My Skin, My Health

Despite the fact that obtaining the ideal beauty products is highly stressed, skincare is sadly not given enough consideration. No amount of makeup will help you get your ideal appearance if you don't take good care of your skin. If you don't figure out how to identify your skin type, no amount of good skincare will do you any good! Identifying your skin type is the first and most crucial step in caring for your skin. But how can you determine your skin type?

Why is it Important?

Knowing your skin type is crucial for choosing skincare products that work best for your skin type. A single lousy product may have a negative impact on your skin. You can protect your skin from adverse reactions and other negative effects by selecting skin care products that are appropriate for your skin type. Therefore, you should understand why and how to identify your skin type before spending your hard-earned money on skincare products.

How To Know My Skin Type

Several criteria are used to classify the different types of skin based on skin color and its response to sun exposure. There are five types of healthy skin: normal, dry, oily, combination (both oily and dry skin), and sensitive.

Normal skin

This skin is neither too dry nor too oily. It has regular texture, no imperfections, and a clean, soft appearance, and does not need special care.

Sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is more prone to react to stimuli to which normal skin has no reaction. It is a fragile skin, usually accompanied by feelings of discomfort, such as heat, tightness, redness, or itching. This type of skin loses its barrier (or protective) function, making it easy for microorganisms and irritant substances to enter it, and increasing the possibility of having an infection and allergic reactions. It is a delicate skin that needs more care to fight dryness, roughness, and its usual appearance. Sometimes, it is referred to as irritated skin instead of sensitive.

Dry skin

In many cases, dry skin is caused by external factors such as the weather, low air humidity, and immersion in hot water, and it is usually temporary. However, for some people, it may occur more often and even be a lifelong condition. Since dry skin can crack leaving it more exposed to bacteria, although in general, this is not serious, it may cause other skin disorders, such as eczema, or be more prone to infections if not properly managed.

Oily skin

Oily skin has a porous, humid, and bright appearance. It is caused by excessive fat production by sebaceous glands and is usually determined by genetic and or hormonal causes. It is frequent in adolescents and young people under 30 years old and usually related to the occurrence of acne.

Combination skin

Based on its location, it presents characteristics of both dry and oily skin since the distribution of sebaceous and sweat glands is not homogeneous. The area with more oil is usually the T- zone (forehead, nose, and chin), while the skin on the cheeks is normal or dry.

Methods to determine your skin types

Bare-Faced method

Start by washing your face with a mild cleanser and face wash.
Pat it dry and don’t apply any product.
Leave it bare for about 30 minutes and then start your skin test. Do you feel a slight tightness in your skin, especially if you make facial expressions or smile? Or Does your T-zone start to show some shine?
Wait for another 30 minutes and examine your skin again.

Result

Dry Skin: If your skin feels parched or tight when you smile.

Normal Skin: If you notice a slight shine on your nose and forehead then you have normal skin.

Oily Skin: If there is a lot of shine on your nose, forehead, and cheeks.

Combination Skin: The skin will get oily around T Zone.

Sensitive Skin: If your skin is a little itchy or red in tone.

Day Test Method

This involves observing the appearance of your face at the end of the day. This doesn't entail following a particular skincare routine, just take note of how your skin feels after the day.

Results (at the end of the day)

Oily skin: If your face feels oily and looks shiny?

Combination skin: If your T-zone is shimmering, but the rest of your face is mostly matte.

Normal skin: If you have minimal oil, flakiness, redness, or none at all.

Dry skin: If your skin is flaky or tight.

Sensitive skin: If your skin is itchy, red, or inflamed.

Blotting Sheet Method

Just take some good-quality blotting paper and try to gently pat on different areas of your face. Make sure you gently dab/pat and not swipe.
Hold the sheet up to the light.

Results

Dry Skin: If you can see no oil on it, then you have a dry skin type.

Oily Skin: If the paper is soaked in the oil, then you are most likely to have an oily skin type.

Combination Skin: If you have a combination skin type, you will see oil from your nose, forehead, and chin only.

Normal Skin: If the paper in it has a bit of oil, then you have a normal skin type.

Sensitive Skin: If your skin is a little itchy or red in tone, then you are most likely to have sensitive skin.

Tips on how to care for each type of skin

Normal skin

When you are blessed with normal skin, it is very important to maintain it. Normal skin is well-balanced when it comes to pH and oil production. Even though you don’t need a targeted routine, it does not mean you need not pay attention to it. Here are some basic tips for taking care of normal skin; these keep-fit tips should be adapted for other skin types as well;

Use sunscreen both outdoors and indoors
Make sure to moisturize your skin regularly, regardless of your skin type. Hydrated skin is healthy skin!
Remove your makeup before going to bed every night.
Incorporate potent ingredients in your skincare routine - like vitamin C for youthful skin, retinol (derm-approved) for mature skin, and hyaluronic acid for dry, dull skin.
Stay hydrated throughout the day to keep your skin in its best health.

Dry skin

Some of the major causes of dry skin have been attributed to genetics, seasonal changes, improper skincare habits, and aging. Some of the tips, that can help take care of dry skin are:

Moisturize dry skin, with twice a day being the recommended amount.
Avoid the habit of taking long showers or hot showers, they can strip your skin of natural oils, causing dryness. Let your skin air dry post a shower.
Use a humidifier in your house in order to seep some hydration into your skin.
Look for emollient ingredients in your products - namely, zinc oxide, mineral oil, squalene, glycerin, beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, lanolin, cocoa butter, and synthetic compounds like butyl stearate and diglycol laurate.
Skip cleanser in the morning.
Try a hydration overnight or a sheet mask.

Oily skin

Some of the major reasons for oily skin in people are hormonal changes, climate (heat and humidity can trigger it), genetics, and, large pore size. Oily skin also tends to be more prone to acne and breakouts. Some of the tips to take care of oily skin are:

Wash your skin with oil-absorbing cleansers and always follow up with a moisturizer.
Incorporate ingredients like salicylic acid and glycolic acid to deal with acne caused by dirt and oil-clogged pores.
Use lightweight products - water-based, gel-based and silicone-based products can help maintain oily skin.
Do not indulge in overwashing or skip the moisturizer as it can lead to more oil production. If you do feel like you need to wash your face more on a particular day, use plain water instead.
Take a helping hand from blotting papers and rice papers to de-grease your face instantly.
Try a bentonite clay mask.
Use a seaweed- or saltwater-based toner.
Treat blemishes with a sulfur-based spot corrector.
Consider oil-based skin care and avoid drying products.

Combination skin

In addition to being a response to changing weather, combination skin is also caused because of genetics or harsh ingredients disturbing your skin's natural balance. Here are some tips to care for combination skin:

Adapt two different skincare routines for your face. For instance, you can use some mattifying cleansers and toners on your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), just to treat the excessive oiliness. Similarly, reserve the use of heavy creams just for the dry areas on your face.
Use a gentle cleanser to avoid overstimulating the larger pores present in your T-zone.
Keep your overall skincare purchases relatively oil-free, as oil-infused products can be quite rich on the T-zone.
Spot treat acne-prone patches with a tea tree oil-based roll-on.
Exfoliate with a gentle enzyme mask.

Sensitive skin

The major cause behind this skin type is the over-sensitivity of nerve endings present under your skin. Any stimulus, like products, sun exposure or even eating spicy food can trigger this sensitivity. As a result, you see a reddish or pinkish appearance of the skin, sometimes leading to stubborn irritations that are painful. Some tips to care for sensitive skin are:

Consult a dermatologist to help figure out the right products, with the right pH balance for use on your skin.
Moisturizers should be very thin and lightweight.
Avoid products with fragrances, dyes, and parabens in them (or any harsh ingredients for that matter).
The use of alcoholic toners and astringents is not advisable for sensitive skin.
Taking vitamin supplements can help strengthen your skin against irritants. Sometimes, using cooled lotions that have been kept in the refrigerator can help reduce inflammation caused by hot climates.
Avoid ingredients like sulfates or parabens.
Be mindful of how you react to essential oils.

Other factors that can trigger a change in your skin type are:

Hormones: Puberty can make your skin oilier, while early menopause (as early as 45) has been associated with dry, dehydrated, wrinkly, and crinkly skin.

Climate: Winters are linked with dry skin, calling for the use of a thicker moisturizer. While summers can make your skin oily, lightweight and nourishing skin lotions are recommended. Sunscreen is unavoidable in any season!

Diet: What you put in your body affects your skin type as well. Healthy food habits can help delay signs of premature aging on the skin. While unhealthy food habits, like processed sugar and dairy, can disturb your skin’s collagen production, sometimes triggering eruptions on the skin.

Lifestyle: Your lifestyle can cause a shift in your skin type too. Stress, for instance, has been blamed for making skin feel dull and greasy.

Skin care tips from around the world

In Nigeria, many people use black soap and shea butter.
In Japan, many people are dedicated to preventing any sun damage at all.
In Thailand, many people use lemongrass as a popular DIY skin-care option.
Many French people are usually consistent with their skin-care routines.
Many Scandinavians don't typically only focus on their skin to keep it looking great.
In Israel, many swear by mud from the Dead Sea.
South Korea is known for its extensive 10-step skin-care routine. The routine includes cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, treating, and sun protection.
Many Italians are serious about moisturizing.
In China, many wash their face with rice water, due to its antioxidant properties.
Many people in Indonesia incorporate turmeric into their skin-care routines.
Many Brazilians are willing to splurge on treatments.
Many Swedes love a dry sauna.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can your skin type change?

Yes, your skin type can change, but it doesn’t happen on its own. Depending upon several factors such as hormonal change, environment, age, and other health-related issues lead to changing your skin type.

Is it a blessing to have a normal skin type?

Umm, well a woman with a normal skin type indeed has to worry a little less about her skin but it also doesn’t mean that everything remains perfect. It has a perfectly balanced structure and you generally don’t experience skin woes such as aging, fine lines, or wrinkles.

How do I know if I am sensitive to a product?

To rule out any sensitivity to a new product, do a patch test on your skin before using it. Apply the product on the inside of your arm and wait for 24 hours to see if there are any adverse reactions to it.

How is a skin allergy different from skin sensitivity?

A skin allergy can just be related to a particular ingredient, and not the others. Whereas skin sensitivity stays constant with harsh products, sun exposure, and certain foods.

Summary

If you have oily skin and use a lot of moisturizers, it will make your skin greasy and clog your pores, which can result in acne. Water-based creams will do nothing for your skin if you have dry skin. Finally, just because you have normal skin does not imply that you are exempt from using any cosmetics, each person has a different type of skin and what works for one person may not work for another. it is only after discovering your skin type and understanding the nutrients you require, then you can achieve a healthy, bright complexion.

Keep staying hydrated! I will not fail to remind you of this in every post I make.