By Remmy Diagbare
There are some  basic routines that you must follow for good skin . This week, find below  the first part of personal grooming ,  featuring the four basic skin care regime.

Good skin

* Step 1: Cleansing
Simple is key here.
You need to find a good cleanser that your skin responds well to, and stick with it.
Avoid bar soaps as they tend to dry out the skin. Soap should only ever touch your skin from the neck down., Most cleansers contain oil, water and “surfactants.” The oil dissolves oil on your face, surfactants dissolve dirt and makeup and the water washes it all away. The secret is finding the right mix of oil.  Too much on your skin will clog pores, while too little will dry it out. This is why you need to know your skin type.

Be careful not to cleanse too often. Washing  at night should do you. Personally, i do not use cleanser in the morning.  While some skincare experts swear you should cleanse skin with creamy cleansers that you wipe off with a tissue, never letting water touch your skin . I prefer the water method. In the morning, a splash of lukewarm water is all you need  Never wash your face with hot or cold water (both can cause broken capillaries). Also be careful about over cleansing skin.

Here’s the best way to wash your face: Use warm water to loosen dirt and clogged pores. Use a kobo -sized bit of cleanser, then rinse with cool or lukewarm water. You’ll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.

* Step 2: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is the step
most people skip in their weekly skin care routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. One of the reasons men’s skin looks more youthful than women’s is because men tend to exfoliate daily when they shave.

Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells that tend to dull your complexion.  Exfoliating skin once a week with a microdermabrasion kit keeps skin glowing year-round (.Available in most beauty shops in Lagos. The kit sell for between twelve and fourteen thousand naira ,and can be used for a week).  Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains in cheap scrubs can tear skin and cause more harm than good.

*Step 3: Toner
Should you use a
toner? Some people swear by toners, but many beauty experts do not . Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. I firmly believe it’s up to you. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner. Buy it. Use it. Enjoy it.

* Step 4: Moisturize
While I know of at
least one famous beauty editor who swore skin doesn’t need moisturizer, basically everyone else I’ve read disagrees and is an adamant believer in it. A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers.

(The only exception is those with acne). Why? Moisturizers seal moisture into skin. So how much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you. When your skin is tight, it’s crying out for moisture. Be careful not to over moisturize — this can cause clogged pores.