Skin Basics: Know your skin type!

Hello Folks,

I'm going to jump right in....in order to look after your skin, knowing what type of skin you have is essential! I'm keeping this post nice and simple, but if anyone needs help or has any questions please email me on porcelain.lady@yahoo.com Your skin may change over time and medication can effect your skin but below I explain what accompanies each skin type....

There are 4 skin types....Normal, Oily, Dry and Combination! How to tell which one you have? Read on.....



Normal:

• No visible pores
• No areas of excess oil
• No areas of dryness/flakiness

A normal skin style doesn't necessarily mean "perfect" skin. A normal skin type just means normal/balanced oil production! You can still have breakouts and areas of imperfections and have "normal" skin.

Oily: 

• Areas of excess oil, typically the "T" zone ( forehead, nose and chin )
• Areas of blocked pores and congestion
• large or visible pores
• Shiney appearance
• Feeling os grease/oil on the skin

An oily skin tone just means that the sebaceous gland is overproducing oil, this may be due to hormones, use of wrong skin care products or genetics. 

Dry:

• Areas of dry/flaking skin
• A feeling of tightness on the skin
• Dull/lifeless appearance

Dry skin can be actually difficult to "diagnose". Many people who think they have dry skin actually have dehydrated skin! The difference is dry skin doesn't produce enough oil, dehydrated skin has enough oil but not enough water! To see which one you have pinch you skin, if you can see thin shallow lines you have dehydrated skin! Drink water!! :) Of course you can have both dry and dehydrated skin.!
 

Combination:

• A combination of any of the above 3 skin types! ;)

Combination skin types can be a little tricky to handle especially if you have areas of excess oil and areas of flacking dry skin! The trick is to be quite specific about what you use on your skin.... using 2 masks is a great way for combating both oily and dry areas eg. A clay based mask on the T-zone and an oil based mask on the dry areas! :)

Keep an eye on my blog for posts on ingredients to look out for for each skin type and concern!