Part I: 3 Reasons to Love Your Face Wash

Skin that is cleansed and cared for is synonymous with skin that is ageless and radiant, so it is extremely important to maintain a strict cleansing routine. In fact, if it’s a choice between brushing your teeth and washing your face, you may want to skip the Colgate (just saying).

Here, we offer 3 reasons to wash your face at night and in the morning.

1. Your Face Is One of The “Dirtiest” Parts of The Body

The skin on your face gets covered with dirt, dust and often makeup, which cause grease buildup and potentially bacteria buildup. Water alone will not free the skin of pore-blocking and acne-igniting particles. Thus, it is vital to cleanse your skin with a soap or soothing wash to remove these toxins and prevent grease accumulation and blemishes.

2. The Skin Heals Overnight

Skin cells go into “repair mode” over night so it is important to cleanse and apply hydrating serums at night to allow the skin to fully absorb these products and regenerate. Additionally, if pore-blocking makeup and debris sit on the face overnight, the skin cannot absorb the oxygen that it needs for repair. As a result, the skin is unable to fully exfoliate, which leads to a buildup of dead, damaged cells that cause discoloration and rough texture.

3. Morning Skin May Just Rival Morning Breath

You may wash your face every night and assume that you wake up with a fresh and clean palette every morning, but this is a complete myth. During the repair process overnight, the skin eliminates toxins, releasing them to the outer dermal layer of the face. You must cleanse the skin thoroughly to remove these debris and dead cells before applying cosmetics.

Check back next week for Part II: How to choose the best cleanser for your skin

Could Your Favorite Products Be Breaking You Out?

If you were to picture the perfect day, breakouts certainly would not be a part of it, in any way, ever. In a way, breakouts feel like some sort of punishment, even though you’re trying your hardest to keep your skin looking its best. It’s almost like the skin gods are wreaking havoc on your complexion for trying to be pimple-free. But would it shock you to learn that the very products that you use day in and day out to look your best may actually be causing you to break out? All of a sudden it seems as though our holy grail products are turning against us, like some sort of beauty blackmail. Thankfully, this information can help eliminate the hidden culprits in your daily products that are causing the very problem you’re trying to prevent.

Hair Care:Certain ingredients in shampoos and conditioners can clog pores, causing those pesky pimples on your chest, arms, back, and even your face—just about anywhere that shampoo runs down while you’re in the shower. Oil-based ingredients like silicones, petroleum, jojoba oil, and shea butter all have the power to plug up your pores. Certain detergents such as sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate can also irritate your skin, leading to breakouts on your body. Lastly, panthenol, an ingredient often found in conditioner, is a big culprit when it comes to product-induced acne. The thing is, when these heavy ingredients clog your pores, bacteria gets trapped in there, leading to a flare up. Steer clear of these ingredients when shopping for products to send breakouts packing. For an oil-free, silicone-free shampoo, try Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo.

Another culprit may be your pillowcase. This is a gathering place for hair products used that day, which then gets transferred to your face when you sleep. If you don’t shower at night to rinse out product residue, try wrapping hair in a silk scarf to avoid any pillow-to-face transfer.

Moisturizer:We hate to break it to you, but moisturizers can cause breakouts too. Washing your face properly and following up with a rich moisturizer to keep skin soft and clear, just to have those same products break you out is a vicious cycle. In order to break the cycle, avoid pore-clogging, oil-based products and products with lanolin (the element produced by sheep to keep their wool soft). Try Medpeel's classic Tea Tree Clarifying Duo Kit.

Natural products can also break you out, even if they claim to be the safest, best alternatives to skin care. Beware of ingredients like red seaweed and red algae as well as potassium chloride. These tricky ingredients can cause serious breakouts, so it’s best to really research the labels of natural products before swearing them off as safe.

Face Wash:
Like the above products, avoid pore-clogging ingredients (i.e. silicones, petroleum, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc.), and aim for more gentle cleansers like Super Fruits Age Prevention Duo Kit.

But of course, with any beauty product, a lot of trial and error comes into play. As always, the above ingredients are a list that cause breakouts for some, and don’t harm others. If you’re having issues with your skin and use these products, try the elimination method: go cold turkey without the products for a few weeks to see if your skin calms down, and then slowly re-test the products (one at a time) to see which one causes a flare-up in your skin. That’s how you’ll be able to determine which ingredient (or product) is truly the culprit.

3 Best Skin Products to Fight Dry Skin

As winter approaches and we prepare our lives for the pending snowfall, holiday craze, and quality indoor time, we must also prepare our skin for dry harsh weather that can lead to scaling, cracking and wrinkling. Seasonal changes can cause our skin to enter a state of dehydration where it loses its ability to draw in and retain youth boosting moisture.

Luckily a careful selection of skin saving ingredients and a commitment to daily application of hydrating products can help restore the skin’s once full, soft and smooth texture. The most effective products often contain these three of our favorite ingredients.

Avocado

Avocado is naturally abundant in vital antioxidants, soluble fiber, potassium and monounsaturated fats that help make it the perfect antidote to dry, scaly, winter ravaged skin. This powerful moisturizer helps soften the skin, diminish the appearance of fine lines and lead to a “plumping” effect as it helps retain moisture. As an added benefit, avocado’s rich lineup of vitamins help revive dry skin and protect it against future damage.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is well studied and well known as one of the most effective skin hydrating super ingredients. HA draws moisture to the skin and supports the barrier to protect the outer layer from moisture loss. This results in improved elasticity, texture and volume of the face. This technology can be found in serums, fillers, moisturizers and masks. We call hyaluronic acid a skin-care must.

We like: Hyaluronic Moisturizer Cream NEW!

Tamarind Extract

Tamarind seed extract is a surprisingly effective remedy in the harsh winter months that multi-tasks as a hydrating, antioxidant rich and restorative defense against dry skin. Tamarind contains moisture regulating agents that have been shown to promote a smooth complexion with diminished wrinkles and enhanced texture. According to one study, a particular Tamarind extract blend led to a 36% decrease in skin roughness after two weeks of use.