From bar soap to skin care. You would think by the age of 33 I might have adopted some kind of skin care routine for myself, but until last year, I thought a little bit of warm water and some Dial was doing the job. I have purchased some different moisturizers over the years, but never stuck with any of them. Growing up in the woods of New Hampshire, fashion, hair and makeup were never of much importance (and even when they were, we were a bit behind the times!)
As I got older, I did begin to wear a little makeup but still didn’t do much for my skin. A year ago my mother developed skin cancer on her nose. Having surgery on your face is a scary thing and I admire her bravery through the entire process. Since then I have started to realize that taking care of my skin and protecting it from the sun is actually important. Duh! In the meantime, I’m not growing any younger and I notice darker spots on my own freckled face. I guess it’s never too late to start doing something positive.
Why is a skin care routine so important?
Physical appearance
This is probably the top reason for me when taking skin care into consideration. Unhealthy skin has a sallow, dull look, while skin that is well cared for looks younger and brighter. Skin that is dehydrated tends to develop deeper wrinkles and uneven tone.
Health
Unhealthy skin care habits lead to rashes, breakouts, wrinkles and infection. It also makes us more susceptible to disease. Skin is a the largest organ on our bodies! Staying healthy means taking care of it, just as we would our lungs and heart.
The Miessence Skin Profiles
One of the things I thought was cool when I joined Miessence was their catalogue. I know that sounds nerdy but it was very educational for me. I have difficulty finding my way around Ulta and am easily overwhelmed by all the brands of creams and lotions. The catalog made it easy to find a skin care routine by categorizing each product into one of four profiles.
Balancing Normal combination skin
- fine to average pore size
- some enlarged pores
- some T-zone oiliness
- occasional breakouts
- some blackheads
Rejuvenating Dry mature profile loss of elasticity
- varying pore size
- some dry patches
- no sheen/dull complexion
- can feel tight an dry
- may have surface capillaries
Purifying Oily problem profile, Oily sheen
- breakouts/blemishes
- congestion/clogging
- open pores
- blackheads
- redness
Soothing Sensitive profile May have surface capillaries
- can feel irritated, itchy and hot
- can appear blotchy
- may have flaky patches
- allergic reactions common
- flushed and red easily
You can, of course, mix and match. The profiles give a basic idea of where to start. Most of my skin issues drop me into the Purifying Profile. My skin care routine is a simple 3 step process. I use the certified organic cleanser first, then the organic conditioner to give my skin nutrients and lock in the organic moisturizer, which is the last step.
Not only do I use the catalog to look at what I want to order but I use it as reference. Each product page provides information on Why the product is useful, How to use it and When to use it. Being the skin care novice that I was, I found this really helpful. Lastly, (and then I promise to stop bragging about the catalogue) the final six pages list every product and each and every ingredient it contains.