The Foundation: skincare

   Want to wear makeup like the other girls.  The girls who have flawless skin, not-to-mention the skillful application of the eye makeup. Well let's see what we can do about that.  I am exploring makeup...all kinds.  Many folks who want to wear great makeup do not have perfect skin like the other girls.  So allow me to shed some light on the other girls.  The other girls have a bold makeup secret hiding in plain sight.  That secret is skincare.  The skin provides a canvas for the makeup.  A multi-dimensional living moving canvas can be complicated .
     So let's start with the foundation which is skincare.  Your skin should be cleansed at least twice each day (morning and evening or before you leave home and after you return).  You should use a facial brush to cleanse your skin, it helps you from using too much cleanser.  Use a cleanser appropriate for your skin type if you have sensitive or sun damaged skin this is exceptionally important.  Immediately after your skin is cleansed use a toner to stabilize your pores.  Allow your skin to absorb the toner for at least one minute before you apply moisturizer.  An appropriate moisturizer for all skin types must have broad spectrum SPF.  Without SPF your skin is vulnerable to scaring and damage. 
      The most important thing to remember is consistency.  If the routine is broken your skin will not become the radiant canvas that it is meant to be and all of your efforts and expense will be wasted. Don't be discouraged if your skin seems resistant to the routine for the first couple of weeks.  This is a natural response to introducing a new substance to the skin.  This period of resistance can last up to two weeks.  To reduce the resistance, apply ice to the trouble spots for at least 3-5 minutes for the first two weeks.  If this simple routine does not work for you within 4-6 weeks, you may want to explore treatment by an esthetician.  An esthetician  is a skincare specialist that can help you with the treatment of common skin conditions.  An esthetician can be and option before visiting your dermatologist for skin treatments.  For now we will focus on basic skincare.  I encourage you for the next couple of weeks to share your skincare and comments.