Skin Type is what we would categorize the skin we are born with. They usually go by the main characteristic of our skin. It is important to know what our skin type is so we know how our skin behaves in order to be able to figure out how to best care for our skin and how we may be able to prevent certain skin issues from popping up.
The types that we normally use to call one’s skin would be:
Dry Skin
People with Dry skin will have pores that are barely visible and with that the skin is not able to let out a lot of oils to moisturize the skin. Rough, flaky or ashy skin might also be apparent.
The best products to use for dry skins would be those that bring moisture and hydration to the skin. Key ingredients to look for would be ceramides, hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Oily Skin
Oily skins would be shiny from surface sebum. It is typical for people with oily skin to have large and enlarged pores. Oftentimes, pore congestion and comedone development accompanies oily skin.
Using a line of products that all contain actives such as AHA and BHA’s may be unnecessary as this will either dry out the skin too much or may cause the skin’s protective barrier to deteriorate further. The best approach to tackle oily skin is a to use gentle and hydrating products in combination with active (your AHA’s and BHA’s) products which aim to break down sebum and cleanse the pores. Never forget to moisturize even if you have oily skin!
Combination Skin
Combination skin, as the name suggests, is a combination of skin types. Normally, it is a pairing of both oily and dry skins. The common scenario is that people would have an oily T-zone (Forehead, nose and chin) and would be dry on the rest of the areas of the face.
The best products to use for combination skins would be hydrating products to help balance the skin out. One balancing ingredient to also look for is niacinamide. People having this skin type might also benefit from using two different types of moisturizer. Use a lightweight gel in the AM and a heavier cream in the PM.
Normal Skin
Depending on who you’re asking and which school of thought they adhere to, normal skin may or may not be a skin type.
Anyway, if following the thought of people that consider this a skin type, Normal skin would be the most behaved skin wherein it is balanced in every aspect – it is not dry nor does it ever get too oily.
The products that this skin type would benefit from would be nourishing products. Almost as if you are treating it as dry skin but using lighter formulated products.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skins would usually be red and appearing to be irritated at most times. These skins would also sometimes show signs of dryness.
The best products to use for this type of skin would be those that have a lot of calming ingredients as well as those that promote the raising the integrity or rebuilding of the protective barrier of the skin to help the skin from being reactive. It would be good for people having this skin type to avoid products that may have fragrances in them.