Tips for Using Facial Moisturizers Correctly

A good facial moisturizer is an important tool in a good skin care regimen. However, like any tool, if they arent used properly then they arent much good at all. You might think that all there is to the proper use of skin moisturizers is simply applying it to your face after you wash, or when youre experiencing discomfort from dry skin. That covers the basics, but to really get the most out of a facial moisturizer, you have to know how to optimize its use.

The basic function of a facial moisturizer is to retain moisture in the outer layers of skin. Normally, any moisture evaporates from the skin quite quickly, which can leave it dry. This problem usually gets worse as people get older. A good moisturizer will keep the moisture in, making dry or aged skin feeling smooth to the touch, and looking a lot nicer too. The ingredients in the moisturizer do most of the work, but there are things that we can do when we apply moisturizer to help it work to its fullest potential.

The first useful tip is to always use your moisturizer right after you finished cleaning you face, while the skin is still damp. Remember that a moisturizer works to lock in water, which it cant do especially well if theres nothing to lock in. After a washing, your will have a good amount of moisture to seal in. If you opt to use toner on your face as well, you shouldnt wipe it off before moisturizing. Apply the moisturizer while the toner is still damp and it will help to seal in the beneficial ingredients in the toner. Remember that the key word is damp - if you try to apply moisturizer when the face is still sopping wet, it will simply drip right off.

Next, pay attention to where youre moisturizing. You would think that facial moisturizers would be usable on the entire face, but thats not exactly accurate. In particular, you should avoid moisturizing around the eyes. The skin that surrounds the eyes is somewhat different when compared to the skin from other areas of the face. Facial moisturizers may be too potent and can lead to irritation and other problems if used on the eyes. They make specific creams for the eyes, and those are what should be used.

You also might think that theyd only be useful on the face, but thats also incorrect. For instance, the neck area can benefit from the application of facial moisturizer. Start at the base and apply the moisturizer in broad upward strokes. A lot of people dont consider the effect that the neck has on their overall appearance, but a neck with bad skin can look very unappealing.

A final tip: while you should apply face moisturizer to a damp face, you should let the moisturizer dry completely before applying any cosmetic foundation. Otherwise, it can become very runny or get completely ruined.

These tips arent exactly life changing, but they do show you a few ways that you can better use your facial moisturizer.

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August 12 2009 | Skin Care | No Comments »

How I Cured My Acne With Pantothenic Acid

From the age of 14 onwards, I was plagued with terrible acne. By the time I was 35, after 20 years of suffering, I still had severe breakouts on my face, arms, back and chest. I had spent thousands of dollars on visits to the dermatologist, numerous acne creams - both over the counter and prescription - and antibiotics and other medications. All to no avail. My skin was still awful, it was embarrassing to wear short sleeved shirts or clothes that showed my neck and chest, and forget about swimming. In a million years, I would never have gone out in public in a swim suit as my skin was so ugly.

Then one day, about 7 years ago, I was browsing around the internet and decided to do a search for 'Acne Treatments'. I read the usual stuff about antibiotics, Accutane, herbal remedies and various over the counter ointments and creams. "Been there, done that, tried that, doesn't work", I thought. I clicked to the next page and my eyes fell upon an article on a study that had been done in Singapore with a group of people of Chinese descent who had acne.

The participants were aged from 10 to 30 years old. The study talked about how Dr. Lit-Hung Leung (the doctor responsible for the study) had given the participants 10 grams of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) every day in 4 divided doses. They were also given a cream to use which contained 20% Pantothenic Acid. Within a few weeks, almost every participant in the study had reduced their acne significantly or cured it altogether. They also noticed an enormous difference in oil production (sebum) on their skin and markedly smaller pores.

After reading the article, I looked on line and discovered that Pantothenic Acid is a water-soluble vitamin. What this means is that you can take just about as much as you want without any overdose problems as, whatever your body doesn't need, is simply eliminated in your urine. Obviously, from everything I read online, there was no danger in trying the large doses of the vitamin. So, I tried it.

I went to the drugstore and bought a huge bottle of Pantothenic Acid and took my first dose. I started off by taking 10 grams (twenty 500mg pills) every day. Within 3 days of beginning the treatment, I began to notice my pores were smaller. The amount of oil my skin was producing was also less. As you could normally run a small car off the amount of oil my skin produced daily, this in itself was a huge development. Then, within the week, new acne stopped appearing all over my body and old acne began to heal.

One month later, I had completely clear skin. Clear skin on my face, my chest, my arms and my back. After over 20 years of severe acne, you can only imagine how this made me feel. For the first time, I could wear sleeveless blouses, low necks and swimsuits!

I have since continued to take the Pantothenic Acid. After about 6 months of staying with the 10grams a day amount, I gradually decreased it down to 4 grams (8 500mg pills) and that's what I continue to take daily as a maintenance dose to maintain my clear skin. I do notice if I forget to take the pills for a few days, my skin begins to erupt again. Going right back to taking the pills gets rid of the acne quickly though.

A quick tip - I order my Pantothenic Acid tablets from several websites as I have found it's much cheaper to buy from these sources than from a drug store, especially if you buy several bottles at one time as they often then give free shipping.

I have also recommended this treatment to numerous friends with acne and only ever had one report that it did little good. However, I don't think he was taking the vitamin consistently, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was why he didn't see the results everyone else saw. The most recent friend I recommended Pantothenic Acid to just reported back that her skin is already clear after only 3 weeks of treatment. She's ecstatic.

After years of struggling with terrible acne, which made my life so difficult, I would recommend anyone to try this simple treatment. It's easy to do, not very expensive (less than $25 a month if you order from one of the many online sources that sell the vitamin), isn't harmful, and really works!

You can get more information about Dr. Leung's study by reading his published paper at http://www.coenzyme-a.com/acne_vulgaris.html. There are also hundreds of other sources on the internet mentioning the effects of Pantothenic Acid on acne. Do some research then decide for yourself. Is it worth the chance that it may work for you? I believe it is and sincerely hope you will have the same results I have had.

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August 12 2009 | Acne | No Comments »