How I Take care of My Skin

I'm talking about my skin today because I was reminded by the last meme I took part in - 11 Question Tag - where I answered questions about my beauty regime and my favorite beauty product. While I'm not a cosmetic junkie by any means, I try to use a small number of good quality skin care products to take care of my skin, especially my face. While it's not susceptible to acne, the sun is a different matter altogether and I have noticed that generally, my face tends to be darker than the rest of my body.

You see, when you do not use products with sun protection in a tropical country like Nigeria, the possibility of sun damage is very high. A few years ago, I began to notice the uneven skin tone down the sides of my face. Funnily enough, I never realized how susceptible I was to sunburn until I moved to the United States.

I had gone to the beach with Atala wearing a halter-neck bathing suit and without sunscreen. It was my first summer here after a very dreary spring and I was lapping up the sun like a dog starved of water. However, I had to beg for us to leave after some hours. My back was on fire. You guessed it, I had sunburn on my face and my back. It was so serious that I had to use medication for almost a week after that.

I have since learned my lesson, and since then all facial moisturizers and body lotions I use must have at least SPF-15. Thankfully, as I crossed the big 3-0 and continued to take care of my skin, I've been seeing some improvements. I'm still not the kind of woman who uses lots of products or tons of makeup. I find what I like and what works for me and I try stick to it as long as it remains available.

More than name brands, I think it is the function of the product itself that makes the most difference. For instance, I notice that for cleansing, facial wipes are nicer to my sensitive skin than say, cotton balls and toner or astringent. It is also good to know where your skin falls into in the ranges used by a particular skin care regimen. My skin is combination/oily and any time I use a product outside this range or one without this definition, I usually break out in small rashes or worse clogged pores.

These things don't bother me so much any more because with age, I now know that the conditions are usually not permanent and rarely life threatening. Another thing is that the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my skin, and I've found that I've moved beyond coveting the smooth skin on other people. I also worry less about what other people think of me and my skin issues because, at this point, I know I am more than my skin.

With that said, I don't want to look older than my age. I am enjoying my thirties and looking forward to all the rest it has to bring, as well as beyond. My mum is a beautiful woman and in her 60s now. She still takes great care of herself. Same with my sisters, one of whom just finished her NYSC. Why am I saying this? Because I want to look great right next to all of them.

So I'll ask you the same questions I did in the tag, what is your beauty regime and your favorite beauty product?


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