(dailyRx)

Stroll down the skin care aisle at any pharmacy, mass merchandise retailer or department store, and you're bound to be overwhelmed by the array of facial care products.
Choosing the right facial care product can be difficult because they all seem to offer similar benefits but with slightly different ingredients in slightly different combinations. For example, you may need something to help clear up blemishes, lightly moisturize your face and protect it from ultraviolet rays, but you might find you need two or more products to get the care benefits you seek. Of course, you also have no way of knowing if using the products in combination will help or harm your skin.

Dermatologist Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, M.D., offers some facial care insight and tips to help you put your best face forward.

Finding the right skin care routine starts with understanding the unique needs of your skin type, she notes. People with dry skin, for example, can benefit from applying moisturizer several times a day, and people with oily skin might need to apply a lightweight moisturizer only once a day, if at all. Customization is key, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal stresses.

Of course, there are two skin care needs everyone should meet. "No matter what your skin type, using daily moisturizer and practicing year-round sun protection are vital to maintaining healthy, glowing skin," the doctor explains. "That's because with adequate hydration and use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen, the skin has the advantage of protecting itself from free radicals and harmful ultraviolet radiation that cause skin damage, discoloration, premature wrinkles and even skin cancer. Over time, a careful and consistent skin care routine with products designed for specific skin types can gradually improve the overall health and appearance of the skin."

Combination Skin
For many people, their facial skin is dry in some areas but oily in others. This type of skin is classified as combination skin. Persons with this skin type have oily skin at the forehead, nose or chin and drier skin on their cheeks. For combination skin, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal recommends a mild cleanser that minimizes the removal of sebum, the oily lubricant secreted by certain glands in the skin that helps keep skin moist and hair flexible. Additionally, people with combination skin can benefit from a medium-weight lotion with broad-spectrum sunscreen containing different sunscreen ingredients.

"To improve skin texture, prevent fine lines and wrinkles and help even skin color, especially to help lighten dark spots, an over-the-counter retinol cream or a prescription tretinoin (Retin-A) cream can be used during the evening skin care regimen to maintain skin health and prevent future damage," notes Dr. Badreshia-Bansal. She warns, though, that using a prescription-strength retinol product requires caution: "...when beginning use of tretinoin, the strength should be gradually increased due to its potential to irritate the skin, followed by vigilant use of a moisturizer to help offset any dryness or peeling."

Dry Skin
If you have chronic dry skin or develop it thanks to the cold, dry air of winter, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal recommends you wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser or a creamy wash containing a mild detergent. She suggests applying a moisturizer with sunscreen once a day right after cleansing while your skin is still damp to help seal in moisture.

"If the skin begins to feel tight, reapplying moisturizer midday will help to improve skin hydration," the doctor advises. "A sunscreen containing moisturizer in a smoothing cream formulation that contains antioxidants plus dimethicone, grape seed oil or petrolatum, which prevent water loss from the skin, also is helpful."

When your skin is very dry, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal notes that cleansing your face at night, when it's the dirtiest, may be the only time you need to do it so you don't strip facial skin of its natural oils. If you find yourself in this situation, she suggests rinsing your face with cool water in the morning to help maintain the skin's natural oils.

Dry, flaky skin can be unappealing, so many of us seek to scrub it off with some kind of exfoliating product or even just a scrub brush. When exfoliating flaky skin, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal recommends exfoliating only once a week. Since dry skin can be sensitive, you can apply gentle retinol products sparingly to start--perhaps every other night--along with a moisturizing cream to help even your skin's tone, texture and color while continuing to hydrate it.

Oily and Acne-prone Skin
Oily or acne-prone skin isn't just a problem teenagers have. Many adults today deal with this problem. No matter what your age, your oily or acne-prone skin needs careful observation to ensure it responds well to the products you use and your overall skin care routine.

Some people with oily or acne-prone skin need to wash their face as often as two to three times a day to manage the excess oil. However, overwashing your skin can also lead to increased oil production, so you must strike a balance based on your skin's needs. In general, using an oil-free, non-comedogenic foaming cleanser that contains salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is imperative to prevent breakouts.

Contrary to popular belief, says Dr. Badreshia-Bansal, oily skin may still require a moisturizer. She suggests a lightweight moisturizer that is noncomedogenic (doesn't block pores) that contains sunscreen, which functions as both a moisturizer and a sun protector when applied every morning. Reapplying a sunscreen during the day is necessary to ensure continuous sun protection.

Exfoliating oily skin once or twice a week is sufficient, but Dr. Badreshia-Bansal cautions that this treatment isn't necessary during acne breakouts: The friction caused by exfoliation can make acne worse. Another way to help prevent breakouts, says the doctor, is to avoid facial care products containing cocoa butter, cinnamon and coconut oil.

To help soften fine lines while still warding off acne breakouts, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal suggests using a retinol gel or serum nightly. "Your dermatologist can help recommend gentle and effective products that work together to improve the appearance of oily skin and help prevent acne."

Sensitive Skin
For sensitive skin, washing the face once a day should be enough to keep the skin clean. Dr. Badreshia-Bansal notes that exfoliation is not necessary and can worsen already sensitive skin.

"Avoiding products that contain fragrances, soap or alcohol will help patients with sensitive skin maintain skin health," she explains. "Calming ingredients, such as green tea polyphenols, chamomile and aloe are beneficial and, as a general rule, the fewer ingredients in a product the better."

Products containing acids, such as lipoic acid, glycolic acid and salicylic acid, may irritate sensitive skin. For that reason, be careful using any skin care product that contains these types of active ingredients if you have sensitive skin. Also, be careful about when you apply facial care products. Skin care products' active ingredients can penetrate more deeply into damp skin, which often can be beneficial for normal skin, but that benefit can actually cause more skin irritation for individuals with sensitive skin.

To help prevent fine lines and wrinkles and also reduce irritation, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal recommends using a mild retinoid every night followed by a moisturizer to stimulate collagen production.

Skin of Color
Differences in skin anatomy, physiology and function among ethnicities can influence how skin care products react with the skin. Even though skin that has more melanin, or skin pigment, and is thus darker and more resilient in many ways, it's also more sensitive to harsh chemicals and active ingredients, such as glycolic acid, which can lead to excessive stinging and potential hyperpigmentation, or darkening of the skin.

Dr. Badreshia-Bansal notes that for people with darker skin, daily moisturizers are a must because darker skin has a tendency to appear "ashy" when not well-lubricated. If your skin has more melanin, apply moisturizing creams and lotions when your skin is slightly damp to help lock in moisture.

While having more melanin to confer a higher degree of UV protect, skin of color can also be more prone to discoloration and scarring. For that reason, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal stresses that people of all ethnicities vigilantly use sunscreen to prevent sun damage and hyperpigmentation. Micronized zinc or titanium-based sunscreens provide the most effective protection, the doctor notes.

"People of color, especially those with darker skin tones, mistakenly believe that they don't need to use sunscreen since they generally don't sunburn," she says. "The fact is that sun damage still occurs in people of color, which can be very difficult to correct. More importantly, studies show that skin cancer is even more life-threatening when it develops in this population because people with skin of color often ignore the early warning signs, thinking they are not at risk."

Skin lightening products, such as a thin film of kojic acid or a cream containing hydroquinone, can help lighten discolorations. However, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal cautions that these products can cause skin irritation if used too often. That skin irritation can then worsen discoloration, as well as acne.

Regardless of skin color or type, Dr. Badreshia-Bansal finds that a simple skin care regimen can improve the overall appearance and health of facial skin. "I recommend keeping the skin care routine very simple, being very gentle with your skin and [avoiding] irritating, overwashing and overscrubbing the face," the doctor offers.