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RELEVANCE

No No Pop Pimples

We know pimples are super annoying. It not only brings you physical pain but also causes psychological and social issues. To get rid of these unsightly red dots or bumps, you might think that popping them will clear the infection and help them cure faster. Well, when performed properly by the professionals, extractions can clear certain types of pimples. However, bad techniques combined with attempts to pick non-pickable pimples can give you a nightmare. Improper popping could make everything a whole lot worse.


Here are the reasons why you shouldn't pop your pimples:

Working against body natural healing ability:

Acne is the body’s response to clogged pores and bacteria infection. The red bump means your body is working on these issues. When you are picking or popping your pimples, you are disturbing the body’s process to heal itself.


Aggravating existing pimples:

Instead of making progress, you might just end up forcing the bacteria and sebum down even further into the pores leading to an even larger pimple. As you press on the pimple, you are introducing bacteria and dirt from your finger into the zit as well. This causes the pimple to become redder, more inflamed and swollen with further infection.


Creating new pimples:

When you pop one pimple, more pimples can pop up in the surrounding area. This is because the bacteria, oil, and debris that are being contained by the acne papule, pustule or cyst once released, can spread and lead to more acne.


Tearing of the skin:

When popping a pimple, you are putting a lot of pressure on your skin which can actually tear the skin. The worst case is that you end up with an open wound instead of a bump. Which one is uglier now?


Scarring:

Since popping a pimple can tear your skin, it is possible that the wound becomes a scar after the skin undergoes a self-healing process. Scarring is especially a risk for people who have more severe acne problems, such as a deep cystic pimples. Scars are difficult to treat once they have occurred. Normal peeling treatment may not work and you may need to spend your savings on laser or filler treatment.



Therefore, it is crucial that you fight the urge to pop your pimples yourself as most of us do not know how to do it correctly. If you really feel that your pimples need to be cleared, you can seek help from skin doctors or beauticians armed with proper knowledge, skills and equipment. Anyway, fighting pimples needs patience and you should continue applying your acne products at home.

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Are you sleeping right?

Many of the common aging factors are obvious, like sun exposure, smoking, squiting and the list goes on. However, there are things like your sleeping position that fly under the vadar. The way you sleep can affect how sleep lines and wrinkles form on your face. Sleep wrinkles are more difficult to treat than expression lines and the most effective way to prevent sleep lines is to sleep in the right position. To investigate, we are breaking down the most common sleeping positions to explain how they may contribute to fine lines and wrinkles as well as determine the best sleeping position.


Sleeping on Your Side

Sleeping on your side consistently push your face into the pillow, creating vertical creases down your cheeks and chin. This sleep position can also cause vertical expression wrinkles like frown lines and lines around lips. Favouring one side over the other can make one side of your face to experience faster aging than the other side. Moreover, when your face comes into contact with your cotton pillowcase, the cotton can draw moisture out from your skin and dry skin is more susceptible to premature aging.

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Sleeping on Your Stomach

Sleeping on your stomach with your face buried into the pillow is the worst position. Immediate vertical lines or sleep marks after sleep is a preview of sleep wrinkles, especially forehead lines. Sleeping on stomach can also cause body fluid to accumulate under your eyes, resulting in eye puffiness. Same as sleeping on the side, the pillowcase can remove moisture from the skin. Lastly, if you have oily skin or you apply overnight skincare, your face will transfer some of the oil and product residue to the pillow, which can exacerbate clog pores and cause blemishes.

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Sleeping on Your Back

Sleeping on your back is the best position. When you sleep on your back, there is no pressure exerted to your face throughout the night which will prevent formation of sleep wrinkles and lines. Besides, sleeping on the back help avoid back-and-forth exchange of oils, dirt and grime between your face and pillowcase, preventing blemishes.


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Cleansing Twice a Day

You may be too busy or tired for that 5-minute cleansing routine in the early morning or after a long hard day. However, your cleansing routine is much more important than you think. It is recommended that you cleanse your face twice a day. Yes, this means you should cleanse your face at the morning and night.

Firstly

Cleansing helps remove unwanted skin contactants. Morning cleanse is necessary to remove debris such as dead skin cells, allergens, dust and mold that accumulate on your skin during your sleep. This is because our bed and bedding sheets are the hotbed for skin contactants, especially allergens and bacteria. On the other hand, cleansing your face at night helps to wash off makeup, dirt and sebum that accumulate throughout the day. If not properly cleansed, all these impurities can clog your pores and cause further skin concerns such as large pores, acne, rashes and irritated skin.

Secondly

cleansing is essential to prepare your skin for your morning and nighttime skincare routine. Imagine you are applying your skincare products and makeup on top of dead skin cells and excess oil. Not only unhygienic, it can also restrict the penetration of the potent ingredients in your skincare products into your skin. Therefore, cleansing day and night helps remove makeup, sebum and dirt, leaving your skin fresh and perfectly prepped to absorb your skincare regimen.

Thirdly

Cleansing helps enhance the natural process of the skin. Skin that is not well-cleansed can be inhibited from performing such process. We know that our skin repair and regenerate itself at night. If impurities on the skin are not removed, such process will not take place effectively which will affect the skin condition. For example, impurities on the face can affect the natural exfoliation process of the skin to shed the dead skin cells and thus result in dull appearance and flaky dry skin.  Besides, the overnight recovery process of the skin leads to more sebum secretion which cannot be rinsed away with mere water and requires proper cleansing.


Therefore, understanding importance of cleansing helps to discipline you to be more diligent in cleansing your face as you want your skin to be perfectly flawless and healthy. However, you should try to keep this cleansing twice a day because over-cleansing can work the opposite, causing you dry skin.


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Essential Night Care For Tomorrow's Fresh Skin

It has been said that nighttime skincare is the key to flawless skin. This is because skin cell regeneration and repair is at its height between 1am and 3am. So, you will want to enhance this natural process by preparing and nourishing your skin with appropriate products.

To do so, here are some easy skincare tips you might want to follow at night before heading to bed so that you can have a healthy glowing skin in the next morning.

           

First of all,

it is essential to properly cleanse and exfoliate your face. Sweat, sebum, makeup and other impurities may have accumulated on your face throughout the day. It is important that you gently but deeply cleanse your face every night to remove impurities on your skin and prepare your skin for other skincare routines. Besides, dead skin cells are hard to remove from your skin. Hence, you can exfoliate your skin twice or thrice per week as exfoliating can remove the dead skin cells and avoid clogging pores which cause pimples.


Secondly,

Don’t skip toners! Apply toner right after cleansing. Different type of toner is formulated to target different skin issue that can help you to overcome your skin concern. Toners act as a delivery system for essential ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamin B derivatives and toning acids. Besides, using toner at night helps keep moisture level of the skin in balance and further exfoliates the skin.


Thirdly,

Apply your treatment products. Treatment products are used to target specific skin concerns such as stubborn acne, age signs, hyperpigmentation and uneven texture. It is best to load up on your facial treatment products in the evening on freshly cleansed skin because you will be going to bed fresh-faced and these products will be under optimal conditions to work their best.


Next,

Apply your serums. Finishing the above steps, you can apply your serums on the clean skin but before moisturisers or creams. This is to avoid blocking the penetration of serums into the skin which causes wastage. Serums are products that are made up of smaller molecules that deliver a very high concentration of active ingredients. This makes them a great tool for targeting specific skincare concerns. Hence, serums are also treatment products. However, they need to be handled more carefully as they are usually pricey and the way of application can affect their effectiveness.


Lastly,

you can now apply moisturisers or face creams. Make sure you apply your heavy night cream as the last product in your nighttime routine. Not only will the heavier texture block ingredients from reaching the skin if applied too soon, but saving it for the end will create the added benefit of locking in all the ingredients you previously layered under it as well as some much needed moisture.


These tips may seem overwhelming after a long day but slowly incorporate them into your nighttime skincare regime and your skin will thank you! That’s all. Goodnight.

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Skin Type Check

The first step on your way to beautiful, radiant skin is to determine your skin type. Skincare routine and products depend on your skin type and thus it is important for you to know your skin type. Products formulated for your skin type offer the best chance of giving you the results you want. Therefore, knowing your skin type allows you to choose and tailor your skincare routine and products that will be most beneficial to your skin.

There are generally 5 skin types. Firstly, normal skin that feels clean and smooth with natural radiance as it is not too oily or dry. Normal skin does not experience breakouts often. Secondly, oily skin which tends to shine and feel greasy. Excess sebum production makes oily skin more prone to whiteheads, blackheads, clogged pores and acne. Thirdly, combination skin which is a combination of oily and dry skin. People with combination skin will experience shine and greasiness on some areas of the face while having localised dry patches on other areas. Besides, combination skin can change according to weather. Next, dry skin that feels tight, rough, flaky and dry. Dry skin is more prone to aging and irritation. Last but not least, sensitive skin which gets irritated easily accompanied by rashes, red patches, itchiness and pain.

Other than visiting a skin doctor, you can determine your skin type by yourself at home. There are several simple methods to identify your skin type.


1. The Blotting Paper Test.

To perform this test, you need to prepare blotting paper. At the night before the test, wash your face and go to bed without applying any skincare product. Once you wake up in the morning, take the blotting paper and blot key areas of your face including T-zone, forehead, under eye, cheeks and jaw area. After that you can check the oils absorbed by the blotting paper to identify your skin type.

  • Normal skin: Blotting paper has average amount of oil in all areas.
  • Oily skin: Blotting paper has excessive amount of oil in all areas.
  • Combination skin: Some areas of the face have excessive oil but other areas don’t have much oil on them.
  • Dry/sensitive skin: Blotting paper has little or no oil on it.


2. The Mirror Method.

After your morning cleansing, do not apply any skincare or makeup as well as no wiping and blotting. As soon as midday comes, go see what your skin looks like in front of a mirror.

  • Normal skin: Looks the same all the time.
  • Oily skin: Look shinier compared to morning.
  • Combination skin: T-zone looks shine but the rest of the face is the same.
  • Dry/sensitive skin: Dry patches, peeling and redness at the midday. 


3. The Touch Test.

Similar to the mirror method, prepare your skin in the morning. When midday hits, use your hands to touch your face to feel how is it. However, make sure that your hands are washed and clean.

  • Normal skin: Entire skin feels supple and moisturised.
  • Oily skin: T-zone and other parts of your face feel oily.
  • Combination skin: T-zone, nose and chin feel oily while other areas feel rough and dry.
  • Dry/sensitive skin: The skin feels rough without oily or supple feel.


Finally, when you get to know your skin type, you are ready to learn what are the skincare products available in the market that suit your skin type. After that, incorporate them into your skincare routine correctly to maximise their effects on the skin for a beautiful and radiant skin. If you are still not sure about your skin type, do seek help from the professionals like Serene Aesthetics.

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Care Steps to Stop Acne

Oily skin is one of the most common skin types. If you are so “lucky” enough to have oily skin type, then you should know how troublesome oily skin is. This is because sebaceous glands in oily skin are over-active, producing excess sebum. Excess sebum can make the skin to appear shiny and greasy. Other than blackheads, whiteheads and enlarged pores, oily skin is acne prone. Excess sebum can form a plug with dead skin cells and impurities and block the follicle. This makes oily skin more susceptible to breakouts when the blocked follicle is irritated.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By having a good skincare routine and being gentle with oily skin can save you from breakouts. Hence, this article is going to share some skincare tips to take care of oily skin in order to avoid acne.


Gentle but deep cleansing:

It is important that you cleanse your face twice or thrice daily to get rid of accumulated dirt and excess oil which can leads to clogged pores and acnes. As mentioned in our previous article (Different Cleanser for Different Skin Type), gel-based cleansers is the most appropriate cleanser for oily skin. Moreover, if your skin is really very oily and causes acne outbreak, you may look for ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, tea-tree oil or salicylic acid that regulate sebum production and fight acne. However, do not over-cleanse your face or use abrasive cleansing techniques as this will strip your skin of its natural moisture which results in sebaceous glands producing more oil.


Exfoliating:

Excess sebum production leads to dead skin cells on the skin which can cause dull-looking skin and acne. Hence, you might want to include exfoliation in your skincare routine. Exfoliation can remove dead skin cells and impurities to renew your skin surface, as well as to keep breakouts at bay. However, don’t forget to be gentle to your skin as scrubbing too hard can remove healthy cells and make your skin easily irritated.

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Weekly face mask:

After exfoliation, you can follow up with a relaxing face mask at least once a week. When choosing your face mask or making it at home, you might want to look for or use some ingredients, like clay, witch hazel, sandalwood and multani mitti, that are effective in absorbing excess oil and regulate sebum production.


Toning everyday:

Complementing the cleansing routine, toning is crucial for handling oily skin. Toning daily helps to eliminate excess oil and impurities from your skin. When choosing a suitable toner, rosewater makes a very good toner or you can also go for toners that are loaded with antioxidants and skin-replenishing ingredients to help the skin renew and recharge, minimize the appearance of enlarged pores and remove the makeup that can lead to clogged pores. However, you must avoid using any toner that contains alcohol or vinegar because these ingredients dry up your skin and stimulate oily skin to produce even more sebum.


Moisturizing:

Some may think that moisturizing will encourage excess sebum production and moisturizer can clog the pores and thus they skip their moisturizing routine. However, this is not true. Stripping your skin of moisture will actually further encourage the sebaceous glands to produce more oil to compensate. Besides, you also need to moisturize your skin to balance the drying effects of other products used in your skincare range, such as acne treatment products. For oily skin, choose a feather light water-based serum or gel moisturizer that is oil-free and non-comedogenic to give your face the moisture it needs.


Sun protection:

Like moisturizer, some people don’t like to put on sunscreen because fear of greasiness and the sunscreen clogging the pores. However, not using sunscreen can cause blemishes, brown spots, pigmentation, freckles and even skin cancer. Hence, people with oily skin can go for a gel-based sunscreen or sunscreen specially formulated for oily skin that will leave your face matte and offer adequate sun protection.


Yes, taking care of oily skin is a complex and tedious process. But, if you do follow this skincare routine properly with consistency, you should be able to take good care of your oily skin in order to avoid breakouts and enjoy a flawless skin. Besides, don’t feel bad for having oily skin because oily skin is less prone to wrinkles and other signs of aging because the oil tends to lock the moisture into the epidermis which is the outermost layer of the skin.

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Acne! Lifestyle Mistakes

Acne breakouts affect the skin of the majority of teenagers and some adults. Some people are lucky enough to have only occasional breakouts while those unlucky ones may experience ongoing acne breakouts. Other than the physical pain it brings to you, acne breakout can affect you emotionally and psychologically, causing anxiety and embarrassment to you.

To solve acne problem, you must first find out the reasons why you are having acne breakout. Other than hormonal influences and puberty, experts say that acne breakout is actually what your face is trying to tell you about the mistakes you made in your life and skincare routines which cause you acne problem. Hence, this article is going to help you to explore some common lifestyle and skincare mistake that can cause acne.

Inappropriate cleansing and exfoliating habits:

Experts say that you must at least cleanse your face twice a day with a gentle and hydrating cleanser. Insufficient cleansing means you are not washing all the dirt, oil and makeup on your face and this will clog the pores which results in irritation and acne. On the other hand, it has been agreed that exfoliating twice or thrice a week can remove dead skin cells on your skin surface. Although scrubbing can keep your face clean enough to avoid acne, over-scrubbing can scrub away healthy skin cells which protect your skin and this can lead to hypersensitivity that can cause breakout.


Filthy bedding:

Your bedding sheet and pillowcases can transfer dirt and oil to your skin and cause acne. When they are not laundered or changed frequently, dirt and oil will build-up from the environment. When your skin and hair have contact with these bedding sheet and pillowcases, the dirt and oil is transferred back to your skin, clogging pores and causing irritation.


Acne-causing substances in your skincare and cosmetic products and tools:

Your acne problem could be due to irritation-causing and pore-clogging ingredients like comedogenic mineral oil and silicones in your products. If you have acne problem and suspect that it is caused by your products, you should stop using them and see what happens. If acne problem do improve, then it is the problem of your products and you might want to consider changing other products. Besides, you should also make sure the hygiene of your skincare and makeup tools as the dirt and oil accumulated on those tools can irritate your skin and cause acne breakout.


Improper diet:

There is always a connection between what you eat and acne breakouts. Dairy products, sugar and spicy food are the common foods that cause you to have acne. Dairy products like milk and cheese are produced by pregnant cows and contain high levels of hormones that can send your oil glands into overdrive and aggravate acne whereas sugar is said to be able to aggravates the hormonal acne and promote inflammation. Besides, spicy food often contains tomatoes and peppers which contain acidic lycopene that can irritate the skin, causing imbalance in the skin pH levels and triggering breakouts.

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Improper acne treatment:

Overusing acne-treating products that contain topical salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or sulphur can worsen your acne problem. These ingredients can dry out your skin and cause it to produce more oil which leads to acne. Besides, these ingredients can burn your skin if used too frequent, making the acne appear redder and harder to heal.


Lack of protection against the sun:

Light sun exposure can benefit your skin but sun exposure can cause you acne if you are spending more time under the sun without putting on sunscreen. This is because the sun can cause your skin to dry out and trigger more sebum production which leads to acne. Besides, after getting sunburn, your skin becomes more sensitive and easier to get irritated.


Improper hair care products and routine:

Shampoos, conditioners and stylers contain sulfates (cleansing agents), heavy moisturizing agents and silicones that can seep into your pores, clogging them and causing acne. Not tilting your head over to the side when washing your hair worsens the problem because this makes it easy for the hair products’ residue to travel to your face. In addition, washing your hair less often can cause the oil and grease in your scalp and increase the chance of them travelling to your face.


Insufficient sleep:

Lack of sleep causes stress which leads to increase in the substance cortisol in the body. This cortisol will cause your skin to secrete more sebum which results in clogged pores and acne. Moreover, sleep deprivation can cause increase in insulin resistance which can make you to become acne-proned because insulin resistance increase glucose in your body.


So, after understanding a number of common lifestyle and skincare mistakes that can cause you acne, you might want to avoid these mistakes to improve your acne problem. On the other hand, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’, for those who do not face acne problem currently may also want to take precaution of these common mistakes.

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5 Whitening Approach

“The fairer, the better!” This is the favourite skin care motto for many women. However, trying to whiten your skin is not as simple as merely shouting out this motto loud.

Dull and dark skin is basically caused by environmental pollution, sun damages, medical condition, stress, dry skin, using wrong cosmetic products and poor lifestyle habits. Dull and dark skin is not only hard to cover with makeup, it also adversely affects your look and further dampens your self-confidence.  Hence, for these reasons, women always try hard to whiten their skin. If you are reading this article, I assume that your skin whitening products have probably failed to give you the white skin tone that you want so badly. Without any delay, let us explore some useful tips that might effectively brighten and lighten your skin complexion.


Protect your skin against the sun:

Although the sun is an important source for some essential vitamins, its UV rays can cause tans and sunburns. Hence, to lighten your skin, you must avoid direct exposure to sunlight. You should make sure that you apply your sunscreen before heading out.  It is recommended that you choose sunscreen that is not oily and has at least 30SPF. In addition, you might also want to wear sun-protective clothing to provide you with added protection against the sun. 


Use skin whitening products:

Most whitening products are said to be able to restrict the production of melanin, which is the pigment responsible for tans and sun spots. It is not difficult to find skin whitening products in the drugstore as there is wide range of brands available in the market. However, it is crucial to choose the skin whitening products that can work effectively and also suits your skin. When choosing your whitening products, you should look for whitening products rich in skin-lightening ingredients like Vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acid and glycolic acid and avoid those with mercury as active ingredient. Besides, you should also go for the most natural ones.


Drink for skin whitening:

Drinking enough water won’t directly make your skin lighter but it will help your skin to rejuvenate itself. When the skin rejuvenates, the old and pigmented layers will fade away and fresh new skin is revealed and your skin looks brighter and healthier. Therefore, it is recommended that you drink about 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday.


Look for help from the professionals:

You can also work together with someone professional like the consultant in your preferred facial salon. You might want to consult a doctor or skincare consultant about your skin and ask him or her to recommend you the most suitable and effective products and treatment.


Don’t be lazy to cleanse and exfoliate your face:

Dirt and pollution take their toll on your skin which cause dead skin cells to accumulate and this is one of the reasons for dark and dull skin. Hence, it is important for you to remove this layer of dead cell skin so that the fresh new layers of skin get relieved. You should cleanse your face twice a day to removes the dirt and excess sebum from your skin. Besides, you need to exfoliate your face to scrub off the dead skin cells.


In short, skin whitening is never easy and it requires your long-term effort and commitment. No pain, no gain! You either start now or cry for your dark and dull skin later.



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How to Delay Aging

Sadly, you can’t avoid aging. Just right from the time you were born, your body parts already have been aging and there is no exception for your skin as well. Don’t be depressed! Fortunately, despite of the natural aging process, there are some skincare tips that can help you to ensure your skin matches your age or even look younger than you really are.


Keep your hands away from your face:

You can’t imagine how many times you touch your face a day. This not only brings bacteria to your face and cause infection, it can also lead to aging of your skin especially the sensitive area around your eyes. Rubbing your eyes can damage the skin around the eyes because this can create microscopic tears in the tissue which makes the eye area look older; break the capillaries in the eyelids causing telangiectasia; and break the capillaries under the eye intensifying dark circles.


Say no to smoking and drinking:

Smoking and drinking may help you to relax but the cost is your skin will experience premature aging. Smoking and drinking can lead to skin dehydration, premature wrinkles, loss of collagen and elasticity and redness of the skin. In addition, smoking reduces blood supply that keeps skin tissue looking supple and healthy which will accelerate aging and lead to wrinkly face.


Protect your skin against sun damage:

Excessive sun exposure can lead to skin damage and accelerate aging process. UV rays from the sun can suppress your immune system and lead to wrinkles and brown spots. You should apply sunscreen to every area of your skin which subjects to sun exposure. You may also consider wearing sun-protective clothing and choose clothing which uses fabrics that provide added sun protection. Also, staying indoor doesn’t mean you do not have to apply your sunscreen because glass windows, car windshields and windows can’t stop UVA rays. Besides, you are not safe even when it is cloudy, rainy or cold outside as clouds filter out sunlight but not UV rays and UV rays still exist regardless of temperature. The strongest sun ray occurs between 10am and 4pm so you might want to avoid direct sun exposure during this period.


Get sufficient sleep:

Your body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep to repair itself. 8 hours sleep is still not enough. You should go to sleep not later by 11pm because the most regenerative sleep is between 11pm and 3am. Having sufficient sleep and sleeping on time are important so that your skin cells can repair and regenerate to avoid aging skin. Moreover, sleeping more than 8 hours is also not good for your skin as it will make you look puffy and feel sluggish.


Load up on antioxidants:

Antioxidants prevent premature aging by fighting skin-damaging free radicals.  For example, Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects collagen fibers in your skin from damage due to free radicals and promotes skin elasticity. Hence, you should include foods that are anti-oxidant rich in your daily diet. Some sources of antioxidants include black plums, goji berries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, broccoli, olive oil, bell peppers, pecans, red grapes, carrots, beans, dark chocolate and artichokes.


Keep your skin moisturized and hydrated:

As you grow older, the skin tends to lose its moisture easily and appears dry. This can lead to faster collagen depletion, fine lines and wrinkles. Therefore, regular moisturizing is necessary to ensure the skin remains hydrated and nourished. In addition, applying moisturizer immediately after shower can helps the skin to retain the moisture more effectively.


In a nutshell, preventing premature aging is not as easy as say. It requires you to have a healthy and consistent lifestyle and skincare habit.

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Know Your Cleanser

Cleansing is the most basic part of your daily skincare routine to maintain healthy looking and feeling skin. We used to assume cleansing as a basic skincare task that can be easily and quickly done even when we are a bit lazy or completely exhausted.

However, choosing the right cleanser that suits your skin type is not as easy as the cleansing process and using an inappropriate cleanser can harm your skin and cause you acne, dryness or even make your skin look older than it really is.

Therefore, it is important for you to understand your own skin type and select the cleansers that are specially formulated for your skin type. Hence, this article is going to help you figure out what cleansers will be the best fit for each skin type.


Oily skin type:

People with oily skin have overactive sebaceous glands which cause their skin producing more sebum than necessary. If you have oily skin, a gel based cleanser is necessary to help you clean out blocked pores and strip away excess sebum. When choosing a cleanser, you should look for a cleanser that is transparent since they are generally free from added moisturizers. Besides, you may also search for words like ‘oil control’ or ‘for oily skin’ on the label. Moreover, if your skin is really very oily and causes acne outbreak, you may look for ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, tea-tree oil or salicylic acid that fight acne.


Dry skin type:

People with dry skin have low levels of sebum and don’t maintain oil easily. Their skin often feel tight and appear flaky. Dry skin lacks the lipids that it needs to retain moisture and to protect against external influences like sun damage and dry skin is also prone to rashes, eczema and flushes. If you have dry skin, it is recommended that you consider cleansers that don’t require rinsing. This is because water can strip the skin of additional moisture. Hence, you should choose a creamy, soothing and moisturizing cleanser as it doesn’t require rinsing and you can just wipe them off with a cotton ball. You should also look for cleansers that contain glycerin and hylauronic acid because these components draw water to the surface of your skin. Be cautious that you should avoid foam cleansers which tend to be drying.


Combination skin type:

Combination skin can be further divided into two categories: One is the forehead, nose and chin are oily while temples, eye area and cheeks are normal or dry and the other one is your skin changes between oily skin and dry skin with changing climate or season. People with combination skin can wash your face with a gentle and water-soluble cleanser that does not leave your skin tight and dry. A gel-based or mildly foaming cleanser is recommended. In some instances, people use different products on different parts of their face or during different weather or season.

 

Sensitive skin type:

People with sensitive skin has skin that easily breaks out in rashes, gets blotchy, itchy or even stings in response to products. Sensitive skin problem is often the result of allergies, inappropriate products or overzealously applied treatment. If you have sensitive skin, you should look for cleanser with glycerin in its ingredients. Glycerin improves and protects the skin and helps in building an even skin structure. It provides optimum level of moisture, but it is gentle and has no side effects. Fragrance-free is also an important deciding factor as sensitive skin is prone to irritation.


Lastly, everyone’s skin is different and you need to determine which skin type are you and then spend some time to research on different cleansers by looking at their nature and ingredients before choosing the most suitable one for your skin type.

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6 Ways Boosting Collagen

The word ‘collagen’ is actually originated from the Greek word ‘kolla’, which means glue. This name perfectly matches its functions as collagen is a fibrous protein found in connective tissue that holds together our skin by providing the skin structures with integrity, firmness and elasticity. It can help to prevent the signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines. Moreover, it can also help to improve skin tone, remove scars and moisturize the skin. In short, collagen contributes to flawless skin.

Collagen is produced by the skin and other parts of the body and most young people have abundance of collagen in their body. Unfortunately, as you grow older, the collagen production of your body starts to decline and your skin weakens, which results in dull skin, wrinkles and saggy necks. But not to be worried because this article is going to teach you some useful tips to maintain and boost the collagen level in your body.


Eat for collagen:

Your diet can help you to build up your body collagen level. Soy products such as soymilk and cheese contain genistein which can help to produce collagen. Besides, you need to consume food that contains omega fatty acid as it facilitates collagen production and common sources of omega acid are fish and nuts. Beans, cabbage and garlic contain sulphur which aids the formation of collagen. In addition, you may consume food that is rich of Vitamin C such as broccoli, spinach, goji berries and kiwi fruits as Vitamin C supports collagen formation as well.


Reduce sugar intake:

Various studies show that people who consume high level of sugar look much older than people who do not consume or consume low level of sugar. This is because through the process of glycation, sugar will attach itself to protein including collagen and produce a substance called advanced glycation end products. This harmful and heavy substance will attach to the collagen and thus reducing the effectiveness and quality of collagen in your body. When you have high sugar intake, the collagen will become more rigid and it will become easier for wrinkles to form. Besides, it also makes it harder for the cells in the skin to repair normal damage.


Say no to smoking:

Although smoking increases elastin production, this elastin produced is much thicker than the normal elastin and it can reduce the quality of collagen in your body. Besides, nicotine in the cigarettes causes the blood vessels to contract and limits the supply of oxygen-bearing blood to your skin. This can lead to collagen degradation as well as reducing the ability to make new collagen.


Apply collagen serum:

This sounds easy as you just only have to apply the collagen serum on your face and wait for the result. However, the collagen molecule can’t actually penetrate into the skin and it stays at your skin surface. To have effectiveness, you need a collagen serum with collagen amino acids that are small enough to get to the deeper layers of the dermis.


Massage your face:

Massaging your face has been proven to stimulate collagen production. Besides, with regular stimulation through massaging, it can lift, tone and tighten the skin and boost blood circulation. All these effects combine to give you a fresh youthful skin. Massaging your face in an upward movement when applying your skincare products and collagen cream can increase absorption as well.


Try collagen hydrolysate or collagen peptides:

Hydrolyzed collagen peptides is a form of gelatin that is derived from the bones of animals. It can take the forms of powder or liquid. Unlike gelatin which is in the gel form, hydrolyzed collagen peptides is easier to digest and thus collagen can be effectively absorbed by your body. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides also provide glycine, proline and lysine that help your body to build healthy connective tissue.

Explore collagen drink: Serene Nutrients Pure Collagen Essence


Last but not least, boosting collagen level in your body for anti-aging and flawless skin is a continuous process and requires much efforts from you. This is because the collagen producing ability of our body will not stop declining as you age and only a consistent healthy lifestyle and habits can solve the problem.

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Tips to Get Rid of Blackheads

Blackheads are the mix of oil and dead skin cells in pores that have turned brown or black due to oxidation when exposed to air. Excess secretion of sebum by the skin, especially oily skin, expands and thickens the pores resulting in development of blackheads. If blackheads are not eliminated, they might cause pimples and acne. Blackheads are super annoying because they commonly appear in the most visible areas of your face like chin, nostrils and forehead. You definitely do not want your crush to see them.

Anyway, if you can remove your blackheads at its primary stage, you will be able to protect the growth of acne on your face. Hence, to get rid of blackheads and its negative consequences, here are some skincare tips you might want to follow.


Keep your hands off your face:

Squeezing blackheads is not the right way to get rid of them. This is because people often put too much pressure on their face causing open pores, scars, hyperpigmentation and broken capillaries. Besides, squeezing blackheads may push the dirt deeper into the pores, further inflaming them and cross-contaminating other areas of the skin.


Remove your makeup:

Never sleep with your makeup. Your makeup and the oils on your face together will block your pores and cause blackheads. You should use a makeup remover or cleanser with makeup removing properties to thoroughly clean your makeup without leaving any impurities on your face. If you are too lazy to remove makeup, at least wipe your face with a facial wipe.


Cleanse your face gently but deeply:

It is important that you cleanse your face twice a day because this can help you to eliminate excess sebum and impurities on your face that can block the pores and cause blackheads. If you have really oily skin type, you can also splash water on your face when feel oily. However, you must not over-cleanse your face as removing most oil on the face can induce production of more sebum.


Exfoliate your face gently:

An exfoliator or scrub can remove dead skin cells and excess sebum accumulated on the skin, deeply cleansing the pores to remove and prevent blackheads. Having blackheads doesn’t mean your face is dirty, so don’t be rough with your skin and scrub it really hard. Gently massage the scrub in circular motion and its rough texture should be able to soften the pores and remove blackheads. Like cleansing, make sure you don’t over-exfoliate.


Get yourself blackhead treatment products:

It is better that you use a leave-on product rather than a cleanser to solve blackheads. When buying skincare products for blackhead treatment, look for salicylic acid in the ingredients as it can effectively dissolve blackheads away. Moreover, you can also try retinoids and sensitive skin type can go for a low-strength retinoids.


Don’t forget to moisturize your skin day and night:

Although blackheads are caused by excess sebum production, you still need to moisturize your skin. This is because some methods mentioned above to treat blackheads strip oils from the skin and dry it up. It is crucial that you maintain the moisture balance in the skin so that you are allowed to continue your blackhead treatment routine. In addition, choose a lightweight non-comedogenic moisturizer to prevent the moisturizer blocking the pores and worsen blackheads.


Lastly, by following this step-by-step guide closely and consistently, you should be able to get rid of blackheads and get clear skin.

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