OILY - Oily in T-zone and on cheeks. Skin feels oily soon after washing. Blackheads and oil congestion in T-zone and on cheeks.

NORMAL - Slightly oily in T-zone. Cheeks feel comfortable and are rarely dry. Few blackheads or oil congestion in T-zone.

DRY - No oiliness in T-zone. Cheeks feel dry and tight. No blackheads or oil congestion.

SENSITIVE - Skin flushes easily from wind, sun, cold or friction.

OptaDerm can design a regiment that addresses your skins needs, with the combination of facials and products. It's important to know there is four major aspects to the skin care; cleansing, exfoliating, protecting and moisturizing.

Cleansing is the first step, skin must always be clean but not over stripped. Proper cleansing will keep blackheads and pore congestion to a minimum. Your skin should always feel refreshed afterwards not dry, tight or greasy. Massaging your cleanser well is the key to keeping blackheads away and then completing with a thorough rinsing of luke warm water. A tonic can complete the cleansing process and is great where water is hard or impure.

Exfoliating keeps skin bright, clear and producing new skin cell in the base of the epidermis; resulting in a younger looking better feeling skin. There are now two forms of exfoliation physical and micro. Physical exfoliation uses gentle grains to slough off the upper most layer of dead skin cells. Micro exfoliation uses enzymes and acids to remove the upper most layer of dead skin cells. Your skin type will determine the right solution and frequence for exfoliating your skin.

Protecting skin is the most important for a life time of good skin care. All aging before sixty is from UVA and UVB ray exposure, that starts in childhood. Now with the advancement of UV ray protection, all skin types can benefit from aging before their time. It is never too early to start protecting your skin. UV ray damage takes many years to show in the skin, usually twenty to thirty, so protect now for better skin to come. There are now two forms of UV ray protection, organic and inorganic. Organics are found in nature and must be combined to achieve a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 or more. Inorganic are mined and form a physical block to achieve a SPF of 15. Think of UVA rays as the aging ray, for they are gentle and ever present with light, evening passing through glass. UVB rays are sun's burning rays and make being in the sun uncomfortable. To ensure proper protection wear a sun block everyday of the year with a SPF 15 or more, not just during sunny times.

"The sun may cause sunburn, premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. Avoiding the sun, wearing protective clothing and regular use of sunscreen over the years may reduce the chance of these harmful effects". Health Canada

Moisturizing keeps skin comfortable and moist to the touch. At times skin needs more hydration or lubrication. Hydration gives water to the skin and lubrication gives oil. As skin changes so does its needs, so keep in touch with your skin to know its moisturizing level. If skin is always dry and uncomfortable you need more moisturizing, If skin is oily and greasy it will need less. Many factors determine your correct level of moisturizing so a quick review every season is necessary.

Factors that change skin and cause problems are climate, hormones, diet, stress and improper care.

Climate affects skin greatly. Warm climates and seasons need more cleansing of oils and perspiration with proper protection and less moisturizing. Colder climates and seasons require gentler cleansing with proper protection and more moisturizing. So as climates and seasons change so must your skin care. Monitor for dryness or breakouts to adjust your cleansing, protecting and moisturizing.

Hormones dictate the amount of oil (Sebum) your skin produces. At times your skin will produce more oil and more cleansing is in order, other times dryness will mean increasing your moisturizing. For women, a monthly breakout means paying close attention to skins oil production and feeling.

Diet can affect our skins as well. Skin is a sensitive organ and reflects our well being. A healthy diet keeps our entire body in check. Sudden change in diet or individual diet sensitivities can cause skin problems.

Stress causes different reactions all over our bodies. So lots of good sleep and a sense of well being is good for our skins. Stay active and healthy to keep your skin in top form.

Improper skin care causes all kinds of problems so if skin is not behaving, a change may be in order. Your skin care should always be in review to keep up with the changes. No one skin care regimine will be good for all time. Nor what your friend uses may be suitable for you. Keep in touch and let us know when skin changes or problems arise.

Patch Testing when trying new products is recommended. For even the gentlest ingredients can cause irritation on some skins. Apply a small amount to the inner arm for a week to monitor for a reaction. If any sign of tingling or redness occurs discontinue use.