Regardless of your skin type, may foolproof way to get clear skin.
Mayroong four basic steps: cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and protecting your skin from the sun.
Importante rin na tama o hiyang sa balat mo ang mga products na ginagamit.
Na-discuss ito ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa phone interview nito sa dermatologist na si Dr. Ma. Cricelda Rescobar-Valencia noong October 28, 2019.
STEP 1: CLEANSE
Humanap ng pH-balanced cleanser para hindi maging prone ang iyong skin sa dryness o iba pang skin problems.
Ayon kay Dr. Valencia, "[In] cleansing, we use lang a pH-balanced cleanser.
"pH-balanced cleanser means a pH balance of 5.5. Iyong 5.5 kasi iyong normal pH ng balat natin.
"If you go higher than 5.5, that would make your skin more alkaline.
"'Tapos pag-alkaline kasi iyong skin mo, mas prone siya to allergens, mga bacteria, magpupunit-punit na iyong skin mo.
"So, you have to look for a pH-balanced cleanser."
Kung sensitive ang skin mo, humanap ng cleanser na may label na "hypoallergenic."
Sa pagpapatuloy ng doktora, "As much as possible, iyong mga hypoallergenic, walang amoy o walang kulay."
Inayunan ito ni Dr. Zharlah Flores, isang dermatologist na nakausap ng PEP.ph sa event ng isang skin-care brand.
Sabi ni Dr. Flores, "Malalaman mo na gentle skin cleanser ang gamit mo if they don't smell very good.
"Ibig sabihin, hindi sila mabangong-mabango and when you use them, hindi sila masyadong mabula."
STEP 2: MOISTURIZE
This step balances the moisture level kahit pa oily ang iyong mukha.
Ani Dr. Valencia, "Then next would be moisturizing. Ito iyong paglalagay mo ng emollients, lotions, or creams on your face.
"Pero one misnomer is that when you're oily, you don't have to put moisturizer. That's wrong.
"Even if oily ka, you still need to put moisturizer. May perfect balance kasi para ma-maintain mo talaga iyong tamang moisture level ng skin mo.
"Saka ibang ang oil, iba rin ang moisturizer. So, dapat meron ka."
Sa pagpili ng moisturizer, heto ang advice ni Dr. Valencia, "Dapat lang gumamit ka ng moisturizer na light lang ang feeling."
Para naman kay Dr. Flores, piliin ang moisturizer labeled as "oil-free" kung ikaw ay may oily skin.
Para sa mga may dry skin, gumamit ng moisturizer na may sun protection factor sa umaga, at gentle, hydrating moisturizer tuwing gabi.
STEP 3: PROTECT THE SKIN FROM THE SUN
Dahil ang araw ang number one cause of aging, gumamit ng sunscreen na may SPF o sun protection factor na hindi bababa sa 30.
Ani Dr. Valencia, "So for protection naman, you use SPF 30 and above.
"You have to apply it at least 30 minutes before you go outdoors."
Importante rin daw na gumamit ng sunscreen na may "broad spectrum."
Ang paliwanag niya, "Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen, meaning it's against UVA and UVB.
"UVA is the ray of sun that causes aging. UVB naman is the one that causes cancer of the skin.
"So, para lang sure ka, you have to apply a broad spectrum sunscreen, and apply it adequately before you go out."
STEP 4: EXFOLIATE
Bakit ito kelangan?
Kasi kapag ikaw ay nag-e-exfoliate, tinatanggal mo ang dead skin cells na nakabara sa skin.
There are two ways to exfoliate: one is physical, the other is chemical.
Dinitalye ito ni Dr. Valencia: "For exfoliating, there are two types of exfoliation.
"There is physical then there is chemical.
"For physical, ito iyong when you use iyong beads, iyong mga micro-exfoliating beads na nakikita sa mga cosmetic products."
Kabilang sa mga cosmetic products na ito ay ang facial scrub.
Pero gawin ang step na ito only two or three times a week, otherwise, magiging mas oily o dry ang skin mo.
Aniya, "'Wag mo siyang aaraw-arawin. Two to three times a week lang.
"Kasi over scrubbing can lead to dryness in your skin.
"When it feels dry, it begins to signal your oil glands to secrete more oil, so counter-productive pa siya.
"So, kapag naisip ng skin mong, 'Napaka-dry naman ng skin ko, makapag-secrete nga ng lubricant,' puwede ka pang magkaroon actually ng acne and pimple [from] overscrubbing your face."
If you prefer using chemical products, pick the ones with alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), lactic acid, at salicylic acid.
Again, dapat ginagawa ang step na ito two or three days a week.
Ani Dr. Valencia, "Ang exfoliating can be done two to three times a week, but not too much kasi puwede rin niyang masira ang skin barrier mo, mapunit siya o magbitak-bitak, papasukin siya ng mga allergens."