How to care for all skin types

How your body reacts to various biological and environmental "insults" — and how much inflammation you produce — may be a new and better way to think about taking care of your skin. (Compared to the traditional view of skin types that focuses on the amount of pigmentation you have in your skin, or if your skin is overly oily or dry.) This is Skin Care 101 for taking care of your skin and fighting aging:

Washing your face
Use a non-irritating, non-detergent type of soap, either in a bar or liquid form. The key is to avoid creating inflammation as a function of the washing process. Inflammation accelerates the aging process.

Products that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients such as dimethylaminoethenol (DMAE), alpha lipoic acid and vitamin C ester are good choices.

Oily Skin
The key here is to try to regulate the oil production using a soap that contains alpha lipoic acid twice a day to treat the underlying inflammation causing the production of excess oil.

Do not use drying agents as these can cause a rebound reaction that will make the condition worse.

Dry Skin
Dry skin may also be a reaction to underlying inflammation and is best treated with emollients and DMAE.

Avoid things that cause inflammation, like products that contain fragrances or a lot of ingredients.