Knowing your skin type is the very first step in proper skin care. teeatments that work prefectly for one type may be disastrous for another. We are all born with a specific skin type and there is now way to change it in line with our preferences! However, itis definitely possible to maintain a flowless, healthy and glowing complexion no matter which ski type you have. To achieve this, it is important to know which skin type you belong to.
THE FIVE SKIN TYPES
Your skin falls into one of these five categories normal, oily, dry, sensitive and combination. Each of these has its own unique characteristics that should be factored in before starting sny skin treatment regimen.
Lets learn more about each type:
NORMAL SKIN
Normal skin feels elastic and looks vibrant and fresh at all times. People with normal skin should consider themselves very lucky indeed. That's because this skin type makes for very few or no breakouts, is not too dry or oily and does not have any marks or blemishes. Normal skin does not feel tight or dry with changes in the weather and have very little or no fine lines. The pores are small and quite invisible which means that a little foundation goes a long way.
It is mostly children who have normal skin. This skin type is often described as the ideal one since it is possible to keep it glowing and blemish free with relatively little effort even as your age advance. Normal skin ages best and looks glowing and youthful with little maintenance even as you grow older.
To sum up, nomal skin is characterized by these:
- Fine, even texture
- Smooth surface
- Small pores which are barely visible
- Good balance between oil and moisture
Dry Skin
In this eype the proes are very fine. The skin feels tight and dry immediately after cleansing and may even be sensitive for some people. This is because the skin has a lack of sebum (oil). The skin is also more likely to feel flaky and to take on an unhealthy appearance because of dead cell buildup. Regular moisturizing, exfoliationg and cleansing are a vital part of daily skin care for dry skin.
Dry skin may not cause too many problems at young age but as you grow older, this skin type is likely to show the effect of aging much more prominently than others. Most problems with dry skin occur when the weather is cold. Special care is essential during winter months to avoid flaky skin and rashes.
To sum up, dry skin is characterized by these:
- Very fine pores
- Dry and dehydrated with parched apearance; may even be sensitive.
- Needs regular moisturizing to stay hydrated and supple
Oily Skin
Oily skin has enlarged pores (think of the skin of an orange) and is prone to developing ance and other skin problems. The over production of oil by the sebaceous glands causes the skin proes to become blocked easily leading to spots as well as other skin blemishes. Oily skin looks greasy especially in certain areas of the face (the T zone). The good news is that the effects of ageing are not very evidently on oily skin. This kind of skin usually looks shiny and sometimes has a dull appearance.
To sum up, oily ski is characterized by these:
- Enlarged pores that may be quite visible
- Looks greasy and shiny especially in the T zone
- Appears dull
- Needs frequent cleansing to keep away skin problems
Combination skin
Skincare experts believe that this is the most common skin type. Patches of dry and oily skin characterize this skin type. The cheeks and the area surrounding the eyes remain dry and oil free. The T zone, (forehead, nose and chin) is oily and greasy. This skin may also have expression lines. The challenge with this skin type is that the oily and dry parts need different kinds of treatment and care.
To sum up, combination skin is characterized by these:
- Large pores especially on nose area
- Some parts are greasy while others are dry
- Needs moisturizing for dry parts as well as cleansing to remove excess oil
- Dry parts feel tight after washing while oily parts become shiny/greasy soon after wash
SENSITIVE SKIN
This skin type usually is thin, has a fine texture and feels tight and dry. Special care is essential for people with this skin type since it gets irritated and inflamed very easily. Red patches, itchines, tingling and spots are common problems with sensitive skin. This fragile skin type should only be exposed to skincare product that are selected with great care.
People with sensitive skin have fine proees and the skin itself is delicate. Even moderate exposure to sum may cause this skin type to break out in blotches or develop rashes. This kind of skin is perhaps the most difficult to care for and keep in blemish-free, glowing condition. But you can keep it flawless with proper care and the use of specially designed products for sensitive skin.
To sum up, sensitive skin is characterized by these:
- Thin texture that makes skin appear almost translucent
- Fine pores
- Wrinkles prematurely
- Feels tight after washing
- May react tstrongly to change in cosmetics/hair care product
- Blushes, sunburns and itches easily
DOES SKIN TYPE DIFFER BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN?
Men have a higher level of collagen and their skin is about 20% thicker when compared with women. Males usually have tougher skin which is also more prone to oiliness. The pores are larger and more exposed and visible. When compared with women, the blood supoply to the skin is also greater in men. The fact that men sweat easier should also be taken into account as an important difference between men and women's skin type.
HOW TO TEST WHAT SKIN TYPE YOU HAVE
Determining your skin type is not a eomples affair at all. One of the simplest ways in which you can identify your skin type is to wipe your face with a clean tissue as soon as you wake in the morning. Here is what people with different skin types will find with this test:
Normal Skin
The tissue is oil free and your skin as eleastic and supple as ever.
Dry Skin
The tissue is oil free but your facial skin feels dry and tight.
Oily Skin
The tissue has oily spots and your face looks oily especially the nose and forehead areas.
Combination Skin
The tissue has oil traces when you wipe your nose, forehead or chin but is clean when you wipe your cheeks.
Sensitive Skin
Those who have this skin type do not usually need the issue-test to figure this out. That's because sensitive skin reacts poorly to several things- harsh sunlight, dehydration, many creams/ shampoos/cosmetics, even the weather.
What is pH-Balance
pH is an abbreviation for Potential Hydrogen. The pH number ranges from 0 to 14 and it measures how alkaline or acidic a liquid is. Anything below 7 Acid and anything above 7 is Alkaline. Water has the same amount of acids and alkalis which gives it a pH level of 7.
pH levels is skin cleansers do make a difference. Your skin has a pH level of about 5.5. The outer layer is acidic which helps to keep bacteria out and keeps the skin moisturized. You should use a cleanser which has the same or slightly higher pH level as your skin. This will help to maintain the outer protective layer. If you choose to use soap as a cleanser, which is to alkaline, then it will dissolve the acid in your skin and it will lead to dryness.
A skin cleanser, with a pH level slightly higher than 5.5, will remove the oil and dirt from the skin. Soap has a pH level between 9 and 12. This is too high if you want to keep your skin moisturized. On the other hand, cleansers should also not have a pH level which is too low because then it won't remove the dirt.
Therefore, look for cleansers that are soap-free with balanced pH levels.
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