There is nothing I like less than a wishy-washy answer to a question “well… it depends…” But in medicine and aesthetics there are a lot of those, as not every treatment is appropriate for every patient; it DOES depend. That is why you seek out the advice and care of someone who understands the variables and will help you find the right choice. But let me know throw out some skin definitives for you….
Don’t use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to manage a wound daily. These are reserved for cleaning a dirty wound (i.e. just fell off your bike and gravel is etched in your knee), not to treat or clean a cut, sore, pimple or otherwise. Hydrogen peroxide actually prevents skin cells from healing and regenerating. Put it away!
Don’t over wash your skin. We, as humans (Americans especially), have become more obsessed with cleanliness and bathing over the centuries. It’s gotten to the point where our own natural oils are stripped before they have any hope or rehydrating our skin and hair. Your poor body tried to adjust to this daily (or even twice daily) assault, but it’s no easy task. Try to use only water when you can, soap on the dirty bits when you must, and give your hair a shampoo break a few days a week. Believe it or not, if you start a new pattern of washing you might be surprised how your body adjusts.
Don’t give in to the “kitchen sink” mentality. If something is going wrong on your skin, especially on your face, you will be highly motivated to find something to FIX it (“hmm ithe label says for red, irritated skin..”) If that doesn’t work, you may jump to something else (my sister’s friend gave me her tube of..). And then something else…and something else. This is a bad idea. Just having so many different ingredients, often irritating, on your skin can spell disaster, not to mention cloud the picture of what the original problem was. Try to seek help before you are on your sixth home remedy. This will make you and your health care provider much happier.
Do buy into you are what you eat, including your skin. For healthy, glowing skin a hydrated body with bountiful vitamins and minerals from a healthy diet will not betray you. Different skin types and skin conditions will varying degrees of response to a healthy diet (read: your diet alone can’t sure most types of acne) but this does not mean to avoid this piece of your health/skin health.
Do avoid super hot showers or baths. They feel great. They are also zap your skin of it’s internal moisture. Try to keep the temperature at a moderate level to give your skin less of a shock. The human animal wasn’t meant to be dipped in near-scalding water on a daily basis. We have grown to love the torture, but that does’t mean that our skin agrees. And after that moderately warmish bathing experience (you will get used to it), grab the moisturizer and apply it while your skin is still damp. This is the way it absorbs best.
