Benefits Of Applying Foundation To Your Skin

Foundation used to be just a way of covering up the skin and hiding fine lines, wrinkles or blemishes, however today foundation serves a much more beneficial role.

Unlike the foundation you used to get in the past, foundation can now actually be good for your skin by protecting you from pollution, the sun and helping you to balance oily and dry skin.

As a result, foundation now not only makes you look good but can also make your skin healthier too.

Foundation Can Protect Your Skin From Pollution

Normal day to day living will expose your skin to a variety of pollutants, and most of this exposure will occur on your face and your hands.

Some pollution will appear as soot, dust and other visible particulates, whilst other pollutants are smaller and can’t be seen.

In terms of the health of your skin it is these invisible pollutants which cause the most damage, as they are largely responsible for depositing the majority of the free radicals your skin comes in contact with.

These free radicals then damage the skin, causing wrinkles, bumps, irritation and inflammation.

Therefore in order to keep your skin looking young and healthy, it is absolutely essential that you take proactive steps to minimise the damage that these pollutants do to your skin.

Benefits Of Applying Foundation To Your Face

Unfortunately applying a daily moisturiser to your face and hands won’t give you the level of protection your skin needs.

Instead you need something that will form a protective barrier over your skin, so that you can wash this barrier off at night along with the various pollutants you have collected throughout the day.

The good news is that there is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to do this, its called foundation.

Once you apply foundation to your face, you literally coat the skin with a protective barrier thereby preventing pollutants from coming in direct contact with your skin and damaging it.

Of course foundation won’t protect you from all external pollutants, and neither will it protect you from internal pollutants that occur as a result of an unhealthy lifesyle such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and eating unhealthy food.

Therefore foundation should be viewed not as a miracle cure all, but rather as another weapon in your skin care arsenal that will help to keep you looking young and healthy for longer.

Foundation Can Protect Your Skin From The Sun

Many foundations now come with sunscreen in the form of a sun block. This creates a protective barrier over the surface of the skin to protect it from the rays of the sun by reflecting it off the surface rather than allowing it to penetrate into the skin.

Most sunblocks will contain either zinc oxide or titanium oxide, both of which protect against UVA and UVB rays.

However in order to maximise the level of protection, it is also recommended that you use sunscreen in addition to your foundation.

One important point to remember about applying sunscreen from multiple sources is that the effect is not cumulative.

So for example, if your foundation has a SPF of 15 and you are also using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, then you won’t get a sun protection of SPF 30 by using both.

At a minimum you should be aiming for an SPF of 15, anything less that this should only be considered for very light sun exposure such as during the evening.

Foundation Helps To Balance Oily And Dry Skin

Most of the foundations you will find in stores today are designed to compliment your regular skin care products and your skin type.

For example, if you have an oily skin type or acne skin, you can buy oil free foundations that will stop your face from getting oily.

If you have very oily skin, then you can even get oil absorbing foundations which act like a sponge on your skin soaking up excess oil throughout the day.

For people with dry or sensitive skin, there are foundations that can help to prevent moisture loss and foundations that contain emollients and humectants which add moisture to the skin and help to lock it in.

So take the time to really look at the various foundations in your local store, and if you are unsure which one to choose try talking to the sales rep.

They should be able to advise you on the best foundation for your skin type, and what other skin care products it will work well with.

Using Skin Foundation Is Optional

Whilst using foundation certainly can help to benefit the health of your skin, its use is entirely optional.

Some people for example don’t like the idea of using foundation, and prefer to show their natural skin tone.

It is still possible to maintain healthy skin without foundation, but unless you have a specific objection about it, then you may want to consider using it especially now that you know the numerous benefits it can provide.