Self Care: How to find your skin type and create a simple 4-step skin care routine

                                 

Your skin care routine/habits play an important part in your overall appearance. To find a routine that works for you, you first need to find your specific skin type. This will help you choose skin care products that are custom to your specific skin care needs/goals. 

 

How do I find my skin type?

 

Wash your face with water and pat it dry without applying any products. After ~30-60 minutes assess your skin in the mirror to determine the skin type. 

 

·      Oily: Your skin looks/feels greasy/shiny all over.

·      Dry: Your skin feels tight and may look flaky/scaly.

 

·      Combination: Your T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) looks greasy/shiny, while your cheeks feel dry/tight.

·      Normal: Your skin feels comfortable and balanced neither too dry/tight or oily.

 

·      Sensitive: You skin react easily to new products/environmental factors and you get symptoms like redness, stinging, burning, itching, dryness, or rashes.  

 

4-step daily skin care routine

 

Here is a simple daily skin care routine you can start implementing to keep your skin looking healthy, youthful, glowy, and protected.

 

 

1. Cleanse

·      Aim to wash your face ~2x/day.

Ø  Example products: Ceraphil Gentle skin cleanser, Loreals eye makeup remover, or simply use water with mild soap. 

Ø  Tip: Use a soft spa/skincare headband accessory to help hold your hair back while you wash your face and do other facial routines.

 

·      Optional: After cleansing, you can use Ice/ice roller to help de-puff and bring color to your face. In addition, you can use a toner to remove extra dirt/oil/makeup from your face. 

 

2. Nourish

·      Apply moisturizer to slightly damp face, neck, and body parts that are prone to dryness (i.e. hands, elbows, knees, heels). 

Ø  Example products: CeraVa- Ultralight daily moisturizing lotion, Coconut oil as eye cream

Ø  Tip: Apply it by gently massaging it upward to face/neck for better absorption. Don’t forget to nourish your lips with some lip balm as well. 

 

·      Optional: Before moisturizing, you can add serum to your face that contain an active ingredient for hydration (i.e. hyaluronic acid, glycerin, rosehip oil), brightening and protection (i.e. vitamin C, nicacinamide (vitamin B3)), anti aging and texture (i.e. retionids, peptides, lactic acid), and/or acne/congestion (i.e. salicylic acid (a BHA), benzoyl peroxide). 

·      Optional: After moisturizing, you can add facial oil to help hydrate the skin even more. For dry/mature skin heavier oils (i.e. argan, marula, avocado) are better, and for oily/acne-prone skin lighter oils (i.e. squalane, rosehip, jojoba) are better. 

 

3. Protect

·      Add sunscreen SPF 30+ to skin not covered by clothing (i.e. face, ears, neck, hands, feet, lips) at least ~15-30 minutes before sun exposure. 

Ø  Example products: Neutrogena dry-touch sunscreen spa 55.

 

4. Polish- Add makeup that enhances your features.

 

 

Weekly skin care habits:

·       Home Facial routine: Cleanse, 2-5 minutes of warm steam/water towel, exfoliate/scrub, extract blackheads, purifying/detox/clay/charcoal face mask, hydrating/sheet/serum face mask, toner/serum, 5-10 minutes of face yoga/gua sha massage, moisturize. 

·       Home Foot routine: Wash/soak your feet in warm water with epsom salt/essential oils for 10-15 minutes. Exfoliate/buff any hard calluses on heels/pads. Pat it dry. Before bed, apply heavy cream, wrap in plastic, and wear thick socks overnight to wake up to moisturized soft feet. 

·       Change your pillow/bed sheets.

 

 

Other habits that help your skin glow:

·       Drink ~2-3 liters of water/day, eat nutritious foods, sleep well, manage stress, get some sunlight, and exercise regularly to help detox and boost collagen production.

·       Avoid touching your face, and/or wash your hands before touching your face. 

·       Perform a monthly skin self-exam, and a yearly skin exam with a dermatologist looking for any new/changing moles/spots or growths. 

 

 

***Note: Your Skincare needs will change with age, climate, and location. Reassess your skincare needs every 3-6 months. 

 

 

 

What skincare habit do you want to start implementing? 

 

 

 

 

***Picture Source: bionyxskincare.com
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30 Christ-centered Thanksgiving tradition ideas

Thanksgiving Day, is a wonderful time of the year where expressing gratitude is especially encouraged and celebrated. Here are several ways you can incorporate Christ-centered Thanksgiving traditions in your family this year. 

 

Gather and Give thanks

1.     Take the time to reflect on how God has been faithful and has blessed your life.

2.     Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving and give God thanks for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

3.     Fast from negativity that comes from both internal (i.e. cognitive distortions, negative self-talk, past trauma) and external sources (i.e. negative people/relationships, news/social media, challenging life events). Shift your attention more on what you do have, by the grace of God, than what you do not. 

 

4.     Memorize a Bible verse about thankfulness (i.e. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 100:4). Read it together 2-3 times a day and you will have it memorized by the end of the month. 

5.     Read Psalm 136 by having one person read the first line, and the kids/others respond with the phrase, “His love endures forever.” Alternatively, you can also read Psalm 100.

 

6.     Do the 21-day gratitude challenge. Write down 3 things you are thankful for each day in November leading up to Thanksgiving Day. You can enter it on your phone/notebook, or place it in a “thankfulness jar.” Then, read it together as a family during Thanksgiving Day/dinner.

7.     Write a thank you note/letter to someone that has impacted you over the last year, and mail them just before thanksgiving. 

8.     Have people write down/record something memorable/funny and are thankful for from the past year. Then, place it into a family thanksgiving journal to review next year. 

9.     Ask people “What are you thankful to God for?”, and other fun questions that are good conversation starters at the table.

10.  Practice saying, “Thank you,” to acknowledge an individual’s effort, help, kindness, and positive impact.  

11.  Just gather and enjoy your time connecting with cherished family and friends. 

 

Food: 

12.  Create a signature Thanksgiving Day meal that you serve each year. (i.e. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato/broccoli/cheddar/stuffing casserole, sautéed green beans, cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, pie (i.e apple, sweet potato, pumpkin, chicken pot)). 

13.  Make a poppyseed cake/sweetbread, eggnog, or bake a bread together.

14.  Bake Parker House rolls and place a small slip of paper with your favorite Thanksgiving bible verse filled with the promises of God, and thankfulness to God. 

15.  Bring cans and non-perishable items to a food bank or family in need. This can be done a few weeks before Thanksgiving.  

16.  Cook a meal, shop for groceries, or bring a piece of pie to someone who is in a nursing home, or dealing with a serious illness/injury. 

17.  Consider inviting a single person, surviving spouse, or someone seeking companionship to share the Thanksgiving meal with.

Arts/Crafts/Games:

18.  Complete a “Thanksgiving” themed Puzzle, or coloring sheet together.

19.  Play corn hole, or ladder ball as a family. 

20.  Bundle up and go on a Thanksgiving family hike/walk around the neighborhood, or local park. Alternatively, you can do a family workout together.

21.  Create a “gratitude tree.” Cut out a tree trunk shape, and have people write on a tree leaf, or 3x5 card with things they are grateful for to stick onto the tree trunk. Perhaps, you can consider doing it at breakfast before the day gets too busy.

 

22.  Watch a brief story about Thanksgiving. This one is a good one. https://www.gotquestions.org/thanksgiving-Christian.html

23.  Watch the 30-minute film, “The Mayflower Voyagers (This is America, Charlie Brown).” 

24.  Read a brief storybook about Thanksgiving. Here are some examples: The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Mike & Jan Berenstain ; Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration by Julie Stiegemeyer; Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Miller; Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall; Give Thanks to the Lord by Karma Wilson; Thankful by Eileen Spinelli; “Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by  Barbara Rainey;  Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes; 

 

 Music: 

25.  Listen to songs about gratitude

26.  Sing/play a song together about gratitude. 

 

                Decorations: 

27.  Decorate the house with mini pumpkins, gourds, and/or wheat/corn stalks to add fall colors (i.e. yellow, orange, deep reds, browns). 

28.  Add wreaths or garlands made of fall leaves, citrus, or pine. 

29.  Place woven placemats, or charger plates to make the table look more festive.

30.  Add candles (i.e. real or flameless) to create a cozy atmosphere as the nights get longer.

 

 

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? 

 

Photo source: freepik.com

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