How to Have a Good Skin Care Regime (Teen Girls)

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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A good skin care regimen is essential to feel better about yourself, have beautiful skin, and to be free from blackheads and blemishes! And this is especially important for teens, as they're most prone to these kind of problems. Not to worry though, an effective skin care routine is easy to implement. You just need the right products for your skin type, the correct techniques and the motivation to care for your skin every single day! Your skin will definitely thank you!

Steps

Everyday Skincare

Wash your face when you wake up in the morning. This will take away any sweat and oil and dirt that has built up over the night. It will also wake you up a bit more as well as give you a glowy, but not shiny face for the morning. When washing your face, don't use normal soap, unless it is specific soap for face washing. This is a mistake that many girls make. Normal soap that we use to wash our hands and body can irritate the pores on the face and help acne and pimples get started. When washing your face, use a special facial cleanser with vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid to give your skin an antioxidant boost. Don't worry about aggressively removing oil or other matter from the surface. Acne is a problem of excessive oil production and clogs within pores, not a problem of surface obstruction of pores. Don't forget SPF 30 mineral-based sunscreen (with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide). Even in winter, the sun's UV rays can damage your skin.

Apply lip balm in the morning, after you've eaten breakfast, brushed your teeth, and exfoliated. This is important especially if you have chapped lips, but even if you don't, it's still a good idea, just to keep your lips looking smooth and kissable.Warning: Exfoliation is important! If your lips have dry skin on them it means you need to exfoliate! The lip balm won't help much if your lips aren't naturally smooth.

Put on a bit of hand cream. If you have dry skin on your hands, put some hand cream on in the morning. Just make sure that you don't put on too much, since it will make your hands oily and slippery.

Buy some special tissues that remove excess oil on your face if it gets really oily. These are available from Mary Kay as well as other companies. Otherwise, don't worry much about it during school. Don't wash your face during the day! (More on that later)

Cleanse your skin at night with a facial cleanser. Nighttime is a crucial point for skin care, since it's a window of opportunity to improve skin cell turnover and collagen production, which keep your skin looking young. Pick a product with retinol or alpha hydroxy acid to boost collagen production, and choose a product with salicylic acid or glycolic acid to reduce acne. Most cleansers will both cleanse and exfoliate your skin.

Moisturize after cleaning. For teenagers, this is something that can help you have beautiful skin if done right, or give you loads of acne if done wrong. Make sure when you're buying a facial moisturizer, that... It's actually a facial moisturizer. It's lightweight. Lightweight means that it's not heavy and oily, so it won't add to the oil on your skin or clog your pores. This is very important!

Apply some lip balm after that.

Apply the lotions. If your legs are dry from shaving, moisturize them. The moisturizer you buy for your legs doesn't matter. If your hands are dry do the same before sleep. This is a great time to apply lots and lots of hand cream, since it has hours and hours to soak into your skin.

Repeat from step 1 to 8 everyday for great-looking skin!

Special Skin Treatments

Exfoliate your skin once a week. Exfoliation does not need to be done every day, as this can make your skin irritated and raw over time. Instead, aim to exfoliate your skin once every 1-2 weeks to remove dead skin and soften it up. You can use a homemade exfoliating treatment, or use a store-bought one. Simply wet your skin, scoop some of the exfoliant onto your fingertips, and massage it onto your skin. Do this for 60-seconds, and then use a bit of warm water to rinse it off. Try mixing sugar with honey for a homemade exfoliant. If your skin is sensitive, you can use oatmeal mixed with honey or milk to buff down your skin.

Use a face mask once every 2-4 weeks. Face masks do a few things (depending on the one that you're using). They work to remove toxins in your skin, clear out your pores, and get rid of dead skin cells and grime. They are best used once every 2-4 weeks, as they may dry out your skin if used more frequently than that. To use a face mask, wet your face and scoop some of the mask onto your fingertips. Spread it evenly over your skin, and allow it to dry for 20-30 minutes (until no longer tacky). Then, use warm water and a damp cloth to wipe the mask off your face. You can use masks as a spot treatment on pimples; simply dab it onto a zit, and leave it to dry overnight. Wash it off in the morning, and the redness and tenderness of your pimple will be greatly reduced. Mud masks are generally the most popular, but there are many kinds that you can find to use.

Use pore cleansing strips to get rid of blackheads. Pore cleansing strips are a type of cotton strip with an adhesive on one side. The adhesive side is pressed onto your skin, and when you pull the strip off, it removes any blackheads that might have been present. Pore cleansing strips are generally only needed when you're breaking out. They are usually used on the face (on the nose and chin), but can be used on any part of the body that has blackheads. Follow the package directions for your strips, and finish up by washing and moisturizing your face.