The journey to having radiant and younger-looking skin isn’t always smooth. All the recommendations and advice from beauty experts can give you some valuable tips, but it can also leave you feeling confused and overwhelmed.
While there is no magic formula or shortcut to establishing the perfect skincare routine, knowing the similarities, if there are any, and differences between the different skin types can help you take better care of your skin.
Breaking Down the Skin Types
Each person’s skin is different, which is why it’s crucial to distinguish what type you have. A typical person might categorise skin based on colour and how much it reacts to sun exposure. This might have been the gauge a long time ago. These days, however, cosmetic companies have developed different schemes for classifying diverse skin types. These include hydration/sensitivity level and sebaceous secretion.
Generally, a person’s genes also play a role in determining their skin type. Whatever the criteria, there are distinct characteristics that each skin type possesses. The following describes each skin type and the appropriate skincare requirements for each.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin feels itchy and fragile and is accompanied by redness and discomfort. Also, since the skin’s protective barrier is weak, microorganisms can easily penetrate it, resulting in skin infections and allergies. In this case, choose your products very carefully and avoid those that trigger any sensitivity.
Dry Skin
You may feel your skin is flaky, rough and prone to scaling. These are typical characteristics of dry skin. It has less elasticity and may show cracks in places, leaving it more exposed to bacteria that cause skin disorders like eczema and dermatitis.
If your skin falls into this category, your pores may well be considerably smaller than other skin types. Your skin may also feel tight and have more visible lines.
The best solution to dry skin is frequent hydrating and moisturising. You can do it during the day, particularly in the morning after facial cleansing, and before bedtime. Select moisture-rich products like lotions and heavy creams.
Oily Skin
Oily skin feels shiny and thick all over. Hydration is not a problem, as your skin produces more oil than necessary. You are, however, more prone to experiencing breakouts. Close inspection shows that your pores are more prominent than average, increasing the chances of them clogging with oil and sweat.
Cleansing temporarily removes the oil secretions, but you’ll soon find yourself reaching for an oil blotting sheet in no time. Because of the excess oil secretion, you do not need a moisturiser or any heavy creams and emollients. Instead, use oil-free lotions and products.
Combination Skin
As the term suggests, this is the middle ground between having mostly dry skin but with oily spots in certain places. For example, your nose region may show large, clogged pores while the rest of your face is unremarkable. To care for this type of skin, moisturise the dry areas only and avoid oily spots.
Normal Skin
This skin type exhibits the right balance. It’s neither too oily, too dry, nor too sensitive. It sports an overall even tone and looks soft, with neither noticeable pores nor apparent imperfections. People with normal skin can feel the smoothness of their skin texture, especially after every cleansing.
Caring for normal skin doesn’t require much effort, as it can retain its natural moisture throughout the day. However, in hot weather, the mid-part of your face (forehead above the eyebrows, nose and chin) may become slightly oily. Generally, you don’t need to apply heavy products; serums and lighter lotions will do just fine.
Figuring Out Your Skin Type
There are DIY tests you can try to determine which skin category best describes your own, though it’s worth pointing out that you’ll have to observe your skin’s reactions closely, so there’ll be minimal room for error.
One way is to check how your skin reacts after a typical facial cleansing routine. Make sure to use a gentle facial product and tap your skin dry afterwards. You should feel well-hydrated if you have normal skin. However, if you notice a flaky texture, you probably have dry skin. If it’s greasy, then oily skin it is. Then again, if the oily part is only in your central facial area, you’re possibly more of the combination skin type.
Another way to assess your skin type is by using blotting sheets. After washing your face, press a sheet to your skin and see how much oil it absorbs. Oily skin will not be hard to spot, while dry skin shows almost no oil markings. If the oil is centralised in the mid-part of your face, then you may have combination skin.
Conclusion
Regardless of your skin type, you can develop a safe routine to care for your skin. Indeed, all it takes is the application of the right products that match your skin requirement. With these points, you’ll be glad to know you’ve already taken the first step on your skincare journey!
Whatever your skin type, understanding your needs is essential if you want to keep it looking young for as long as possible. Whether you’re after a rejuvenating chemical peel or a firming injectable treatment, Vinci Aesthetics can help. We offer a free consultation to all our new clients. Get in touch with us and book your appointment today!
