As long as you shall live…

There are so many possessions that can last for as long as we live on this earth, and I have found that we tend to place importance on the superficial.

Shoes…

Bags…

Suits…

Shirts…

Tops…

Skirts…

Expensive phones…

            Jewellery…    

                        Watches…

                                    Blah… 

                                                Blah…

                                                            Blah…

From the expensive, to the cheap, to the damn good bargain, all of the things we wear are placed on one vital organ…

The body’s largest organ is more important than you can imagine; essential to our survival on earth. Did you know it makes up 5% of the body’s weight?

This organ is the skin and today, I write to help you determine your skin type—the first step in the right direction.

The skin protects the body from harmful elements in the environment such as bacteria, chemicals, and the potentially damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. It also helps regulate body temperature, excretes some waste products, and is an important sensory organ. Containing various types of specialized nerve cells, it is responsible for the sense of touch. Most importantly, the skin shows how healthy you are.

“What spirit is so empty and blind, that it cannot recognize

the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe,

and skin more beautiful than the garment which it is clothed”

-Michelangelo

The truth is, everything looks good on good skin—as long as it is not a faux pas—and I have overtime become an advocate of spending hard earned money on good products for your skin type. It is very easy to get caught up with the routines of people you admire. You may pay attention to how they do their makeup, what cream they use, the brand they prefer, and this could lead to more harm than good. Caring for the wrong skin type can aggravate skin, lead to acne, or even make your skin look older than it really is. Do you really want to look older than you are?...nah, neither do I.

Forget about the trends and focus on yourself!

There are three main parts of the skin and they are;

-         The epidermis- The outermost layer of cells in the skin that resists cuts, scrapes and the entry of chemical substances

-         The dermis- The middle part of the skin made of connective tissue, blood vessels, sweat glands, nerve endings and hair follicles.

-     The hypodermis- The inner most layer of the skin consisting of the fatty tissue that provides protection and padding for the body.

The condition of your skin when you first wake up as well as in the late afternoon tells says a lot. According to M.A.C, most people have one of the skin types listed below and some however, may have a combination of several. The skin types and conditions are:

Normal

There is a balance of oil and moisture. It has a medium thickness and healthy colouring.

Oily

There is a shiny, oily surface. It could have large pores or blackheads caused by genetics, diet and the environment.

Dry

The skin usually has small pores and is thin. There can be broken capillaries, wrinkles and flakiness. This is caused by genetics, age, diet, drugs, harsh cleansing products and the environment.

Dehydrated

There is a lack of moisture on the surface with flakiness and wrinkles. The skin may feel tight, thin and itchy. It is caused by diet, age, illness, drugs, improper cleansing, indoor heating and air-conditioning plus the environment.

Acneic

There are blackheads and/or whiteheads, pimples, inflammation, cystic acne, open pores, shiny surface, scars and sensitivity. It is caused by genetics, stress, diet, drugs, poor digestion or improper cleansing.

Combination

There are oily areas, dry areas, dehydrated areas and acneic areas caused by some of the factors listed above.

Sensitive

The skin is thin with redness or inflammation. This may be caused by allergies, nervousness (mainly with white people) or an imbalance in the amount of oil the skin produces.

Now that you know the types of skin, how do you determine which one you are?

Here are a few questions to help you out…

Is your skin shiny all over?

Is it shiny only in the t-zone?

The t-zone is an imaginary line across your forehead, near your eyebrows and from the middle of the eyebrows down to your nose, stopping at your chin. This is the area of the face that mostly gets oily during the day. 

Do you have visibly enlarged pores?

Do you wake up greasy? 

Does your make-up seem to melt off by late morning?

Or are you blotting and touching up all day?

Do you have enlarged pores that get congested easily?

Does a humid day cause your skin to gush oil that seems out of control?

If your answer is more of a “Yes” than “No”, you most likely have oily skin

Does your skin feel normal?

Minimal shine and dry patches?

No sign of any large pores or maybe just a few?

Rare breakouts and minimal blackheads?

A random pimple every now and again, but nothing that’s a cause for an alarm?

The skin can be dry or a little oily depending on the weather?

If your answer is more of a “Yes” than “No”, you most likely have normal skin or combination skin (a little of both). The only concern you will have is finding the right balance of products and may also have to change products seasonally if your skin changes.

Do you wake up with uncomfortably tight skin that looks dull and drab?

Do you moisturize before bed only to wake up dry?

Do you have tight pores, flaky patches?

Does this get worse in cold, dry weather?

If your answer is more of a “Yes” than “No”, you have dry skin.

Do you experience redness and get easily irritated by certain products or ingredients?

Does your skin look blotchy and uneven?

If so, then you also have sensitive skin.

Should you still find yourself more confused than certain about your skin type, you can take the Paper Test. This is another way to determine your skin type and all you need is a piece of tissue paper or plain facial tissue and 3 hours.

Step One: Cleanse with a gentle, soap free cleanser, pat dry and wait 3 hours for the skin to normalize. 

Step Two: Press a piece of tissue paper each to the cheeks, chin and forehead.

Did the tissue paper stick?

Do you see patches of oil on the paper when you hold it up to the light?

Oily skin.  

Does the paper stick on your skin but when you remove it you don’t see any oil or maybe just a bit from where you pressed on the t-zone? 

Normal skin. 

Does the paper not stick at all? No oily spots on the paper at all?

Dry skin.

However, it is essential to realize that your skin type may change depending on your health, the season, the temperature and many other environmental factors.

Drinking lots of water will make the skin glow and help combat environmental factors that can affect your skin. Just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

So start drinking and get your skin prepared for the next post!

Weeks, Months, & Years: the sequel

Delighted at the feedback regarding the preceding article being an eye-opener, I have decided to take things a step further, to do more than clarify but help you when in doubt. 

I’m sure most of you, whilst doing the “shine your eye” mission on your dressing table must have thought long and hard, trying to recall the month or day you started using the particular product in question. The thing is, it’s not that easy to guesstimate especially when you cannot keep track of the expiry date (I’m referring to the PAO), because you may not remember where you bought it from, who gave it to you, and when you opened it or you may have thrown away the box/packaging with all the fine print.

Agreed, it is one thing to be aware of the lifespan of a product and another thing to remember when you had started using it. I’m not going to give you some superficial advice to get a permanent marker and write the date on the container in order to keep track, I mean, that one nah long tin.

Not to worry, there are some clear changes that will appear upon the product which are visible to the eyes and a whiff to the nose. Below is a clear guide and I’m hoping you notice the trend. Let’s get cracking shall we…

SHAVING CREAM

Antibacterial facets aimed at preventing infection can be found in shaving cream. Ideally within a sealed can, no bacteria should be able to propagate. However, it will lose its peak performance after about 2-3 years and can be said to be expired when it no longer has the foamy consistency and has become runny like water.  Expired shaving cream is a major cause of skin discoloration and razor/shaving bumps as it irritates the skin. Gentlemen, please take a second look at that can!

MASCARA

If the texture is clumpy, lumpy, and dry, plus smells like a kerosene dye, please say goodbye! Our eyes will always remain utterly important to our existence on earth, so why compromise? You need to be very vigilant and ensure you change your mascara at least every three months. Thankfully, this is a makeup item I can say I “drink” because I love it and use 3-4 coats to gimme that false lash look. NEVER share mascara because it is applied so close to your eyes that it makes it the most susceptible to causing eye infections. Cosmetic chemist, Jim Hammer, explains as the brush is taken out, applied, and put back in the tube, it brings with it any bacteria that it has collected along the way.

Any lingering bacteria can cause redness and itchiness, or even conjunctivitis (a.k.a. Apollo) and sties. It is a breeding ground for bacteria! Do not continue to use your existing tube if you have had an eye infection or may have fallen ill. Please buy a new one.

HAIR SPRAY/HAIR SHEEN

According to Hairfinder.com, hair spray/sheen has expired when:

• The fragrance has changed- If your hairspray normally has a pleasant scent and begins to smell bad or simply smell stale
• Changes in its efficiency- If it doesn't seem to hold or provide the same amount of sheen as well as it did originally, it may be a sign that the polymers have lost their efficiency 
• Blocked spray nozzles- The polymer residue in the spray nozzles can harden and become impenetrable blockages that keep you from dispensing any more of the product

CAUTION: Never, under any circumstances, try to clear a blockage from the stem of an aerosol canister. The contents of a can of hairspray (even one that is mostly empty) are under extreme pressure, and could cause serious injury if mishandled.

I know a lot of guys who use hair sheen so please don’t take it for granted. Unlike the ladies, you cannot wear a wig nor fix a weave to cover up the rash or irritation on your head.

LIPSTICK AND LIP GLOSS

For those of you who are guilty of “only special occasions” please pay close attention—I’m just as guilty too. Lipstick has expired when it gets hard, becomes difficult to spread on your lips, dries out your lips and the odor becomes more acidic and lets not forget the sweat bubbles. The texture of expired lipgloss on the other hand, will look like more oil has been added to the tube and will have a very mean stale smell.

According to researchers, lipsticks and glosses contain oily ingredients that start to smell like stale cooking oil over time.

AFTERSHAVE, COLOGNES & PERFUME

Aftershave is used as an astringent and a disinfectant that helps prevent irritation, avoids the drying effects of shaving, and helps in closing pores that have been opened during the shaving process. Imagine what your skin will be like using expired aftershave...my thoughts exactly, you are at the risk of spots, white heads and bottom line bad skin.

I had a special bottle of perfume that my Dad gave me many years ago. At the beginning of the year, I had used the last drop for a special occasion, thinking “I’ve saved the best for last”. I was wrong. The perfume gave me a rash damn it! So what was I saving it for other than a rash?! I did notice that the colour of the perfume had changed, from a deep purple to lilac and for some reason, in my brilliant mind, I thought the perfume was maturing like wine—becoming better with each passing day.

The fragrant oils in Aftershave, Colognes and Perfumes, over time, begin to break down, and that process will be accelerated if the bottle is not stored in a cool and dark place, away from sunlight and heat. Colognes and Perfumes, which contain more fragrance, will break down faster than Aftershave. If you notice a change in the colour and the sent is not as strong as it was, omo men, it has expired. You will find that perfumes with a transparent colour will change to a golden yellow similar to the colour of processed honey.

BODY CREAM/LOTION

A body cream or lotion has expired when it looks like the water/oil is separate from the cream/lotion itself. You may attempt to give your cream CPR by trying to shake it in the jar/bottle or mix it together so that it can be as good as new but that will not help…just throw it away. It can cause lethal skin reactions that are not worth it.

FOUNDATION

Most foundations—with the exception of powder formulas—are water-based and any product that is water based is a breeding ground for bacteria. Oil based foundations tend to last longer than water based foundations; however they are more suitable for people with really really dry skin. A change in colour and texture coupled with a fowl off smell says the formula is expired. If you do decide to apply it, you can kiss your fresh skin goodbye as you will have irritations all over. You are advised to keep your foundations out of moist environments. Your bathroom and hot places are a no go area, as high temperatures and moisture can cause the product to quickly go bad.

CONCEALER
Expired concealer will give you more blemishes than you can imagine. Using expired concealer is pointless because concealer is meant to cover blemishes, not cause them. Its straightforward: a change in colour and texture means its expired. Typically, stick concealer will last up to two years, while the liquid concealer only last up to one year.

FACE POWDER & BLUSH

Although both face powder and powder blush can last up to three years, you may find that at some point it may become impossible to use. If the formula has become so hard it won't rub off from the compact, it's time to buy a new one. Furthermore, you can tell if the blush has expired if the color has turned into a dull colour and/or is a bit grayish. For the face powder on the other hand, you can tell from the surface of the powder being crusty with a few cracks, implying a change in texture.

NAIL POLISH

Yes it’s true! Nail polish is not only expired when it’s dried up but rather when it becomes thick and clumpy, with the pigments settling along the bottom of the bottle. You may try and shake it back to life, but if the formula remains separated, please throw it away.

PENCILS

Both eye and lip pencils are renewed every time you sharpen them. This implies that they can last up to three years but, it’s over the moment you begin to see a white coating that starts to develop on the tip, like mold.  

NATURAL MAKE-UP PRODUCTS

Natural makeup—yes Bodsy, I’m talking to you—does not last as long as regular make-up products and are likely to be more expensive. They contain fewer preservatives and you will have to dispose of your make-up more frequently. Experts suggest giving your natural products about one-half the shelf life of regular make-up products.

EYE SHADOW

This bad boy is expired when it becomes flaky around the edge of the container and has a few cracks on the surface plus the odor and colour changes. You will find that when applied, you may need more than before just to get the colour to show.

LIQUID EYELINER

Like eye shadows, they are applied near a sensitive area and can pick up bacteria and bring it back to the eye very easily without any visible signs of contamination. If your liquid eyeliner is dryish, lumpy, and stinks, please throw it away.

All in all, in the course of this article, you will find that there are three key changes that will help you determine if the product is expired as a result of it breaking down due to age or contamination. These key changes are;

Changes in smell,

Changes in texture,

And changes in colour.

This is what I had referred to as the trend.

The moment you open any cosmetic product especially make-up, oxidation begins and the ingredients start to break down. For this reason it is important to keep all make-up bottles, jars and containers closed tightly when not in use. It is also recommended to store your make-up in a cool, dark place because heat and bright light will cause the preservatives to break down and spoil the make-up quicker.

I know it can be hard to let go of what you love especially if the product has been discontinued, but trust me, you will be glad you did; old makeup is a breeding ground for bacteria. Think of it this way, less is more when you have fresh flawless skin. Getting rid of expired products is the very first step to getting that flawless and fresh skin.