Metamorphosis: What's Your Skin Type?

Before you buy any cosmetics or skin care products, you need to identify your skin type. Beauty product manufacturers now carry different ranges of products tailored to the needs of different skin types, so you need to be aware which products would benefit your skin the most.

There are 5 basic types of skin: normal, oily, dry, combination and sensitive.

~Normal Skin~
Normal skin has regular sized pores with a healthy amount of natural skin oils. Such skin is the easiest to maintain and the widest range of products available. People with normal skin do not usually suffer recurring issues such as acne or skin discolouration. Sure, there's the occasional pimple breakout, but these are problems that occur now and then. You know you have normal skin if you press a white tissue paper to your skin 10 minutes after it has been washed and the tissue shows an even coat of just a little oil.

~Oily Skin~
Oily skin secretes more oil than the skin needs. People with oily skin often have large pores, and when dirt gets into the pores and mixes with the excess oil, this results in acne and large blackheads. Oily skin therefore needs a care regimen that focuses on reducing or controlling oil production coupled together with reducing the size of the pores. You know you have oily skin if you see oily residue on white tissue paper after being blotted on your clean face.

~Dry Skin~
Dry skin is characterised by small pores and very little oil. Very often, dry skin will flake off if it has not been properly moisturised. People with dry skin will experience problems with bumps and irritation of the skin, and these people will often also fall into the sensitive skin category. Dry skin needs to be exfoliated regularly to remove the dead and flaking skin, coupled together with a good moisturiser that will trap moisture and protext the new layer of skin. You know your skin is dry when you press a white tissue paper to your skin 10 minutes after it has been washed and the tissue is completely dry with no signs of oil.

~Combination Skin (this is what i have!)~
Combination skin is not technically a skin type on its own but rather as the name suggests, a mix of two different skin types on the face. Combination is usually characterised as being only only in certain places like the nose and forehead (the T-zone) and dry in others like the cheeks and chin. It is also possible to be oily on the T-zone while having normal skin on other areas of the face. Combination skin can be complicated to look after as you have to deal with two different skin types and choosing the correct range of products is essential. Combination skin requires a cleansing and moisturizing routine that will not inflame oily or dry skin because the skin can be a “combination” of both. You know you have combination skin if when you press a white tissue paper to your skin 10 minutes after it has been washed it shows oily residue in certain places and no residue in others.

~Sensitive Skin~
Again, sensitive skin is not technically a skin type on its own. You can have any of the skin types mentioned above and fall into the sensitive skin category as well. It's just skin that needs to be treated in a very special manner. Sensitive skin can be affected by a number of factors; temperature, chemicals, and even plucking eye brows or getting your upper lip waxed can severely irritate sensitive skin. If your skin often reacts to temperature changes, new makeup or lotion, fabric or routine maintenance you probably have sensitive skin. Products for sensitive skin are often formulated with mild ingredients from natural sources to minimize irritation.

Now that you can identify your skin type, look out for my articles in the next few days on how to take care of your skin type with a proper skin care regime.