Everyone has a different skin type. This is when your skin is either dry, oily, normal, sensitive, or a combination of those. Do you know which skin type you have?
Your skin can actually change over time, so if you have had normal skin you might eventually develop oily skin, for instance. A lot of younger people tend to have normal skin, whereas older people do not.
Your skin type will depend on things like:
-The amount of water in your skin; this will affect the elasticity of the cells.
-How much oil is in your skin; this affects the softness of it.
-If it is sensitive or not.
Normal Skin
This is the skin type that is not too oily and not too dry.
The characteristics of this skin type are:
-Few to no imperfections
-Not sensitive
-Small pores
-A beautiful, flawless completion
Combination Skin
This is when you can have normal or dry areas as well as oily in others. Usually this happens in the T-zone, which includes your forehead, nose, and chin. There are a lot of people who have combination skin. This just means that you need to take care of each of these areas differently.
The characteristics of this skin type are:
-Larger than normal looking pores. This is due to them being more open.
-Blackheads
-Areas of shiny skin
Dry Skin
When you have severely dry skin, it can be itchy, peel, crack, irritated, or inflamed. For extremely dry skin, it can look scaly and rough, most often seen on your arms, legs, and the backs of your hands.
The characteristics of this skin type are:
-Practically invisible pores
-A rough completion
-Dull looking skin
-Patches of red
-The elasticity in your skin is diminished
-You have more visible lines/wrinkles
Causes for dry skin:
-Genes
-Hormonal changes or aging
-Cold weather, the sun, or wind
-Tanning or tanning beds
-Inside heating
-Hot showers or baths that last a long time
-Certain ingredients in cosmetics, cleaners, and soaps
-Some medications
Tips to reverse dry skin:
-Only take a shower or bath once a day and keep it short.
-Find gentle, mild cleaners and soaps. Also avoid soaps with deodorants.
-While bathing and drying, don’t scrub.
-Get a moisturizer to use right after bathing. You can also reapply during the day as needed.
-For inside, don’t let the temperature get too hot in the winter and get a humidifier.
-When using solvents, cleaning agents, or household detergents, wear gloves.
Oily Skin
How oily your skin is can depend on what time of year it is and the weather.
The characteristics for this skin type are:
-Very large pores
-A thick complexion, shiny, or dull looking skin
-Blemishes, pimples, and blackheads
Causes for oily skin:
-Hormonal imbalances or puberty
-Stress
-Humidity or heat
Tips to reverse oily skin:
-Do not wash your face more than twice a day. Make sure to wash after you sweat a lot.
-Do not scrub and get a gentle face cleanser
-Do not squeeze pimples, pick, or pop them. Doing so makes them take longer to heal.
-You want to look for “noncomedogenic” when purchasing skin care products and other cosmetics. Products with this in it won’t clog your pores.
Sensitive Skin
When you have sensitive skin, a good thing to do is find out what triggers your sensitivity. Once you establish what triggers you, you can avoid it. For people who have sensitive skin, there can be many different reasons their skin gets irritated. One of the most common reasons is due to certain skin care products.
The characteristics for this skin type are:
-Itching
-Redness
-Dryness
-Burning
Skin Care Basics
No matter what type of skin you have, follow these tips and you will keep your skin looking its best!
-Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen. This means it blocks UVA and UVB rays from getting into your skin.
-Do not go in direct sunlight. If you must go outside, put on a hat, sunglasses, and your sunscreen on any exposed skin.
-Never smoke
-Always stay hydrated throughout the day.
-When you wash your skin, make sure you are gentle but thorough. Do this at least once every day but not more than twice a day.
-Never ever wear makeup to bed. Always take it off with a gentle makeup remover.
-Continuously moisturize!
