Everyone’s skin is unique in its texture, pigmentation, and overall skin type. This can leave a challenge for individuals to properly identify their skin type and understand if it is as healthy as it should be. For some, the problems their skin faces are explicit and easy to identify in the mirror, from dry patches to acne. For others, your skin may appear aesthetically acceptable, but there can be dehydration issues under the surface in reality.
The first step to identifying the right course of action for your facial skin is to understand the basics of your skin type. This is an essential process since each skin type requires a specific course of action to rebuild the skin to its healthiest state.
Let’s find out more about the primary skin types and some helpful tips to ensure your skin is as healthy and hydrated as it can be.
Table of Contents
First: Try the Day Test
Before we get into the common skin types, one of the easiest ways to identify where your skin stands is to take the day test. The day test is simply waiting until the end of the day to identify how your skin looks and feels.
If your skin is oily and shiny by the evening, you likely have oily skin. If your T-zone is shiny but the rest of your skin feels dry, you may have combination skin. Minimal oil, redness, and flakiness suggest normal texture. Tight or flaky skin could mean dryness, while itchy, red, or inflammation on your face could mean sensitive skin.
Oily Skin
While everyone has natural oils on their face, some will produce excess oil, resulting in a classification of oily skin. Excess oil can latch onto dead skin cells and create a barrier and block pores, which will often lead to a blackhead or pimple in addition to a shiny exterior of the face.
This type of skin is best treated with oil-free additions like dimethicone, for example. In more extreme cases, you may wish to work with a dermatologist to identify any topical products or supplements you can take to balance your skin’s oil levels.
Combination Skin
Combination skin is a tricky place to be since your skin seems unable to decide whether it’s oily or dry. Spot treatments can often be helpful by using one product on your T-zone and a different product on the cheeks.
There aren’t particular moisturizers or cleansers designed for combination skin, so often, it’s up to the individual to research products and use resources like SkinCeuticals Canada online to find the combination of products that works best for them.
Dry Skin
On the other side of oily skin, where you’re producing extra sebum, is dry skin resulting from a lack of sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that your body’s sebaceous glands produce. Dry skin often requires more than your daily water intake for a more permanent solution.
In many cases, moisturizers with hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, or ceramides can be helpful in restoring moisture barriers in the skin on your face. Layering these products from thinnest to thickest will help ensure you’re allowing the maximum amount of product to penetrate the skin.
Sensitive Skin
If your face is prone to inflammation, you likely have sensitive skin. Most individuals with this skin type are no stranger to acne, dermatitis, or rosacea. In more extreme cases, they may also be prone to excess redness, itching, and even burning sensations.
In most cases, sensitive skin types do not react well to products with certain ingredients or harsh compounds. It’s best to avoid any products that are not designed for sensitive skin, including exfoliants. Gentle cleansers will work best for this particular skin type, and it’s important to massage the cleanser gently around the face to avoid further irritating the skin. Using the right products can significantly change the conditions of sensitive skin in time.
Normal Skin
As the name suggests, those with normal skin will likely be free of any excess oils, dry patches, redness or irritation. If your skin is balanced, you’re one of the lucky few who doesn’t need any specialized products or diet regimes to regulate your skin.
Remember: Your Skin Type May Change Over Time
Like many aspects of your life, your skin may not always stay the same. Lifestyle changes and hormone fluctuations can alter your original skin type. It’s important to keep an eye on your skin as you age to identify any changes before they become excessive or require expensive dermatology products to fix.
While you may not be able to predict these changes, ensuring you eat balanced meals, drink lots of water every day, and manage your stress can significantly impact the long-term quality of your skin.
