How to Identify and Care for Your Skin Type

The first and most important step in any skin care regime is to identify your skin type. Knowing your exact type of skin will help you in the process of choosing the cosmetic products that is right for you,

and applying the right skin treatment to enable you maintain a healthy skin appearance.

There are five basic types of skin; normal, oily, dry, sensitive, and combination. One way to tell the type you have is to diagnose your skin. This you can do in the morning after you wake using a tissue by doing a simple test on your skin. Unfold the tissue, and lay it on your face making sure the tissue covers your face. Press the tissue onto your skin, and then remove it to examine what you see on the tissue. The following descriptions will help you to identify the type of skin you have and guide you in your skin care regime.

Normal Skin: There will be no left over oil from your face on the tissue. Your skin will be elastic, glows, and have a plump feel. This is the easiest skin kind to manage and treat since it continues to have a clear complexion and healthy circulation. People with this type will continue to have a healthy skin appearance as they grow older.

§      Normal skin care: If you have this type, wash it morning and night everyday using a mild soap so as not to distort the normal skin balance. The uses of a toner are optional, but apply a moisturizer everyday.

Oily Skin: There will be traces of oil from where your cheeks, forehead, and nose were. Oily skin causes the skin to look greasy, coarse, thick, shinny, and in most cases leads to breakouts which are a problem for most women.

§      Oily skin care: Make use of facial washes made for oily skin. Do not make use of the same washes for your body to avoid skin dry out and pimples. To avoid breakouts make use of exfoliating scrub once or twice a week. This will keep your skin looking young and supple and limiting wrinkles as you age.

Dry Skin: The tissue will by clear. This type feels dry, flaky, and tight when the tissue is removed. Dry skin develops wrinkles and age faster than other types of skin.

§       Dry skin care: Make use of lukewarm water to cleanse, and daily apply plenty of moisturizers that contain hypoallergenic materials. The use of hot water will irritate the skin.

Sensitive Skin: There will be little or no oil left over on the tissue. This type feels dry and tight with reddish scaly areas. There is the tendency for sensitive skin to tingle with spotty breakouts. Your skin can be considered to be sensitive if it becomes irritated or inflamed easily.

Sensitive skin care:  Make use of cleansers made with castile soap. This is gentle and soothing on your skin. Do not use cleansers and exfoliants with sand or peach pits in order not to aggravate your red skin. Avoid cleansers that contain large amounts of bet-hydroxy-acid (BHA), alpha-hydroxy-

acid(AHA),  benzoyl pereoxide as this can irritate acne the more. So, be sure to use facial cleanser for sensitive skin if you have this skin type.

Combination Skin: If there are left over oil from your face on areas where you have your nose and forehead only, then you have combination skin. This means you have a combination of oily and dry skin. This implies different care kinds for different areas on your face.

Combination skin care: Your cheeks and eye areas are the dry zones on your face. The other areas of your face are the oily zones which requires daily cleansing and weekly exfoliating with oily skin products.   

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