Do you know your skin type?

You may have heard about the number of different skin types, normal, oily, dry, and combination, but do you really know what category your skin comes under?

Throughout our lives, our skin faces a variety of changes and each stage should be accompanied by the right skincare. From having delicate and smooth skin like a baby, acne-prone in our teenage years, to the lasting wrinkles of later life, each stage requires attention to keep your skin feeling its best, whatever the age.

Let’s take a look into the different skin types and their causes.

Normal Skin

According to EverydayHealth.com, normal skin has a good balance of moisture, minor pores, and an even tone. You may be thinking, “I don’t know anybody with a “normal” skin type!”.

As common as it seems to be, with products being branded towards “normal skin”, it really isn’t, some experts even say that it doesn’t exist at all! The term “normal” seems to have been created for skincare guidelines, rather than a clinical term.

Board-certified dermatologist, Heather Woolery-Lloyd, creator of Specific Beauty, defines those products being directed towards “normal skin type”, being those that meet a few criteria:

• Few/no blemishes
• Not prone to sensitivity
• Minimally visible pores
• Balanced hydration levels in the skin

 

Identifying Normal Skin

If you have all of the above points, plus good blood circulation, fresh, rosy colour, and velvety, soft texture, then you are more likely to fit in the “normal” category for your skin type. This will help you easily identify the products that you may need, that are specifically for normal skin types.

We are thinking about it too, it would be a dream to have such perfect skin! However, this is not reality. If you were to go to a dermatologist to get a diagnosis on your skin type, no dermatologist would just slap on the name “normal” to your skin type and send you off on your way!

Oily Skin

Everybody needs a little bit of oil in their skin to make it naturally moisturised and supple. However, dependent on how much oil there is in your skin can determine what type of skin type you obtain.

Oily skin is what it says on the tin. It’s oily. It can refer to an excess amount of oil on the skin, making your face seem shiny or sometimes quite greasy. If this type of skin isn’t treated with the right products, you could face clogged pores, making them larger and causing pimples, blackheads or forms of acne.

Figuring out if you have oily skin

Oily skin can be determined by a number of factors, including:

• Your face may appear to be shiny
• Usually appearing to be greasy later on within the day
• Makeup won’t stay on and sometimes may “slide” off
• The “T Zone” - areas including the forehead, nose, and chin -  may be more prone to have blackheads, pimples or types of acne due to the excess oil
• Pores are visibly larger - especially in this “T Zone”

Oily skin is something that is hereditary, so you can thank your parents for your excessive oil on your face for that! It can also be due to hormonal imbalance or an external factor due to heat or humidity.

Do not fret! Having oily skin can result in being less prone to wrinkles due to the excess moisture in your skin. All you need to do is follow a key regime to keep the oil under control! Then you’re good to go!

Treating Oily Skin

When treating oily skin, make sure to follow a regime that will help you take care of your skin. Remember to wash twice a day and after you sweat a lot. As well as this, do not scrub too hard and make sure that you use a gentle cleanser.

Another tip! Look for the word “non-comedogenic” on skincare products. These will minimise clogging your pores.

Dry Skin

Lacking the right amount of oil in your skin? Feel like your skin has lost its elasticity? Does your face feel tight?

Then you may have a case of dry skin!

The term “dry skin” refers to the lack of oil that provides the skin with moisture. If you leave dry skin untreated, then it can lead to skin cracking and possibly becoming infected, which is not good! Without this oil, the skin can become flaky and irritated. The skin will also be lacking in water and therefore coming across a lot duller and dried out than it should.

There are some external factors that can also aid in dry skin:

• Cold weather
• Dry air
• Harsh chemicals in products
• Washing skin too much
• Unbalanced skin pH
• Skin conditions
• Smoking

Treating Dry Skin

There are a number of different techniques you can do to treat dry skin, including:

• Moisturising daily!
• Exfoliate to get rid of dry, flaky skin
• Use gentle cleansers
• Use a humidifier! These can open your pores up and also add moisture to the air.

 

Combination Skin

Combination skin is probably one of the most common skin types there is. A mixture of both oily and dry skin in various places. Some areas can be dry and flaky, producing not enough oil, and some areas - especially the “T-Zone” can be oily, producing too much oil.

Combination skin is primarily inherited through genetics, however, the exacerbation of the wrong products could cause the problem.

With this skin type, it is vital to target the problem with a layering technique. Firstly you will need to apply a balancing and soothing serum around the whole area of your face. After this, you can then add the moisturising factor around the eyes and along the dry areas. This will help to balance out the different areas on your face.

Taking Care of Combination Skin

One key way to look after combination skin is to follow a strict CTM routine.
Standing for:

• Cleanse
• Tone
• Moisturise

You will be able to control the dryness and the oiliness of your skin with these key 3 steps. After cleansing, the toner will remove any excess cleanser and balance out your skin and therefore will also shrink your pores.

Another way to look after combination skin is through exfoliation. Exfoliation is a good way to get rid of any dead skin cells as well as clogged pores. This can help open up the pores to the CTM, absorbing the different products easier.

Whether you have dry skin or oily skin, combination skin or normal skin, by having the right products you will be able to have glowy natural skin if you are able to keep it under control. By sticking to the same cleansing routine, there is a chance that your skin will balance out and therefore it would be a lot more manageable.

DISCOVER: HOW TO CHOOSE AND APPLY THE BEST CONCEALER FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE

Contributed by: JR Medical - Consultant Dermatologist in Essex.