Guide to Choosing the Right Skin Care

It may be confusing or difficult to navigate the world of skin care with the huge array of different brands and products on the market. Vine Vera is here to help! There are a few important factors to consider that can help you to narrow down your options. First thing to consider is how to protect your skin. Next you want to make sure you are working with your skin rather than against it. Take skin conditions and skin type into account. You also want to know what your skin care is doing for you. Best way to make sure you are getting the results you want is to be knowledgeable about the ingredients in your cosmetics.

Skin Protection

In case you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard, you should always ALWAYS use sunscreen. I would say this is the number 1, easiest thing you can do to protect your skin. Make sure to choose one with broad spectrum protection including UVA and UVB shields with an SPF of at least 15. You are looking for at least one of these ingredients for best protection: ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide. This way you’re not only protected from sunburn but also from the aging issues caused by sun exposure. If you are very active choose a sunscreen is labeled as water or sweat resistant. Hats and sunglasses are chic as well as effective ways to protect also protect your skin.

Skin Conditions

If you suffer from a skin condition, certain ingredients may irritate your skin. One of the most common skin conditions that people need help with is acne. Some skin care ingredients can further aggravate acne while others aide in its recovery. Other common skin issues include Rosacea, psoriasis, redness, sun damage. The list can be very long considering how many things can stress out our skin just by walking outside. Most people don’t consider the fact that they need to protect their skin whenever they step out of their home. Environmental stressors which negatively impact skin include the sun, dirty air (aka the Los Angeles smog I live in), and cigarette smoke.
Many products are marketed by skin type and some by skin conditions but there are even more targeted skin care items which address specific skin care concerns such as acne, fine lines and wrinkles, and sun damage. If you would like your skin to look more vibrant, then you should seek brightening skin care products.

Skin Type

Skin type is one of the biggest deciding factors to consider when selecting skin care products. Sensitive skin, oily skin, dry skin, and other skin types require different types of care and therefore, different products. Cosmetic companies use different types of specific ingredients to benefit various types of skin. In products made for dry skin, for example, you are more likely to find many ingredients aimed toward moisturizing skin paired with compounds to assist the product in penetrating deeper into the skin. Products for sensitive skin will more likely contain ingredients like Calendula, which is used to heal and soothe skin. Usually the brand will label their product for sensitive skin or oily skin making it simple for you to choose. That is not always the case though, so it would definitely be helpful to familiarize yourself with some common skin care ingredients, especially those that support your skin type.

Know Your Stuff

Being knowledgeable about the ingredients in your skin care well make you confident about your choices. Don’t rely on a company’s marketing department to tell you what their product is good for. If you have a little information a quick scan of an ingredient label should arm you with enough to make some good decisions. Below is a list of the top skin care ingredients and what they are good for.

• A – Retinoids

Retinoids are excellent as anti-aging ingredients. It take a bit of time for skin to become accustomed to them so it is recommended that you start out using less frequently (about once every 3 days)before bed and build up frequency slowly.

• Antioxidants

Antioxidants are your body’s natural defense against free radicals. As part of the natural aging process our antioxidant production decreases. Fortunately, the addition of antioxidants to skin care can help restore our body’s natural defenses. Look for Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E, Citric Acid, DMAE, among others.

• Resveratrol

Cutting edge anti-aging ingredient recently found in the skin of grapes. This stuff is attributed to giving the French their cool, just kidding! But seriously, some scientists believe that the French have lower rates of heart disease because Resveratrol is found in wine which is consumed in large quantities in France.

• Hydroxy Acids

Hydroxy Acids break into two groups, whose names you are probably familiar with: Alpha Hydroxy acids and Beta Hydroxy acids. Recent studies of these acids point to the effectiveness of Alphas as fighting the signs of aging and Betas being excellent at killing acne.

• What to look for:

Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid (the only Beta Hydroxy Acid)

• Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid is often praised for its ability to slow or reverse the signs of aging with some news reports calling Hyaluronic Acid the “key to the fountain of youth.” Hyaluronic acid assists our body with the creation of collagen to help keep your skin looking plump.

What are your preferences when choosing skin care products? Do you prefer scented or unscented products? I personally love using multi-use products. Put sunblock, moisturizer, skin benefits, and some color in one jar and I will be first in line to buy.

Just as a note, before starting any new skin care regiment you should consult your doctor to ensure the safety of what you’re using. With the help of our guide and advice from your doc, you should be well on the way to choosing the skin routine that is best for you!