You may be among the consensus that proper skin-care is summed up by a good, solid lather. After all, who needs all other stuff? Toners, serums, masks, fresheners... the list is endless of things to choose from to help keep your face healthy. While we don`t recommend that you`ll need a separate medicine cabinet solely for skin care products, we will explain why it`s necessary to include in your regime more than just that bottle of cleanser. We`ll talk about the proper steps in a good skin-care routine and why each step is important.

Cleanser: The Absolute Must Have

Obviously, cleanser is the most important step of any skin care system for the same reason as keeping any other part of your body clean. Not only is it just proper hygiene, but cleansers serve several other purposes for facial skin as well. Depending on your skin type, facial cleansers help balance moisture and pH in the skin, some aid in exfoliation by removing dead skin cells, and prepare skin for the next step in the skin care routine. When choosing a cleanser, be sure you go with something that is appropriate for your skin type. If you have oily skin, go with something that will balance out hydration, whereas if you have drier skin, stick to richer cleansers that will cleanse while providing moisture.

The Next Step

Toner: sometimes referred to as "refresher", this step is important in that it prepares skin for moisturizer, helps remove any dirt or oil that cleanser left behind, helps to balance proper moisture in the skin, and gives skin a fresh helping of healthy ingredients. Avoid choosing any line that contains alcohol, as this can upset the moisture balance of skin and contribute to dryness. Toner should gently hydrate the skin and leave it feeling refreshed, not squeaky-clean or dry. Again, choose a product that is specialized for your skin type.

Masks: Do We Really Need Them?

Some women mask, some don`t. There are many options to choose from with a variety of interesting ingredients. There are all sorts of masks out there that claim all sorts of results from hydrating masks, to anti-aging masks, to clarifying masks. Try a few of them if you`re not wanting to commit to one. Depending on your skin type, masking is something you`ll want to one to two times per week. There are mask for every skin type from oily and normal to combination. Masks aid in exfoliation, clarity, and feed the skin with nourishing ingredients. Be careful to stick to something hydrating for dry skin and not too rich a mixture for oily skin.

Moisture: The Must Have

You`ll probably want a separate moisture for day and night. Night moisturizers should be rich and hearty and leave your skin visibly refreshed in the morning, even if you have oily skin. Nighttime moisturizers have great results but, again, stick to something that goes with your skin type and that you notice makes a difference in the morning. For daytime, choose something a little lighter that soaks into skin immediately.

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