Choosing healthy skin care products is one of the best things you can do for your appearance and your health. Natural ingredients are gentle on the skin and work synergistically with it to keep it balanced, glowing, and healthy. They also contain vital vitamins and minerals that are essential for your overall health. Using high-quality cleansers, exfoliators, and moisturizers will help you get rid of dullness and dryness, and prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Before the mass marketing of cosmetics in the early 1900s, most women made their own facial and body preparations from recipes passed down to them by mothers or friends or advertised in popular magazines. These recipes promised to remove freckles, ruddiness, or blotches, to soothe rashes and calm atopic dermatitis (eczema), and to make skin appear soft, youthful, and radiant. Patent (proprietary) medicines and beauty preparations that emerged in the latter half of the 1800s continued to focus on ideals of beautiful, healthy skin, promising skin renewal and anti-aging properties as well as healthful soothing, moisturizing, detoxifying, and skin-smoothing benefits.

There are many different types of skin-care products on the market, and which ones you use depends on your skin type. Cleansers remove makeup, dirt, and excess oil that can clog pores and cause breakouts. Gel-based washes and foaming cleansers are great for those with oily skin, while gentle creams or a charcoal- or sulfate-free cleanser may be better for those with dry skin. Those with sensitive skin can look for formulations free of dyes, perfumes, and alcohol.

Toners help remove dirt and residual makeup from your face after cleansing. They can also be helpful in preventing pore-clogging and blemishes by controlling overproduction of sebum. A toner can be especially important for those with acne-prone or sensitive skin, which tend to overproduce sebum and are more susceptible to irritation.

Moisturizers add hydration and moisture to your skin, and they can help prevent wrinkles by supporting the skin’s collagen production. If you want your moisturizer to work even harder for you, consider adding a serum packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and other high-potency ingredients.

Sunscreen is another essential product for preserving and protecting your skin. Be sure to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher.