When it comes to proper skin care, there are many important things to know. After all, you are going to be living in your skin for the rest of your life, so keep it looking and feeling healthy and beautiful. Your skin is the most noticeable part of your body, and the best way to achieve proper skin care is to start incorporating a few important steps into your daily routine. Simply by adding these few extra steps to your regular skin care routine, you will notice almost immediate results.

Cleanse

Cleansing is one of the most important steps, but before you choose a proper face cleanser you need to determine what your skin type is. The basic types are oily, normal, dry, or sensitive. If you are not sure which type you have, it isn’t hard to find out. All you do is wash your face and pat dry, making sure not to rub because this can tear the skin. Now take a few pieces of rice paper and press on different spots of your face. If your skin is oily, the paper will stick. If the paper falls right off, then your skin is dry. If it sticks a bit but then falls off, you most likely have a normal or combination skin type.

Now comes the hard part. You have to find a good cleanser that your skin is going to respond well to. This can be particularly difficult if you have sensitive skin, because many products will be too harsh for you to use. Even if you have oily skin, you want to avoid bar soaps, as they are much too rough on the skin, especially on the face where the skin is most delicate. One of the most important skin care rules of all is to not cleanse too often—typically washing once in the morning and once at night should be enough.

Exfoliate

Another critical part of skin care is exfoliation. Regularly exfoliating your face is especially important, because it will help get rid of dead skin cells and leave your skin looking healthy and smooth. Exfoliating is simple. All you need to do is lightly moisten your face, then, using a loofah, rub a dollop of exfoliating cleanser on your face. You can use sugar or any other grainy products as well. Rub in circular motions, avoiding scrubbing too hard under the eyes because the skin there is very thin. Continue rubbing for a few minutes, then rinse off your face with warm to cool water.

Moisture

Moisturizing is the next important step in any skin care routine, even if you have very oily skin. You need to use some type of moisturizer, especially after cleaning and exfoliating the face. Moisturizers work by sealing moisture into the skin, and it also ensures that the skin is smooth and supple. The best way to do this is by using your fingertips. Dot the moisturizing cream around the area of your face, and then gently massage the cream into your face, making sure to get around your T-zone area, which is down the nose and across the forehead. Make sure that while you are massaging the cream you are using alternating strokes and never over-moisturize, as this can cause your skin to look oily.

Proper skin care is critical to looking and feeling healthy and youthful, and by taking proper care of your skin now, you will be doing yourself a great justice in the future. Your skin will remain soft, smooth, and supple, even as you age.