The secret behind clean, healthy skin

Your face and your complexion are an important part of your identity and how you feel about yourself. It's the one part of your body you can't conceal–unless you want to run around in a ski mask or last year's Halloween disguise, which would not be very cool. Fortunately, clean, healthy skin is easy to achieve and maintain. I know what it's like to wake up with a sudden facial eruption or to live for weeks behind a layer of makeup, hoping no one will notice your skin. But I've also learned that with a little bit of complexion TLC and the right diet you can face the world with confidence!

Skin types make all the difference
First of all, it's important to understand what type of skin you have: normal, oily, or dry. However, most of us don't fall neatly into one category or another but instead have a combination of skin types. In fact, your skin type can change with weather, sports activities, and even stress. Here's a simple way to discover your skin type. Before cleansing your skin, blot the oiliest part with a clean white tissue, then examine the tissue. If you can really notice the oil on the tissue, then you have oily skin; if there's just a small amount of oil, you have normal skin; and if there's no oil at all, your skin is dry. Many teens have combination skin, where the forehead and nose area (known as the T-zone) are oily and the cheeks are normal or dry. Understanding your skin type is important, as it will help you choose recipes and products to care for it.

Skin care basics
The skin care basics of keeping it clean, full of moisture, and protected from the sun are especially important for your face, but the products you use are a matter of personal choice. At a minimum, you need to use a good cleanser, moisturizer, and sun protection daily. You'll want to use a mild facial scrub and mask weekly. You may also want to use a toner or astringent daily as an extra cleansing step or as a quick way to freshen up during the day.

Page 1 of 2 - Read page to for the importance of cleansing, exfoliating, facial masks and sun protection!

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Excerpted from EcoBeauty, by Lauren Cox Copyright © 2009 by Lauren Cox.

Excerpted by permission of Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.