Care . . . Love your moisturizer

I didn't really learn how much difference a moisturizer could make until a few months before my wedding when I signed up for a skin consultation at my local spa. I always thought I had oily skin, since I tended to breakout and struggle with shine, so I was surprised and even a little dubious when the esthetician told me I had combination skin that -at the moment- was seriously dried out. She explained that by using such strong astringent cleansers, I was stripping my skin of the moisture it needed and so it was over-producing oil to try to rehydrate itself. She gave (well- sold) me some cream based cleaner and heavy moisturizer and my skin really did transform over the next few months. 

At the Skincare 101 class I attended, I learned even more about how important having moisturized skin is. The specialist giving the presentation explained that skin has a very precise pH balance and we need to maintain that balance, not fight it, to have our best skin possible. If we use products that are either overly acidic or overly alkaline, we might unbalance our skin's pH. When you wash your face and it ends up feeling tight or squeaky-clean, that means you've taken off your acid mantle, which is a protective layer over our skin, protecting it from bacteria that cause acne. 

So how do you best take care your skin? 

- Use a cleanser with a neutral pH (try Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser, $32)

- If your skin feels tight after cleansing, use a toner to restore the acid mantle (I like the Dermalogica Multi-Action Toner, $24)

- Find a good moisturizer for your skin type: If you have dry skin , try an oil-based moisturizer(I love Hope in Jar by Philosophy!); Combination/Oily, make sure it's oil-free (try Peter Thomas Roth's)