Choosing the right skincare product is not that tough

Image via Wikipedia

Confronted with row after row of skincare brands, each subdivided into products for particular skins types, shopping for skincare products can be a confusing business. In Britain we spend some L400 million a year on facial skin care products, and by far the fastest growing area is anti-aging creams and serums. It doesn’t take a mathematician to calculate that we can save a great deal of money by making our own blends.

But while around seventy per cent of skin care products bought are moisturizers, relatively few of us buy or use cleansers. Despite advice from dermatologists, as many as sixty five per cent of women are thought to use soap and water on their face from time to time. Soap is alkaline in nature, and upsets the skin’s natural acidic balance, making it feel tight and dry, and it takes a while for the skin to redress the balance. Many conventional bar soaps are also heavily scented with synthetic fragrances and fixatives which may irritate the skin.

• If you’re a soap and water addict, stick to the new soap-free cleansing bars of make a skin friendly soap rich in natural ingredients from one my many recipes.

Although making your own natural beauty treatments is fun and guarantees that what you put on your skin contains high concentrations of naturally active ingredients, for convenience sake you will probably need to have some commercial products as a back up.

One of the first criteria in choosing a product will be price. You can pay anything from L1 tO L100 for a moisturiser, but is it worth spending a lot? With the more expensive brands you’re paying for higher quality ingredients, the technology which created the new ‘special’ ingredients, the elegant packaging and image and usually a better texture. But in terms of what the product will actually do for your skin, the benefits of using a very expensive product are less clear.

In recent years the technological advances used in premium brands have been filtering through to the cheaper brands with increasing speed. It’s now true that you can get virtually the same benefits from a product costing L10 as one selling for L40. In a consumer study of anti-aging creams in France, a budget vitamin E anti-wrinkle cream came out top for performance, despite being one of the cheapest brands tested.

The key is to have high levels of naturally active ingredients. Be guided be how the product feels on your skin and look out for good levels of antioxidant vitamins and some of the herbs mentioned above, on the labels.

Cleansers come in a confusing number of choices: creams, lotions, rinse-off gels and soap free bars. You can also buy combined cleansers and toners, which can save you time and money if you like using toner. Soap and water will cleanse off water soluble dirt, but its alkaline, nature can upset the skin’s natural pH balance, leaving it dry and tight. It is also not effective for dissolving all oil based make-up or the skin’s own sebum.

• The first rule of a cleanser is that it should remove all impurities such as oil, grime, make-up and loose dead skin cells with ease.
• The second is that it shouldn’t leave a residue, which can clog up pores and lead to spot. The rest is up to you. In general, wash-off cleansers are best suited to oilier skin types and cream-based to drier skins. If you have sensitive skin, Avoid soap, fragrance and color.
• One of the best universal cleanser is an oil-based cleanser and I have found them to be both gentle and effective.

A moisturizer should be easily absorbed and not leave a greasy film on your skin. It’s a good idea to go for one that gives a longer lasting effect, so you won’t need to keep reapplying. Above all, choose one that includes a non-chemical sunscreen in it, unless you’re happy to apply a separate sunscreen on top. Consultant dermatologist at St Thomas Hospital, Dr John Hawk recommends using one with no more than that on a regular basis then you increase your skin risk of sensitivity, he says. If you know you have sensitive skin, choose one which is fragrance and color-free. Whether you choose cream, lotion, gel or oil is purely personal. In general, drier skins should opt for slightly thicker moisturizers, while oily skins should stick with more fluid products.

From 1997, all manufacturers should be legally bound to list all ingredients on the pack, Which should help dissipate some of the hype about certain products and their ‘exclusive’ ingredients. This is particularly good news for those who are allergic to certain ingredients as it will be easier to avoid the allergens. Most reputable manufacturers will be introducing comprehensive ingredients listing well before this date. If you have sensitive skin look for products with as few chemicals and preservatives as possible. Even the most seemingly natural of skincare ranges are often packed with chemical sunscreens and petrochemicals to prolong shelf life.

Petrochemicals, such as mineral oils, are cheap, bland ingredients used in most commercial skincare. However, they do not contain any active ingredients, whereas plant oils are a rich source of nutrients. Alcohol, which is present in many products, can also cause problems for those with sensitive skins, so look out for alcohol-free products.