Learn to Skintegrate!

Posted by Yakuti in Archives | | 0 comments

by Paula Odhiambo

Skintegration is a made-up term which can be defined as a virtuous woman’s applied gift of integrating an effective skin care regimen into her hectic schedule. This month, we will look at facial care.

If we all followed the same skin care regimen, the results would be disastrous, because we all have different kinds of skin. However, there are basic steps that we can take, for each type of skin, to ensure that we are radiant from the inside out.

Like all good things, flawless skin does not come easily. It is something that requires work on a daily basis
The first step to great skin care is prayer. This probably sounds very weird. However, I have learnt over the years that God finds absolutely no pleasure in disasters of any sort and He will take care of my skin if I commit it to Him. If my skin is looked after, I will better be able to concentrate on the more-important and eternal aspects of this lifetime.

Next comes diet. There is a symbiotic relationship between your skin and the processes that your body undergoes. What you eat will be evident in your skin, and sometimes this evidence may occur years later. What you put on your skin will be evident in your body processes. A general rule is: if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your face as often as you eat. Research has shown that the things we put on our skin and nails, and in our hair, can turn up in our bloodstream. It is therefore wise to apply certain things to our bodies in moderation, if we feel we absolutely must employ their use.

The four basic steps to skin care are:
1. Cleanse.
2. Freshen.
3. Moisturize.
4. Protect.

There is absolutely no way we can figure out how to cleanse, freshen, moisturize or protect our skin if we have no idea what kind of skin we have. There are five basic types of skin. Find out where yours fits in:

A. Normal Skin.
Normal skin has evenly distributed oil. It has no extra shine. The skin does not look oily after it is cleansed or moisturized, and acne breakouts are not frequent. It is also not excessively dry or taut when washed. Normal skin has an even texture and almost-invisible pores. It also does not easily develop blemishes or spots. It is what you can call the “in-between” skin, the middle ground between two more-difficult kinds of skin.
Caring for Normal Skin:
Normal skin should not be cleansed too often. Baby products are great for this kind of skin. Cleanse twice a day using mild baby soap. Johnson’s baby soap, Dove fragrance free baby soap and Aveeno baby soap are great for this. Dove regular mild soap will also do the trick. Neutrogena’s One Step Gentle Cleanser is great for this kind of skin and is a make-up remover in one, which makes things so much easier!
Freshen or tone with a gentle toner. Here is a simple homemade recipe:
- Mash strawberries.
- Apply to face.
- Leave for one minute.
- Rinse with warm water.
Be careful not to eat the strawberries! ?
You could also:
- Blend 1 cup chopped cucumbers with ¼ cup water.
- Gently apply to face using washcloth.
Here’s a slightly disgusting one:
- Apply egg whites from 2 eggs to face.
- Leave for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Pray for the eggy smell to go away!! ? SOMEDAY! It works wonderfully, if you can get over the smell.
Next, you need to moisturize.
After patting skin dry gently with a towel, use a hypo-allergenic moisturizer or night cream.
To protect your skin, be sure to stay away from UV rays. Yes, the sun does affect African skin, too! Use your sunscreen. When blow-drying hair, do not point the dryer at your face. Use a mask twice a month to maintain the smoothness of your face. Drink at least two litres of water a day.

B. Oily Skin.

Unlike normal skin, oily skin has a very oily surface that easily attracts dirt and dust from the environment. Sebum, an oily substance that is secreted by mammals to protect hair and skin from drying out, is present in excess in oily skin, and results in enlarged pores, blackheads, whiteheads and blemishes. Oily skin is hardly ever clear.
Caring for Oily Skin:
Because this type of skin is prone to acne, preventive and curative methods should be applied as necessary. It is best to visit a dermatologist to determine exactly what measures you should take to look after and protect your skin, but these are a few basic tips and products:
Cleanse oily skin at least twice a day (three times works best for most people) with a mild but medicated cleanser to prevent your pores from getting overclogged. Do not scrub your face hard or wash it too many times, as this will cause it to dry out and result in an overproduction of sebum to counter this. Quite the paradox, but also quite the reality. Great acne cleansers include Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam and Proactiv Solution Renewing Cleanser. Palmer’s Skin Success Acne Medication Cleanser also works really well.

Dermatologists usually disagree on what particular products people should use, but when you visit different doctors, you will notice that one thing they always say is if you find something that works for you, keep using it.

If you cannot find a sink or a place to wash your face during the day, carry a pack of moistened cleansing pads in your handbag. Don’t mix and match. Use the same cleansing pads as the bottle moisturizer you choose.

Follow moisturizer with a gentle toner. Most medicated acne cleansers come in packs, so if you buy Proactiv, for example, it is likely that you will get it with the Proactiv Toner. After patting skin dry, apply toner, and let it dry and become absorbed by the skin.

Use a gentle acne lotion if you are breaking out, or a non-oily, hypo-allergenic lotion made specifically for oily skin.

Use a face mask once a week. A home made remedy would be:
- 1 medium grated apple
- 1 egg-white
- 5 tablespoons of lemon juice
- A tablespoon of hot water
- Mix together and apply on face for ten minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly.
Another one is the banana face mask:
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Mix mashed banana and honey.
- Add lemon juice
- Apply to face for 10 minutes
- Rinse with cool water.
To protect oily skin:
Do not touch your face or pick at pimples. Avoid dust and dirt. Do not change skincare products often unless it is recommended by your dermatologist.

C. Dry Skin.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have dry skin, which has an easy flaking tendency and very, very fine pores, giving the skin a papery texture. Dry skin hardly ever breaks out in blackheads, whiteheads or blemishes. It feels excessively dry after cleansing and may be taut or itchy, or both. It normally appears very ashy and is sensitive to strong winds and cold weather. It is easily irritated.
Caring for Dry Skin:
Cleanse dry skin with a gentle cleansing cream at most twice a day. Washing the face more often could result in further drying of the skin. It is recommended that you use filtered water, instead of tap water, to dry your skin. Use a soft washcloth, as a rough one could aggravate the situation.
Use a moisturizer both during the day and at night. Apply it while your face is still slightly damp.
Drink plenty of water to maintain moisture in your skin.
Here’s a simple homemade mask for dry skin:
- Beat an egg
- Add a teaspoon of honey
- Add a teaspoon of olive oil
- Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil
- Mix together and apply on your face.
- Rinse after ten minutes.

D. Combination Skin.
True to its name, this kind of skin is a combination of dry and oily skin types. Certain areas of the face are oily, and certain areas are dry. The greasy area usually is the forehead, nose and chin, while the dry areas are mostly found on the sides of the face. The oily area is known as the T-zone, because it forms a T on the face, going across the forehead, and then down through the nose to the chin. Blemishes and irritation are common in the T-area for people who have this kind of skin.

To care for combination skin, you need to mix just the right amount of oily skin care treatments with just the right amount of dry skin care treatments. The T-Zone must remain dry while the cheeks must be moisturized.

Use a foaming cleanser every morning and night to keep the oily areas clean and prevent pimples from forming. Every night, use a cream cleanser to smoothen and soothe the dry cheek areas. Use an alcohol-free toner in the oily areas. Do not use toner in the dry areas of your face as this will dry them further.

Exfoliate regularly with a gel or clay mask.

Use sunscreen.

Eat healthy and drink plenty of water.

E. Sensitive skin.
Sensitive skin can be normal, dry, oily or combination. This is a skin type that is very sensitive to changes in the face or in the environment. People with sensitive skin experience drastic effects when they change face creams or soaps, wax their eyebrows, use different kinds of water, or change their diet. Sensitive skin may also be a result of bleaching products and other harmful procedures that may be undertaken in the quest for beauty.

To care for sensitive skin, simply avoid those things that irritate it. Use sunscreen when going out. Protect your face from strong heat, winds and germs.

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