Skin is skin. If I break out I will just wash more, and choose oil-free products. If my skin is too dry I will just use coconut oil and lather my whole body in the cure-all wonder of the coconut. WRONG!! All wrong! The skin on your face is very different from the skin on the rest of your body. Warning, going to drop some knowledge!
Facial skin has thousands of pores and microscopic sebaceous glands that secrete sebum (oily, waxy substance) that create an efficient lubrication machine to keep the skin protected and moist. However, we humans find this secretion to be revolting and usually deal with it improperly. Spoiler alert! You need this moisture in your skin, oil is good! If that wasn't hard enough to deal with, the facial cells are smaller than other cells that make up the dermis, so they hold less moisture and require more of it.
Let's go through some steps to healthy, naturally beautiful skin:
- You must not only moisturize the outside of your body but the inside! Drink water. Soda or any other drink that might have water in it does not count! Get some good old-fashioned H2O into your body to stay hydrated from the inside out.
- Get rid of those dead skin cells, what are you saving them for? Using a mild exfoliator such as a face brush, muslin cloth, or finely ground herbs is great to use and won't damage your facial skin. A wash rag, luffa, or anything abrasive will actually cause breaks in the skin and you will likely see flaking, however, these are okay for the rest of the body.
- Hydrate all of your skin! Your face will require special care because of the pores so oils are good but not all oils. Coconut oil is one of the worst things you can put on your face because it is comedogenic (pore-clogging). There are even chemicals that cause pores to clog which are found in many acne products (hand over mouth in shock)! Google comedogenic ratings to learn more.
- Treat your skin to a self-spa and give it some extra attention
Fun Fact: B&W Apothecary provides everything needed to care for your skin properly and naturally!