Are you a soap and water gal? A bar of soap and a washcloth is all you’ve used for as long as you can remember? That was me, too! Every Saturday night, we used a white bar of soap that smelled really, really soapy
(not perfumed), scrubbed ourselves all over, hard, with a rough wash cloth, and voila, we were clean enough to wear a dress with white gloves to church the following day! What I remember the most was how dirty the water was after I got out of the bathtub, and how dry my skin felt for several days after!
Then we became teenagers, noticing what all the other girls were wearing and doing, and wanting the boys to notice us, too. Looking good was a priority, especially if one slight flaw would be noticed by everyone! As I started to notice changes in my skin during my twenties, I began my quest for the perfect cleanser, lotion, blemish eraser, rouge and lip stick I could find! I loved to make an appointment with the visiting makeup artist at department store cosmetic counters to have my makeup done with my girlfriends, coming away looking like a street girl. 
Did you do it, too? Did you run to the bathroom as soon as you got to school to roll up your skirt and apply a heavy coat of foundation, powder, rouge, liquid eyeliner, blue eyeshadow, heavy mascara, and white lipstick?? Those were the days!! We didn’t know anything about how to care for our skin, just what to layer on it to look “good”! Now, we feel so young in our hearts, yet when we look in the mirror, all those wrinkles look back at us! There’s still hope! We can get our skin looking beautiful and healthy once again, maybe with a few wrinkles from many years of laughter and sunshine…
So……. How Important IS a Skin Care Regimen??
We all have our favorite products, the ones that feel great, smell great, and make our skin look amazing. And, though we’re likely to hold these products near and dear, the truth is, it’s unlikely that there’s ONE “silver bullet” product out there that can fill ALL of our skin’s needs! The skin around our eyes and lips is physiologically different from that on our forehead, cheeks or chin. A brilliantly formulated, moisturizing cleanser is still unlikely to provide the hydrating boost that a moisturizing cream can….It is for these of reasons that a regimen – one that includes a carefully chosen combination of skin care products that work together with one another - is often the most effective way to make our skin look and feel beautiful!
So how do we choose the right regimen? What products do we really need? Skin type can vary from person to person – so naturally, skin care needs to specific to your needs as well. With all of the skin care products on the market today, it can become confusing to decide what you really need to determine those products that are really going to help your skin look, feel and function most healthfully.
To simplify things things here, I’ll break down the basic skin care needs into a series of steps in which there are particular processes and ingredients that everyone can benefit from regardless of skin type or skin challenges you face.
Products in a skin care regimen should perform the following functions:
Cleansing, Preparing, Treating, Protecting, and Moisturizing.
Cleanse ~ Cleansing helps remove the dirt, oil, and other impurities from the skin’s surface and inside pores. It is the first step in improving skin appearance, preventing blemishes, discoloration, inflammation and general dullness. When choosing a cleanser, be sure that is is gentle, natural, and devoid of harsh, irritating ingredients. I HIGHLY recommend Celloxylin Creme Cleanse! It is also very important to avoid over-cleansing – twice daily is enough, even if you have oily skin! 
Exfoliation ~ is another essential step for most skin types, mechanically or chemically cleansing skin by removing dead skin cells from the surface. The frequency with which you exfoliate can depend on skin type and your natural ability to turn over dead skin cells, but should typically be done 1 – 3 times per week (see blog post “Why Exfoliate” in sidebar). Celloxylin’s Sugar Beet Crystal/Papaya Enzyme Activated Microcrub has the perfect combination of gritty sugar crystals and papaya enzymes for a mechanical-chemical exfoliant. Did you know that sugar is an anti-inflammatory, too?
Cleanse morning and night, using warm water (water that is too cold or hot can harm skin). If your skin feels tight and dry, you have likely overdone it! And remember, it is important to take the same care cleansing the rest of the skin on your body as you do with your face!
Prepare ~ Prepare clean skin to receive ingredients that will come from the rest of your products. Toners, tonics, or astringents, such as Celloxylin Activating Tonic, are designed to remove the last traces of impurities and restore the naturally acidic pH level to the skin. Celloxylin Activating Tonic is unique, as it OPENS the pores and primes the skin to efficiently uptake ingredients in the Nutrient Reservoir (see last post “What’s in the Nutrient Reservoir”). Chose a quality product that supports skin structure and function by incorporating ingredients with astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties. When searching for a toner, tonic, or astringent, be sure to avoid those that are alcohol based – these can be extremely drying. Apply to skin that is still moist, as this will help prepare your skin to accept ingredients from your moisturizer deeper into your skin!
** What’s in your Tonic?? Celloxylin Activating Tonic contains Tremella fuciformis Extract, an extraordinary effective humectant. It both moisturizes the skin and helps the skin hold onto moisture longer. In addition, research shows that Tremella works effectively as a topical antioxidant, containing high levels of Vitamin D which is important for cellular metabolism.
Treat ~ Treatment products deliver a high concentration of important ingredients to the skin; some treatment products are appropriate for daily use on all skin types, while others should be used to target specific conditions (ie. wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, clogged pores). Daily use products should include nutrient packed serums such as the Celloxylin Firming Complex and Precision Skin Rejuvenator. These products are formulated with ingredients to provide Collagen and Elastin support, combat oxidative stress, promote skin hydration, and reduce the signs of environmentally induced aging. Treatment products should be applied and allowed to dry completely before moisturizing, to ensure the beneficial ingredients can fully penetrate the skin. Once dried, apply moisturizer to provide a protective, hydrating layer to lock nutrients deep into the skin, where they can provide the greatest benefits!
Protect~ The number one cause of visible aging is sun damage! Two main types of UV radiation, UVA and UVB, contribute to skin damage and accelerated skin aging. For full protection, SPF products should contain certain ingredients that provide broad spectrum coverage (protect the skin from both UVA and UVB radiation). While the primary focus of SPF products is to absorb, scatter, and reflect UV particles, many SPF lotions and creams are formulated with ingredients that promote healthy skin structure and function in other ways. By choosing a daily moisturizer with SPF protection, like Celloxylin Day Cream, you’ll cut down on the number of products you need without sacrificing the benefits! Remember, it is essential to protect skin all year long, not just during the hot and sunny months. Products with SPF value should be used last in your regimen, to ensure that active ingredients (which sit on top of the skin to protect against UV radiation) are not rubbed off. To fully protect the skin from other sources of environmental damage, also seek products with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients – oxidative stress and inflammation are also major contributors to aging!
Moisturize~ Moisturizing is an essential step – it hydrates the skin and provides nutrients necessary for skin function and repair. It is common for moisturizing products to be formulated differently for day and night use; the primary differences tend to be the thickness and SPF value. Day moisturizers, like Celloxylin Day Cream, are often lighter than night time moisturizers so that they absorb quickly and can be worn under makeup, and may include SPF ingredients to ensure skin is protected from UV radiation. Night time moisturizers, like Celloxylin Night Repair 3-Deep, are often thicker, as night time is a great time to use a moisturizer that is highly nourishing or incorporates ingredients to target specific skin care conditions, as this is when the majority of repair and regeneration take place. The areas around the eyes and mouth need moisturization, too; because this skin is unique in structure – it is thinner and more susceptible to wrinkles – it is best to choose a moisturizer like Eye + Lip Age Eraser, specifically designed to target the eyes and lips. Moisturize twice daily, as the last step in your skin care regimen, to seal in moisture and the beneficial ingredients from all of the products you’ve used!
**To maximize the benefits of your skin care regimen, after cleansing, gently pat skin dry with a towel and apply products while skin is still moist (many are formulated to help retain moisture). Always allow each product to dry completely before applying the next. 
Now that you understand how important taking care of our skin from the outside is, we’ll talk about what we can do from the Inside to make our skin even MORE BEAUTIFUL!!!
Thanks for stopping and MAKING MY LIFE BEAUTIFUL!!
XO Candy
I welcome your questions and comments!
Adapted from Apriori Beauty’s Did You Know ” The Importance of a Skin Care Regimen” developed by Candace Keefe, CEO, Elizabeth Vervynck, COO, Susan Twellman, CMO and Katy Meunter, PhD.
You’re the best!”
