We are all individuals. Individual in our way of looking, individual in our way of thinking, individual in our talents, our hobbies, individual in our nutrition, and our skin is no different, we need to respect our skins individuality. Today I want to take a minute to talk about, 'skin types'. We all know what our skin type is, or do we? There are four main skin types: normal skin, oily skin, dry skin, and combination skin.
Normal skin: Normal skin has a clear and even appearance with small pore size and a healthy glow. It has good elasticity and moisture. It will not be sensitive to everyday external stimulation. It does not feel tight.
Oily skin: Oily skin is caused by an over secretion of sebum by our sebaceous glands. Our skin needs sebum in order to function properly as it helps to moisturise and protect our skin. Oily skin has a shiny appearance, possibly with spots or blackheads. The pores are visible and large. You can have oily skin at any age, not just adolescent.
Dry skin: Dry skin has visibly small pores and looks dry. It feels tight to touch. It can look flaky and show fine lines. Dry skin has a slow secretion of sebum.
Combination skin: Combination skin occurs when you have two different types of facial skin. The main variations are normal or oily around the T zone (nose, forehead, and chin area ) and dry or normal around the U zone (cheek, mouth, and eyes ).
Remember your skin type can change. This can be due to age, hormonal changes, environmental influences, your diet, medication, or health related issues. I am in my forties now and honestly, I am finding my skin’s requirements are changing from week to week. Some weeks I need to apply more nutrition and other weeks I find it is fine with my twice a day. I also believe stress can play a leading role in your skin’s condition, and then there is sensitive skin which becomes irritated and red after you apply products to it or after hot or cold stimuli. You can have sensitive skin with any of the above skin types. I will go through skin conditions next week.
If you are unsure what skin type you have, here is a way that may make it easy for you. Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser. Leave your skin about an hour and go back to your mirror and examine your skin. Is it dry? Is it oily? Is it red? Or irritated? Is it flakey? What size are your pores? These are the key factors that determine your skin type, what you need to look for in order for you to adapt your skincare routine to suit. If you have dry skin then your skin will need extra nutrition and moisturisation applied to it. If you have shiny skin then perhaps take a look at whether you are using a toner to help balance your skin and remove excess oil. Know that you can have oily skin that produces spots and also have dryness on the surface of your skin. If you are still having difficulty deciding what skin type you are, ask your beauty professional and she will be more than happy to assist you.
If you would like some advice from me on your skin type or if you have a skincare related issue then message me on [email protected] or contact me to book your consultation on 087 1328323. I am happy to help.
