How to Improve Your Complexion

Cleanse Daily

If you have dry skin you will need to pump a little moisture into your face with your soap. Look for brands of soap that contain either glycerin or a type of silicone, such as cyclomethicone or dimethicone.

If you have oily skin you are going to want to dry up some of the grease with your soap. Oil is like a glue that sticks all of the oil and bacteria to your face. In turn this clogs up your pores and starts the cycle of eruptions and breakouts. Use a soap that contains salicylic acid.

If you have sensitive skin you are going to need something a little milder than the typical ingredients. The important ingredient for sensitive skin types is propylene glycol.

If you have normal skin use soaps that use lanolin, an extract from the oil gland of sheep.

Tone Daily

Toning is the process of removing dead skin cells from your face so that the only layer visible is one of bright and healthy new cells. The average human generates a new layer of skin every 2 to 4 weeks. You can improve your complexion tremendously by sloughing off dead skin cells and getting rid of excess oil with toner. Toning also helps to pH balance your skin after cleansing.

Moisturize Daily

Having cleansed and then toned your face, your going to need to do a little mending. Those first two stages can be little rough on the skin and even if you use products especially designed for your face's chemistry, you may nevertheless have dried it out a little. In any event you will want to create a protective barrier on your newly pampered skin. Moisturizers act in two ways: by throwing up a barrier that traps water in your skin and by pulling water out of the air. One kind acts like a dam and the other acts like a humidifier.

Use Sunscreen

There are two types of UV rays that can damage the skin. The first UVA rays are known as "tanning rays" and are used in may sunlamps and other sources of artificial tanning. UVB rays are the type that cause sunburn. Using moisturizer that contains SPF 15 or higher can protect your skin from sun damage.