Choosing Skin Care Products

By The Twirlit Team on November 25th, 2008

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Skin care can be a complicated topic. We all want fresh, young looking skin, but with so many products out there, it’s hard to know how to get it. Here we have some general guidelines to help you as you’re looking for the right skin care system for you. An important thing to remember is that each person is different when it comes to skin care. What causes burning and itching for you may be the perfect solution for your best friend. So trust yourself and make the choices that are right for your skin.
The first step to take is determining your skin type. Ask yourself of few basic questions:
• Is my skin particularly oily? (oily skin)
• Are my nose, chin and forehead oily, but my cheeks dry? (combination skin)
• Can I use pretty much any product on my skin, and it’s fine? (not sensitive)
• Do skin care products often cause my face to burn or itch (sensitive)
• Is my skin neither oily nor dry? (normal)

Now move onto more detailed information about your skin. What is your complexion like? Are you fair and burn easily? Do you have an average tone, or is your skin dark, so that you rarely or never burn?
Other factors to consider are specific goals you may have for you skin care regimen. If you are trying to prevent aging or fade spots or other special concerns, you’ll choose a different product.
Having this basic analysis of your skin when you look at the huge array of skin products available will help you limit your choices down to a few.
At this point in your search, there are some specific ingredients that you can look for, depending on your needs.
Alpha-hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
Perhaps because of the aging baby-boomer population, these acids have become very common in skin care products in the U.S. over the past few years. These compounds and the creams or lotions that contain them, may help erase fine lines on the face, smooth irregular pigmentation, and with regular use, fade age spots. Some claim that they also decrease pore size. When using a product containing AHAs, you should also use a sunscreen, since they can increase sun sensitivity and may cause mild irritation.
DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) A substance that is manufactured naturally in our own brain, it can also be found in many fish, such as anchovies, sardines and salmon. Products using DMAE are effective at limiting fine lines and wrinkles with excellent results.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid A newer facial product, Alpha-lipoic acid is an anti-oxidant, similar to vitamin C. However, it is an ultra-strong antioxidant, and helps prevent future skin damage as well as healing current damage. It enters any part of a cell, since it is soluble in both water and oil.
Salicylic Acid is often used as an acne remedy, but it also helps with exfoliating skin and improving the color of the skin as well as the touch or texture. While some products containing salicylic acid require a prescription, others are available over the counter.