George Wooming, M.D.’s tips for healthy skin
Having a skin care routine is highly recommended by dermatologists
Establishing a daily cleaning routine is good for your skin by removing the daily oils and dirt that build up on your face. Follow these steps to keep your face glowing.
1. Nightly wash. Taking the time to wash your face every night will greatly increase your skin’s look and feel. For women, using a makeup remover will keep your pores clear while helping keeping bacteria from spreading onto your pillow. Use a gentle soap to clean your skin. You don’t want to use a harsh soap because that will completely remove all the oils from your skin – this will cause dry skin and could lead to problems. Once you have washed your face, dry it with a clean cloth. Be sure not to rub, pat dry instead. If possible air-drying is best.
2. Use a toner. Using a toner is not for everyone, but some find it helpful. A toner will remove the extra oils the soap missed and will close your pores so dirt does not creep back into them.
3. Apply a moisturizer. Using a light moisturizer at night will help repair your skin from the wear and tear of the day. A moisturizer will also help smooth out wrinkles.
Easy tips to help keep your skin clear
1. Reduce your sugar intake. A high sugar diet is not good for anything. Your body has a hard time processing “false” sugars like the sugar in candy and sodas.
2. Step into the sun. Your skin soaks up the vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D helps prevent skin cancer and decrease depression. However too much sun is bad. Limit yourself to how much you are outside. About 15 minute of direct sunlight three times a week is good. Using a sunscreen will help prevent you from getting burned while still letting your skin soak up the vitamin D!
3. Drink water. Drinking plenty of water helps keep you and your skin hydrated. By drinking lots of water you body can more easily replenish its self and helps produce healthy skin cells.
4. Sweat. A lot of people tend to think that if you sweat you are clogging your pores up with dirt. This is not true – sweating helps push out the dirt. Once you have finished exercising splash some water on your face to wash away the dirt and wipe with a clean cloth.
5. Change your pillowcase. Although you wash your face every night your face still produces oils overnight that stick to your pillow. Over the course of the day dirt like pet dander and dust will settle on your pillow. Change your pillowcase frequently to avoid a heavy dirt build up.
George Wooming, M.D. serves the Dallas area and is focused on educating people on the proper skin care techniques.
