would wipe away your moisturizer and sunscreen leaving your skin dry. Reapply the two at intervals.

Prevention:

Having known that excessive oils give way to pimples, here are few tips to keep them away:

• Blot out excessive oil from your face with facial tissues especially those containing alcohol in them. Application of simply acetone and/or alcohol helps too.

• Rather than oil-based cosmetics, ensure you purchase and use water-based products alone. Nothing could, however, beat herbal and ayurvedic products.

• Washing your hands prior to splashing water on your face would prevent the harmful bacteria finding way to your skin.
• Do not allow your hair to fall on your face as it attracts sweat and dust and thus germs.
• An extract of Aloe Vera applied directly gives the best results.

• A number of home remedies like the application of turmeric powder, fresh neem and mint leaves, fuller’s earth with rose water, honey, tomato and lemon juice keeps away pimples forever.

Treatment:

You read this section after having failed to prevent pimples effectively. A sudden breakout might get your hands on it trying to pop up and get on. All this would fetch is a bad scar and delayed healing. There are various simple and achievable ways of getting rid of a pimple such as applying toothpaste over it. Treatment although are carried out by benzoyl peroxide, retinoids and antibiotics like Tetracycline, herbal treatment saves you from side-effects.