Tending to your skin.

I know it seems like there is a lot on here about skin care and not much about makeup but let's face it - without good skin the overall look of makeup is damaged.

Whether you are applying makeup on yourself or another it is important to determine and assess the skin type. Analyse the skin and ask open ended questions along the way; how does your skin feel by the end of the day? What do you typically use on your skin? How does your skin react to products?

When removing eye makeup be gentle, try to avoid stretching the skin as much as possible. Skin around the eye is extremely delicate and since we don't produce any sebum here, constant tugging and pulling over time will result in lax skin.
Moisten a cotton pad or grab a wipe and with the eye closed begin to sweep in a down and outward motion (gently holding the skin above the eye will help). Once the makeup has begun to break down fold the wipe or cotton pad in half, have the client look up and sweep any excess makeup toward to nose. Repeat this step if needed using a clean wipe or pad until all makeup is removed.

Cleansing the skin is (in my opinion) one of the most important steps in skin care (next to moisturizing) since it will remove any dirt and residue. Use warm water to open the pores and apply a dime size amount of cleanser to wash the face (make sure to do this in an upward and circular motion), then rinse using cool or lukewarm water. If the water is too hot or too cold it can cause broken capillaries and never use soap on your face as it is too harsh on the skin.
As noted in an earlier blog - washing once a day is all that's necessary. Before bed, preferably.

After cleansing, tone the skin (only if you feel necessary). Toners will balance the pH of skin and tighten the pores but if you rinsed your cleanser off with cool water this will have a similar effect. Apply using a cotton pad.

Moisturize - no matter what your skin type! Moisturizer will seal the skin with hydration and balance out the acid mantel (pH of skin - yes, it is slightly more acidic). Makeup application becomes so much easier and smoother with this step. Apply the necessary amount in down and outward motions to avoid clogging the pores.

SPF! If you don't use this in your skin care regimen, start! Always check for allergies before applying as some people are sensitive to the ingredients used.
Why not try a more natural form of SPF? Check out Lush, Planet Organic or Community Natural Foods.