What is your skin type? How to determine your skin type

Just as there are different types of people in the world the same is true for skin. Not everybody has the same skin type. Some have oily skin, some have dry skin, some have combination skin and the list goes on. Besides genetics which may give us a predisposition to a particular skin type there are other factors to consider as well. You have to take into consideration your state of health, your internal system and what
you eat and put into your body. It is a fact that what goes on in the inside of us affects what we look like on the outside.

Environmental conditions also affect our skin. Things like pollution, second hand smoke and the sun all affect our skins in adverse ways for the most part. It is up to us to keep as healthy as possible. Keeping healthy includes eating right and staying hydrated to help us fight those things which we cannot change in relation to our skin like environmental factors.

So “What is your skin type?" There are five categories that describe the overall condition of skin, determining its type:

1 )Normal Skin is any skin that is neither too oily nor dry and looks for the most part healthy. When you touch skin that is considered normal there is a supple and elastic feel to it. It is neither to saggy or loose. Of all the skin types Normal Skin is the least problematic.

2) Dry Skin This is skin that looks dull with flakes, patches or crusty in appearance. This is due to the skins oil glands not producing enough oil called “Sebum." What happens with dry skin is that the oil gland does not produce sufficient amounts of “Sebum” or oil to keep the skin naturally lubricated. People with dry skin need to keep hydrated and to use moisturizing products to help counter the problem of dryness.

3) Oily Skin the sebaceous glands produce too much oil. The skin as a result looks greasy or shiny and feels grimy from the over production of oil. When skin is oily the pores look large and they are usually clogged due to the oil build up in the pores. The texture is also slippery but course do to the enlarged pores. Because oil gets trapped under the skin and clogs the pores oily skin is prone to breakouts. People with oily skin have to use products that help clean out the pores and prevent the skin from clogging such as physical scrubs and or salicylic and glycolic products. It is ironic though that oily skin does not wrinkle or age the same way as dry skin. Oily skin is less prone wrinkles due to the natural moisturizing factor of the production of sebum, so seek a balance in regulating oil production as opposed to drying out completely.

4) Sensitive Skin This skin type can be oily, dry or even normal. Sensitive skin is more of a condition as opposed to a skin type. With this type of skin there is a tendency for sensitivity to different stimuli. It can be touch that aggravates it, as well as a product used or something eaten. Typical sensitive reactions are blotchiness, redness, swelling, itching, burning and or chaffing. This kind of skin generally has to use products that are soothing, calming , have no chemicals or dyes nor artificial scents or fragrances. Fortunately there are a variety of Sensitive skin” products on the market for people with this type of skin. Products labeled Hypo allergenic are usually good for sensitive skin types. These products are designed for people that have allergic sensitivity to certain ingredients that may be in in regular products.

5) Combination Skin This skin type may be a combination of two or more of the above mentioned skin types. Dry in some spots, oily in others and normal or sensitive in others. People with this type have faces that are categorized as T Zone face. This is because usually the Forehead, nose and chin are generally oily in a T formation. While the cheeks, eyes and mouth are dry. This is a very common type of skin. In this case a person would use a combination of products to suit the different areas of the T Zone.