Modern women are beginning to realize the dangers of overloading their skin with products, especially sensitive facial skin. And yet, we’re told to moisturize twice a day after cleansing. Is this wise?

Tracey Chappell, a skin expert, says, “The idea that we should moisturize twice a day is traditional beauty lore and does apply to a great many of us. But it’s not necessarily the best thing for everyone.

“The belief probably came about because our desire for squeaky clean skin has meant that traditionally cleansers are quite stripping and leave skin feeling tight and dry, making us reach for the moisturizer both morning and night after we wash our faces.

“Only you can know what your skin feels like on a day-to-day basis. Occasionally it is wise to let the skin breathe, particularly as over-using creams that are too rich can make the skin “lazy”, taking over from its natural functions and leaving us dependent on lotions and potions.

“We get trapped in a vicious cycle.”

A survey by the UK College of Optometrists reveals the 92 percent of women are putting their health and appearance at risk by using old makeup.

It’s not generally known that makeup has a sell-by date in most advanced countries. For example :

* Mascara has an expiry date of 3–6 months.
* Liquid and cream foundations, concealer, cleanser, moisturiser, 6–8 months.
* Pressed, loose and compressed powders, eye shadow, blusher, lip gloss, lipstick, toner, 1 year.
* Eye and lip liner, 18 months.

The problem is that these products can be a “hot house” for bacteria which can cause infections when the makeup is applied. The bacteria builds up over time until it becomes dangerous to use. Mascara is a particular problem because the stick used to apply it can scratch the soft tissue surrounding the eye.

The worst offenders, says the study, are women in their 30s and early 40s.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser to the college, said, “Mascara can be a breeding ground for bacteria, so it’s not surprising we’ve found nearly half of women suffer from itchy, watery and red eyes when they are holding onto their eye makeup for so long and sharing it among their friends.”

Indoor living can leave skin feeling grimy and and looking dull. At the end of the day you need something to invigorate and polish skin to give you a hydrated glow.

Ocean Salt Skin Cleanser by LUSH is full of natural ingredients that scrub and exfoliate then soften and polish. Ocean salt, grapefruit, lime, coconut and avocado butter all combine to leave your skin feeling new and alive again. The ocean salt granules make a great scrub that dissolve to rehydrate skin. Use daily if you have oily skin but limit to once a week if your skin tends to be dry.

Available at our Beauty Store

Finding the right skin care routine is a highly individual pursuit, one that is usually a matter of trial and error. One helpful advance is that cosmetic companies are paying attention to the latest in science and health news and products are increasingly improving as a result.

Almay, for instance, keeps products gentle and natural with an emphasis on being hypoallergenic. They also have managed to tailor and package products so that women can easily identify which product is right for their skin type.

Almay’s line of skincare products includes their 1-2-3 collections of 1. Cleanser, 2. Moisturizer and 3. Toner for a full skincare routine. They are available in different formulations for dry, oily or normal combination skin. Using natural ingredients such as cucumber, meadowsweet and grape seed extract they employ the latest discoveries about anti-oxidants and skin care.

Grape seed extract has even been shown to promote wound healing in scientific studies.