One of the concerns I get from women is regarding choosing a foundation for their skin that does not cause them to break out, specifically women of color. For some of us, when we look in the mirror we sometimes feel only a miracle can help our faces. The most important thing to remember is that foundation is not only something to use as a cover up but actually a product used to shield the skin from everyday elements we are exposed to on a consistent basis when we walk outside the doors of our homes. I am going to try my best to get down to the nitty gritty in a very condensed yet informative way.
1. Develop a daily skin care regimen and stick to it!- Yes, sometimes we buy the best brands in makeup and we want to wear it often but if you are not cleansing your face in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed, the residue from the makeup stays on our skin thus seeping into our pores causing buildup within the skin follicles thus causing acne and breakouts.
2. Keeping the skin in tip top shape involves a cleanser, exfoliate, toner, and moisturizer- Remember I said earlier that you needed to cleanse your face daily? Well, it's going to take a little more than soap and water sweetie. Bar soaps tend to dry out the skin so it's all about finding the right balance of oil that should remain within the skin. If you're unsure of skin care products to use because you've had some not so good experiences in the past, I suggest Aveda skin care products including the All-Sensitive Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer. These All-Sensitive products will assist with your skin care routine without being too hard on the skin. You can check your local listings to see which salons offer these products and/or purchasing this on
http://www.aveda.com/. If you are on a more economical budget, I would suggest skin care products from Iman Cosmetics for women of color. Iman's line of cosmetics and skin care is available at select drugstores and also online.
3. Clean Makeup Brushes- I recommend cleaning makeup brushes after each use to avoid bacteria building up on old makeup residue. If not after each use, definitely no longer than once a week. Also use facial cleanser to clean brushes.
4. Get Adequate Sleep- I know that many of us have very busy lives with obligations inside and outside of our homes but try your best to get 7-8 hours of sleep at night and if at all possible, a 15 minute nap during the day is just enough time to give you an energy boost.
5. Eat Healthy- Many people can interpret this many ways, but please don't starve yourself. Eat in moderation and only when you're hungry. Try to eat three square meals a day (consisting of breakfast, lunch, and dinner with little snacks in between such as an apple, carrots, banana, etc.) Let's please avoid the fried and greasy foods which can "show up" on our skin, excessive red meat and starches.
6. Limit Your Caffeine Consumption- Such as coffee and sodas. Many of us feel that we just need that Starbuck's every morning just to be alive and nice to our co-workers. Well, that is a learned behavior that you can train yourself right out of. Talk with your doctor about things you can drink to aid with those cravings while staying healthy.
7. Exercise- Studies have shown there is indirect evidence between exercising and reducing stress. When you are stressed, naturally your skin is stressed, causing acne to formulate. When you workout, there is increased circulation and delivery of nutrients to skin cells which can aid in getting rid of potentially damaging toxins. So if you workout 30 minutes for three days a week or 15-20 minutes daily, you should begin to see the benefits of the positive changes in your skin.
Now these are great key points to get you started in taking care of your skin, but YOU have to be the one to stick with it. And if you are in your late teens and/or early twenties, you might be able to get away with not taking your skin as seriously but it will begin to catch up with you. As we age, our skin is not as forgiving and just needs a little extra help from us.
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