Skin 101

Did you know that you have a bodyguard that never sleeps? As your 24/7/365 protector, day and night, your skin is doing an Avengers impersonation, providing a barrier against pollutants, bacteria, and other minuscule particles that are too tiny to see, but have big effects that none of us want: Dull complexion. Freckles. Skin discoloration. Hyper-pigmentation. Age spots. Dry skin. Acne. Scarring. Your skin works non-stop, but even the Hulk has his limits. If you don’t give your skin some solid backup support, it’ll start to show.   Enter Vitamin C. A superhero with stupendous brightening powers, vitamin C is...

Toner, emulsion, serum - is this a skin care routine or a science experiment? Here’s a primer that’ll demystify the dizzying array of SKINFOOD products available to you. Still feeling lost? First, determine your skin type and what kind of concerns can be addressed and treated with proper skin care. After you discover what the different products are, learn how to use them to build a skin care routine that’s best for you.   Pre-cleanser Cleansing prepares your face by removing surface impurities, which hinder hydration and absorption of necessary nutrients. Use wipes as a pre-cleanse, particularly around areas that...

Now that you’ve determined your skin type and learned what kind of concerns can be addressed and treated with proper skin care, we can turn to building a skin care routine that fits your unique skin. It’s not how many products you use, but proper layering of the best ones in the right order. The process can be broken down into five simple keys to healthy, beautiful skin: Cleanse. Exfoliate. Treat. Hydrate. Protect.     CLEANSE Dirt, sweat, makeup, product buildup, excess sebum - all these gunk up your pores and block your skin’s absorption. It doesn’t matter how powerful...

Quick, name a body organ you can’t live without. Popular answers will probably include the brain and the heart. But not all body organs are internal. The one we wear on the outside and show to the world is our skin, and it’s our largest organ. On average, adults carry about 22 square feet of this essential shield.   Most of the time, facial skin goes uncovered, exposing it to all sorts of stressors, like temperature fluctuations, environmental pollutants, harsh sunlight, and harmful substances. Though it acts as waterproof insulation against these factors, skin cannot help but be affected by...

Picture the face of someone you like. What color are the eyes? What size is the nose? Are the lips full? The differences in these facial features are part of what makes each one of us unique, but there’s one more important feature that may not be obvious, but plays a huge part in making up your face. Do you know your skin type?   Dry, oily, normal - these are familiar terms. You might even know about T-zone, combination, sensitive, acne-prone. If all of these descriptors have you confused or rolling your eyes in dismissal, keep reading! Skin is...