Lifestyle Choices

Unlike sunscreen (which everyone absolutely needs), not everyone needs a moisturizer, especially on the face. If you have oily skin, you are often better off without. As a dermatologist, I see many problems stemming from excessive or inappropriate use of moisturizers on the face. If you have an oily complexion but feel you need a moisturizer for non-oily parts of your face, use an oil-free formulation. Everyone should beware of exotic oils, fragrances, protein extracts, or enzymes; rarely useful, they are often irritating.

The most essential quality of a daytime moisturizer is that it contains appropriate sun protectant. Products you apply in the day are usually lighter than those used at night. Choose a night moisturizer that will also treat your particular problems such as dry skin, acne, or wrinkles.

There is no necessity for a specialized “eye cream” — just use the cream you choose for the non-oily areas of your face. If any irritation develops, do not use that cream anywhere on your skin. Your dermatologist could test your sensitivity to the ingredients so you could avoid the specific allergens in the future.

Remember, a moisturizer’s price bears no relationship to its performance! Usually less is more; the less expensive formulations are often preferable since they have fewer potentially irritating fragrances and “smoothing agents”.

Special Face Treatments

Steamingcleanses your skin thoroughly and is especially good for treating oily skin and blackheads; it isnot advisable if you flush easily or if you have a very pink complexion with extra blood vessels on your cheeks and nose.

Boil water in a large spaghetti pot with either three tablespoons of Swiss Kriss (a laxative tea) for oily skin, or chamomile tea for regular or dry skin. Remove from the heat. Then put your face at least 8in (20cm) above the pot, draping a bath towel over your head in order to collect the steam near your face. Stay in this posture for about 30 seconds. Repeat if you wish.

Masksare among the oldest face treatments. Famous women from Cleopatra to Queen Elizabeth had their own special formulas. Masks are essentially exfoliants which remove dry, dead skin cells from the surface and openings of pores, making the skin smoother and the pores less dilated. However, masks do not “nourish” your skin!

Masks can “wash off” or “peel off”. The former are made of a clay which hardens as water evaporates. Beware of “natural mud” masks, which can be contaminated with bacteria. “Peel-off” masks contain synthetic polymers that are quite safe and effective. Some masks may irritate your skin; always test a little bit on your inner wrist before you treat your face. If you have oily skin or large pores or if you have dry, flaky skin, application of a mask several times each week can be quite effective. Although many recipes exist for “homemade” masks using natural ingredients, I find them quite messy, and their possible therapeutic effects are minimal.

Astringentsare designed to treat the oily “T-zone” of the face. They are actually “drugs which coagulate protein when applied to the skin surface”, thereby constricting surface cells to make pores appear smaller. You know them as toners, fresheners, clarifiers, and pore tighteners, but they all act similarly. Alcohol, aluminium compounds and witch-hazel are the only true astringents.

If you have especially oily areas on your face, I recommend that you wash, exfoliate, then wipe the area with a medicated astringent containing salicylic acid in alcohol and witch- hazel solution. (In general, the higher the alcohol content, the more drying the formulation.) For less oily skin, I recommend pure witch-hazel. Beware of astringents containing potentially irritating ingredients such as camphor, menthol, acetone, sodium borate, or eucalyptus oil. Use them only minimally at first to test your skin for sensitivity.

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