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Ensure that beauty gets skin deep

Do you believe that beauty is only skin deep? If yes, how do you ensure that you continue to emit that radiance?

There are brands waiting to be heard on the shelves of the hypermarkets that you visit every weekend. And perhaps when one of them grabs your attention and you try to understand the ingredients that could sprinkle a magical charm on you, the list sounds more like amedical journal.

Most of us are usually lost in the maze of these brands that promise to scrub our imagination with some magical glow.

So how do we select a good skincare brand? Here are some interesting tips:

Read the Skin Care Labels

As important as it is for you to know the ingredients that are good for skin, it is also important to know about ingredients that you should avoid.

Some of the commonly used ingredients in skin care products that you should avoid include parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Laureth-4, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate alcohols, fragrances and so on. These toxic chemicals can cause severe harm to your skin. Even if their effect is not visible immediately, they can deteriorate the skin slowly and gradually and cause long term damage.

Parabens are artificial preservatives used in skin care products to prolong their shelf lives. Small quantities of parabens are still tolerable but higher concentrations can damage the skin.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a foaming agent used in many cleansers and foaming skin care products. They may produce lather but end up drying the skin and irritating it.
Alcohols in skin care products can dehydrate the skin and cause severe skin dryness and irritation.

Before you purchase a skin care product, make sure you turn it around and go through its ingredients list. Have a look at what it contains. If it contains a harmful ingredient, you shouldn’t buy it.

Do a Patch Test

When trying a new product, make sure you take the safe way and do a patch test. Try the product on a patch of skin, preferably on the inside of your elbow and leave it on for 12 hours. After this, if your skin does not show any signs or reactions, then it’s safe to use. This would let you know if you are sensitive to the skin care product and prevent you from causing damage to your entire face, in case you are.

Stick to the Line or Mix and Match

Skin care companies generally have their skin care line of products consisting of cleansers, toners, moisturizers, eye creams and so on. It is advisable to use all the products from the same line because they may be designed to work in conjunction with one another and thus provide efficient results. However, if you think a particular product from a skin care line don’t suit you, don’t be afraid to mix n match and try something from another brand. The idea is to use skin care products (from any skin care brand) that work well with one another and provide efficient results.

Beauty begins with healthy skin. So make sure you take good care of your skin and maintain it. And you can do this by learning how to select the perfect skin care items!

References: Dr. Marilyn Syrett’s skincare bog. She is a professional physician and skin care expert.