Stress, smoking, caffeinated drinks and sleepless nights are all enemies of your skin. The earlier you develop good skin care, the more you prevent future damage. Badyaa Bangalloun, Tunisian esthetician and skin care specialist at Faces Cosmetics and Perfumerie store, says that at 14, one can suitably start daily cleansing in order to get control over the adolescence's problem of blackheads. Facial skin naturally renews itself every 28 days. After 21 years of age, the cell renewal cycle of 28 days starts to slow down, which means one's skin calls for more attention. Bangalloun notes that the number of facial peel sessions required depends on the texture of the skin and its needs. For example, an oily skin usually requires treatment twice a week due to the excessive oily secretions accompanied with acne and blemishes. Combination skin requires just one session a week, while once every two weeks is quite effective for normal to dry skin. “Oily and dry skin get much affected by change of seasons,” Anita Francois, another French esthetician at Institute Clarins, points out. During summer, an oily skin tends to secrete more oil making one's face easily prone to bacteria and dirt. Consequently, Francois recommends more peeling, face washing and using toner at least two times a day. In addition, peeling helps maintaining long-lasting suntan. “Young women tend to have a skin cleansing before summer vacation to get a fair, spotless complexion ready for tanning,” Francois says. However, during winter, a dry skin gets chapped and using hydrating creams and moisturizers is important to revitalize your complexion and restore elasticity. According to Bangalloun, if you are preparing for a big event, it is better to have facial peel one day before, as the skin will appear red and a bit irritated. Besides, wearing make up after peeling is unfavorable since your pores are still open due to the cleansing process. However, at the end of the day, you can feel the difference in the soft touch of your skin. Women of all ages embrace facial peel; especially brides who are keen on looking their best on their wedding day and during honeymoon, Bangalloun notes. “I always advise brides to have skin treatment once a week for two successive months before their wedding day in order to eliminate any blemishes, blackheads and scars.” Here are the steps of natural facial cleansing that are developed at Faces and you can easily follow at home: 1. Apply the proper toner that goes with the type of your skin. For normal to dry skin, use a toner that contains extra moisturizing and hydrating ingredients to smooth the skin. For oily or shiny skin, using a toner that is medicated to fight breakouts and acne is the best choice. 2. Apply the peeling scrub whether the soft scrub for the sensitive, translucent skin or the hard one for the normal skin. Start by rubbing it gently on your cheeks then repeat it on the forehead and don't forget your neck. Then rinse the scrub off after three minutes. 3. Direct the steamer onto your face to open the pores of the skin, which makes the process of extracting blackheads easier and less painful. It is preferable to avoid extracting blackheads yourself particularly the infected pimples as it may cause permanent scarring. 4. Smooth moisturizing or mud facial mask on your skin. Leave it on for 10 – 15 minutes in order to tighten the skin pores after deep cleansing. 5. After washing-off the task, apply the toner once again. 6. Apply moisturizer cream for soothing and smoothing effects. Faces Cosmetics and Perfumeries store Address: Third floor, Citystars, Nasr City. Session cost ranges from LE300 to LE450 Institute Clarins Address: 47 a el-Qods el-Sharif St. (off Lebanon St.), Mohandessin Session cost ranges from LE320 to LE490
