2. The cost of skin care preparations can be an indication of the quality of the ingredients used in them.  However, if you use cheaper products and find they give you good results - keep using them.  It comes down to what works best for you!

3. If your skin feels drawn and tight after cleansing, this may be an indication that the products you are using are too harsh for your skin - change to a more gentle product line.

4. Get advice before outlaying money for beauty products.  Be sure you are purchasing products that suit your skin type.  

5. Protect your skin against the sun - use high SPF products every time you venture out into the sun.  If you find you are allergic to the chemicals used in these products, ask your Pharmacist for more natural sun protection alternatives.  Don't forget to apply sun protection to your lips.  Your lips have less skin layers and tend to burn easier than the rest of the face.

6. Change your skin care routine to suit the season.  In summer you may need a less oily moisturiser and a wash off cleanser.  However, in wintertime, it may be preferable to use an oil based moisturiser and a cream cleanser as the winds and drop in temperature tends to take the moisture out of the air around you.  The moisture in your skin drops dramatically at this time.

7. If you change skin care products, leave your final judgement for at least a month.  It may take this long before you see any results or not.

8. Cream cleansers need to be massaged into your skin and left for a minute or so to enable them to dissolve any dirt or makeup.  Then gently tissue off residue.  Do not use harsh tissues or toilet paper as this can damage the skin with repeated uses.

9. Don't be afraid to use different products from different companies.  Your main aim is to find products that suit your specific skin - these may come from several companies.

10.  Don't leave your make up on overnight.  This is possibly the worst skin care 'mistake' people make.  It takes a long time for the skin to remove the dirt and impurities naturally.  Just remember - it only takes a few minutes and your skin will thank you in the morning!

11. Give your skin a gentle steam clean every week.  Put some hot water in your sink and place your face over the sink covered with a towel.  The steam vapours gently cleanse and remove impurities. Be sure to protect your delicate eye area by first putting moisturiser around them.  This is also great for colds and flu.  You could add some essential oils into the water and breathe.  Please do not use this treatment if you have sensitive skin as it can aggravate the problem.  

12. Sometimes wrinkles around the eyes can be caused by how you sleep on your pillow.  Try to sleep on your back if possible to avoid creases under your eyes in the morning. 

13. Watch your diet.  See a naturopath or your health practitioner to get a suitable lifestyle diet for your age group.  Crash diets can have disastrous affects on the skin. 

14. If you have oily skin - don't be tempted to use harsh products to tackle the problem.  Just stick to your skin care routine - cleanse skin thoroughly, tone and use an oil free moisturiser.  If you find your skin gets increasingly oily during the day, buy some oil absorbent sheets to dab onto the oily areas.  These sheets are readily available and also usually have a powder on them so that your make up is not disturbed when they are applied to your skin.  Also see our aromatherapy section for more tips on what you can do for this type of skin condition.

15. Don't pick any pimples you may have.  This can spread infection.  

16. If you are prone to puffy eyes in the morning, you may also find that small lines develop as a result.  This problem can be helped by not sleeping on your stomach - sleep on your back and slightly upright (with more pillows - if this is comfortable for you).  Also cutting down on the amount of salt you consume can also help this problem.  Salt causes the kidneys to work overtime and stops them from doing their normal job of filtering fluids properly.  We then get fluid retention which can cause puffy eyes.  There are many remedies - tea bags (that were soaking in a small amount of water in the fridge overnight) applied on each of the eyes can help.  Leave them on for about 10 to 15 minutes.  There are also preparations and natural products available at pharmacies and health food shops that give very good and quick results