Skincare Products Blog

We hear and read about skin types all the time; in magazines on our cosmetics, everyone is talking about skin-type. What are the skin types and more importantly what is mine and how importnat is it? How do I find my skin type?

In truth, there are as many different skin types as there are people. Everybody’s genetic make up is slightly different, so no two skin types are exactly alike. However, for the purpose of trying to take the best possible care of yourself, dermatologists have created some generalized groups that we can use in identifying skin types. These types are called Normal, Oily, Sensitive, Dry and Combination (T-zone). Usually people can identify themselves in the above groups without difficulty.
Skin Types:
1. Normal
2. Oily
3. Sensitive
4. Dry
5. Combination (T-zone)

Being aware of your grouping can be helpful in lots of ways. In your teenage years, understanding which grouping you fit into can help you locate the best products for combating teenage acne. For example, using oily moisturizers on an already oily complexion will only aggravate acne, so people who belong to the Oily grouping should look for water-based moisturizers. For adult women, knowing your grouping is vital to selecting cosmetics. Women who belong to the Sensitive grouping need to make sure that the cosmetic brands they use are non-allergenic and approved for use on sensitive skin. For Women in later life, knowing your grouping can help you understand how the aging process is going to affect you, and which products can help you slow or combat it. Lastly, knowing your grouping can help you to protect your face from the damage caused by exposure to the elements and help you understand how you’ll react to protective products such as sunscreen.

If you understand your grouping, you’ll be armed with the information that will enable you to take the best possible care of your face!
Normal Skin:
Do you have even skin color, free of red or dark patches?
Are you free of enlarged pores?
Did acne problems clear up after high school?
Does your hair stay fresh between shampoos?
Can you try products without fear of irritation?
Oily Skin:
Did you have a problem with acne durring high school?
Does your hair tend to be oily?
Does your foundation tend to wear off within a few hours?
Do you wake up with an oily film on your nose, forehead and/or chin?
Do you tan easily?
If you’ve got oily skin, chances are you’ve been dealing with it in one way or another your whole life. Oily skin can be difficult to treat, and often aggravates conditions like teenage acne. People who suffer from oily skin tend to have shiny, slippery-looking faces which are slick to the touch. Their hair also has a tendency toward greasiness, and they may find they have to wash both hair and skin more frequently than people in other groups.

Oily skin is caused by a condition where the glands under the surface produce too much of a substance called sebum, which is responsible for keeping the body moist. The sebum then gathers on the surface, creating a wet-looking sheen. Because of this over-production of sebum, people with oily skin tend to have larger pores. This means they are especially susceptible to acne. Acne is a condition where sebum gets trapped under the surface and interacts with bacteria, creating puss-filled lesions. These lesions can take the form of whiteheads, blackheads and cysts. People with this skin type also tend to develop acne not just on their faces, but also on their bodies, primarily on the back, chest and upper arms. The good news is that people from this group tend to stay young looking longer, as the constant moisture reduces the signs of aging.

Learning as much as you can about your type is important to your health and wellbeing. If you understand the characteristics of your grouping or type, you will stand a better chance of being able to work with it!
Sensitive Skin:
Do you redness on your skin?
Do you experience an uncomfortable reaction to products placed on your face?
Do you burn easily?
Is your skin sensitive to the wind?
Sensitive skin is actually more of a condition than a type, because it can be found on people who already come from the dry, normal and oily groups. What sets sensitive skin apart is that whether your regular type be dry or normal, or oily, sensitive skin is also delicate and easily irritated. Any number of irritants can cause sensitive skin to break out in rashes or red patches, become inflamed or itchy, or even be quite painful.

Because it’s our body’s largest sensory organ, whether we have sensitive skin or not, we’re built to react to stimuli in our tactile environment. With people who have sensitive skin, their organ is simply more finely tuned and reacts in a bigger way. People with this type usually have to be careful about the environments they expose themselves to. Too much exposure to extreme temperatures, sun exposure, or rough elements such as sea water can provoke reactions. The body’s surface is easily damaged and requires a lot of special care. People with this type or grouping should be careful about using cosmetics, creams or lotions that contain alcohol, fragrances, any synthetically manufactured oil products, and artificial colours.

In some cases, people of this type have allergies to various substances, and the reaction to those substances is what creates redness and inflammation on the body. In these cases, this condition is actually caused by the body’s immune system becoming confused and attacking non-harmful substances as though they were harmful.
This grouping can be difficult to handle, but the more you understand about how your body works, the better able you’ll be to stay away from things that are harmful to you!

Dry Skin:
Are you under 35?
Is your hair dry?
Do your hands often feel tight and rough?
Does your skin feel tight after washing or showering?
Did your skin sail through adolescence with little or no problems?
If you have dry skin, you’ll know the importance of keeping your body hydrated (drink lots of water daily). Dry skin as a type often looks dull, reflecting little light. People who have dry skin also usually have problems with itching and irritation, and may have a tendency towards scaling and flaking, particularly on areas such as the face, arms, legs and feet. Dry skin is also very sensitive. People of this type may have to choose their cosmetics carefully, and avoid environmental irritants like prolonged sun exposure. There is also a tendency for people in this grouping to have dry hair. They may not need to wash their hair as often, and may have to use hot oils and hair moisturisers to prevent hair breakage. This type also often have to use creams and moisturizers more than other types like serums and oils.

Dry skin is caused by glands under the surface becoming under or inactive. These glands are responsible for creating an oily substance called sebum, which is responsible for keeping the body hydrated, and to prevent flaking or cracking. When these glands become under active, it is difficult for the body to stay moist, and the individual must take responsibility for keeping the surface of their bodies hydrated. People from this group usually need to use topical moisturizers, like creams and lotions. These products will often have to be applied several times a day. However, it’s not enough to only treat the body from the outside. People in this grouping have to be especially careful to keep hydrated on the inside, by drinking plenty of fluids, and particularly seeing to it that they drink the recommended amount of water each day.
There are plenty of treatments available for people from this grouping, and the more you know about your type, the better you’re able to use them!

Combination Skin:
Do you have more than one type skin on your face?
Is your T-zone oily (area around the nose and forehead)?
Is your skin normal or dry around the cheeks & throat?
The Combination skin type is very common. As the name suggests,it is a combination of booth oily and dry skin with certain areas of the face oily and the rest dry. Usually there is a central greasy panel consisting of the forehead, nose and chin and a dry panel consisting of cheeks and the areas around the eyes and mouth. The greasy central panel is referred to as the T-Zone. In susch cases, each part of the face should be treated accordingly - the dry areas as for dry skin and the central panel as for oily skin.