What kind of beauty product are you drawn to? Pink lipglosses, bold lipsticks, blue eyeshadow?
I love bold lip colors – gloss or lipstick! If it’s bright and stand out, I always eye it.
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Supplements For Skincare
If you are looking for a healthy, alternative way to help increase your skin’s appearance, you can choose from several vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. It is important that you consider your dietary concerns and routine so you do not get “too much” of a good thing. It is always advisable to consult your physician when embarking on a rapidly different dietery routine, including the addition of supplements. This article is meant to be informative only, not prescriptive.
Note: This article was written with help from both my father (who has been taking supplements since age 12, honest, like a fistful!), my limited science undergrad education, and WebMd. By the way, my father is 52, and he doesn’t look a day over 30, so maybe he caught onto the whole “vitamins are good for you” trend forty years ago.
Vitamin A is the main component a host of anti-aging products available today, because it is supposed to reduce wrinkles and renew the skin’s collagen production. A recommended daily dosage of Vitamin E is 400 mg, and it can reduce damage done by the sun, reduce wrinkles, and overal give skin a better appearance and feel. You will find Vitamin A naturally within fruits and vegetables, but you can take a supplement if you find your diet is not quite up to par. Vitamin A in a topical form have shown to reduce aging symptoms, acne symptoms, and improve complexion in general. The prescriptive drug Retin-A is much more aggressive, but many over-the-counter off shoots are sold as retinols, which are similar, but less intensive. Retinols may be a good place to start if you do not have a dermatologist or you have skin prone to sensitivity and dryness. The usage of products in either family require additional sun protection and potentially moisturization as the skin adapts to the treatment.
Vitamin B-complex is often used to keep skin looking good and maintaining muscle tone, as well as promoting cell growth. Biotin, part of the complex, helps with skin, nail, and hair cells. You will find it a variety of foods like eggs and oatmeal, but there are topical versions available. The usage of such creams can quickly give the skin a healthier appearance.
Vitamin C is an antixoidant that helps to reduce inflmmation and combat free-radical damage to skin cells. Free radicals reduce the amuont of collagen and elastin found within skin, and it is the result of sunlight, polution, and smoke. It can also help act as a preventative measure against sun exposure. You can find Vitamin C in a host of fruits and vegetables, but there are supplements, to be taken in 500 to 1,000 mg per day. If you have experienced kidney stones in the past, be advised by your doctor on your dosage of Vitamin C (as an excess can cause them!). There are also topical Vitamin C creams that can help increase collagen production, and it would need to contain L-ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C, because it penetrates the skin layers.
Vitamin E is often included in moisturizers and creams because it is said to reduce scarring and increase skin healthiness. It is also an antioxidant, which is important to have in any anti-aging regimen. Like Vitamin C, it can also reduce the damage done by free radicals. It can be found in nuts, seeds, some vegetables, but most need to take a supplement because there is not enough in food. WebMD recommends 400 international untis per day or less.
Vitamin K is gained some ground with medical studies that say it may help to reduce undereye circles when combined with Vitamin A in a cream form.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant, and it works with both internal and external skin cells, which most antioxidants do not do (they only do one). Like Vitamin C and E, ALA can help to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. You can find ALA in supplement form (DHC Skincare has them available).
Hyaluronic Acid is an ingredient you may want to watch for in higher grade skin creams, because it is said to be the “glue that helps hold [skin cells] together, keeping skin looking smoother and younger.”
Minerals you may want to look into: Copper (can help increase elastic; look for this in a cream rather than adding as a supplement), Selenium (reduces damage from the sun, including sunburn), Zinc (good for acne, reduces oil).
Where to get supplements? You can find supplements at a host of drugstores. For certain vitamins, buying in bulk through a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club can be a great method. Through personal experience, both myself and father buy many of our vitamins through Trader Joe’s. DHC Care, which is a popular skincare brand, also has a whole section of their website dedicated to various supplements. Even Sephora has a few supplement choices available! And the drugstore super store of the internet is, of course, Drugstore.com.
How do you stay motivated? When there’s something you want or something you need to do, how do you keep yourself on track?
Determine Your Skin Type
Before you can possibly find the right skin regimen for you, it is imperative you understand the type of skin you have so you can avoid certain products and embrace others.
Dry skin is characterized by flakiness, cracks, or rough texture. Sometimes the skin will feel tight, or the dryness may be caused by outside elements, such as wind or lack of water consumption. Those with dry skin will often need to stay away from (or at least be wary of) products that are more extreme in their ingredients. Toners may be unnecessary for dry skin, because toners help to regulate and reduce oil production, and dry skinned users do not suffer from an excess of oil, making this product potentially superfluous. Many acne treatments contain ingredients that are drying, so it is important to make note of your skin’s reaction and whether it dries out, so that you can moisturize more thoroughly during certain treatments.
Normal skin is skin that does not feel greasy, but it doesn’t feel dry either. These are lucky patrons, as they have soft skin that looks naturally lovely with no need to control oil production or increase skin moisture. Even those with normal skin will periodically find that their skin will change through the year or even over time; normal skin may be found throughout the year until the harsh winter abounds. Middle-of-the-road products work well for normal skin, and with today’s range in skincare, it is much easier to find products targeted to specific skin type.
Oily skin may feel greasy (or look it for some) and may also have increased pore size. Sometimes those with oilier skin may be more acne-prone than others, especially past adolescence. Unlike dry skinned users, oilier skin requires less moisturization, but it doesn’t mean you should skip it altogether. It is important to find a moisturizer that is suitable for oily skin, so it doesn’t complicate or add to the problem, but it still gives your skin the proper moisture level it needs. Toners are great for oil reduction/control, and it may be a product to be added to your skincare regimen. Ultra-thick, luxe creams are generally not needed by those with oily skin, because they are much too intense.
Combination skin is often when you have an oilier T-zone (forehead, nose, chin), but the rest of your face is either normal or on the drier side. Sometimes the reverse occurs, and sometimes only the cheeks are dry. Your forehead might be oil-slicked while your cheeks are parched, which means you will most likely need products that are either targeted for combination skin or have a few to use and choose from. For example, using an all-over facial moisturizer meant for oily skin, but then applying more generously over dry patches (OR getting a thicker, richer cream for those areas altogether).
Sensitive skin is an additional component to dry, oily, or combination skin that is essential to know. Sensitive skin is marked by reacting more often than the normal person to certain products, ingredients, weather, or other environmental factors. Someone with sensitive skin may experience a rapid change in skin appearance simply with using a new cleanser. If you have sensitive skin, it is important to be wary whenever trying new skin products, and spot testing may be advisable. Stronger products, like expensive anti-aging creams and treatments, may be too strong for sensitive skin to handle. Those with the most sensitive may even find that natural, organic, or home-made beauty products are the only ones they can use without fear.
If you were using MAC Northern Lights mineralize skinfinish, what look would you create with it? What shadows would you use? What would you use on cheeks? Anything added to the lips?
Create a look using whatever you want, as long as you include Northern Lights! Feel free to share links to photos of your look(s) using it in the comments.
What are you most excited about for the N collection? What has you chomping at the bit to get this Thursday? What are you planning in your haul? Or if you aren’t planning a haul, why aren’t you excited over N?
I can’t wait to see the lipsticks and lipglasses, because that’s my thing. It’ll be fun to see what the mineralize skinfinishes are like, too.
