4 Ways to Take Care of Your Face

1. Cleanse Thoroughly But Gently

The first step in protecting your facial skin is to clean it on a daily basis using a gentle cleanser that's designed for everyday use. Both regular soap and alcohol-based cleansers will dry out your skin over the long run, so to take the best care of your face, use something gentler. Talk to a skin-care professional or your dermatologist, and choose a product based on your skin type. There are five basic types: dry, oily, normal, sensitive and combination. To get the most out of your cleanser, select a product specifically formulated for the category you're in.

Once a week or so, you should use a deep-cleaning product that will penetrate down through all the layers of your skin to lift out impurities that have sunk in. Clay masks are commonly used for this purpose, though there are many different products available that promise deep-cleansing action. Again, make your choice with the input of your dermatologist or a skin-care professional.

2. Remove Dead Cells

Beyond daily cleansing, you need to lift away dead cells from the surface of your face. Known as exfoliation, this should be done on a daily basis (less frequently for sensitive skin) to ensure that the only skin that's visible is healthy, fresh and clean. To maintain the healthy appearance of your skin, use an alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy or salicylic acid chemical exfoliator. As an alternative, you can use mechanical exfoliators, but they tend to be rougher on your skin and more time-consuming to use properly.

3. Moisturize Your Face

The third step, after daily cleansing and exfoliation, is to moisturize. Moisturizing products literally seal water and hydrating compounds into your skin and work in one of two ways. Some products trap existing moisture in your pores, and others draw moisture out of the air around you and bring it into your skin.

As with cleansers, there are many different moisturizers, and the right one depends on your skin type. People with oily skin generally need to do less to keep it moist, whereas individuals with dry skin need to be the most vigilant about supplementing the moisture.

4. Protect Your Face From Sun Damage

Finally, you should always protect the appearance of your skin by applying sunscreen every time you're heading into the great outdoors. Apply a product with a high sun protection factor (SPF) rating to your face whenever you're going to be exposed to direct sunlight for a period of 15 minutes or longer. Sun damage will age your face faster than just about anything else, and you've got to be extra careful, especially during the summer months, to protect yourself from its harmful effects if you want to maintain a youthful appearance.