Do You Know Your Skin Type?

Why should you know your skintype? It's all very well my telling you how to make a wonderfully natural oil-based skin cleanser but if you already have very greasy skin, or perhaps a tendency to acne, then you are definitely not going to be very happy with it. Knowing your skintype is the key to improving on what nature gave you. Plus it will save you a lot of money and aggravation in the long run!

Choosing which products will be most useful for your particular skin is paramount if you wish to save money, time and energy (and possibly tears too!). Your skin will reflect your general health and the conditions under which you live, more or less updating on a day-to-day basis.

Firstly, if you do not eat and drink well (as in water not alcohol!) your skin is less likely to look its best. 'Burning the candle at both ends' is notorious for making the complexion look grey and dowdy - you only have to remember the 'morning after the night before' to understand where I am coming from.

Pollution, too much sun, too much wind, extreme cold, central heating, computer monitors, fast food, processed food, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs (recreational and prescription), age and illness are all reflected in the health of your skin and will contribute to your natural skintype, making it worse or better.

There is also the predisposition of your genes. Yes, your skintype is inherited, and there's little you can do about that, but if we take what nature has given us as our starting point, there is quite a lot we can do to improve on it. Without breaking the budget or resorting to surgery I might add!

We need to be realistic here. When we are young and healthy we will be able to cope with most of the items on that long list without too much fuss, but as we get older, or if we become generally unwell (or continue to abuse our health), then the damage becomes much more obvious and our skin recovers much more slowly. It is really important therefore, to understand your skin type and the pressures that you are putting on your complexion. You must also review this regularly so that you can 'tweak' your choice of skincare products accordingly. Your regular skincare routine should be reviewed from time to time as your skin ages or as environmental changes take affect.

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NORMAL SKIN

Know your Skintype: Normal has an even tone, the pores are usually not visible and there are no flaky or greasy patches. A normal complexion is supple and smooth and glows with inner health. The occasional spot or pimple may appear from time to time depending upon various conditions, puberty, menstruation, illness etc but in general this skintype is not likely to suffer from acne or other skin complaints. As always, you do have to continue to take care of your health (eat and drink healthily and take regular exercise) and follow a suitable skincare routine in order to maintain this skintype.Someone with normal skin can use just about any natural beauty product they like, it will be down to preference and the end result, to choose which ones become part of your regular routine.

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DRY SKIN

Know your Skintype: Dry is uncomfortable and can be visibly so. With dry skin there is usually a lack of the skin's own natural oils which means the complexion is often flaky or even cracked. It is not simply lack of sebum (the skin's natural oil) that gives this appearance but also lack of moisture/hydration. Dehydration is often the cause of the most obvious symptoms for this skintype. A dry skin will feel taut after washing and is often prone to sensitivities. Wind, sun, central heating (including car heaters) and our computer screens, make dry skin noticeably worse. Illness and some specific medical conditions can cause extreme dry skin and related skin problems such as excema or psoriasis - if you suspect that your health is to blame then do seek professional advice from your doctor or specialist.
Our complexions have a tendency to dry out as we get older, and the age at which this happens is totally an individual thing, but our modern lifestyle definitely speeds up this process and dry skintypes will often develop wrinkles far sooner than normal or oily complexions.

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OILY SKIN

Know your skintype: Oily often looks shiny and greasy with enlarged pores prone to blackheads. The complexion may look sallow or dirty. The skin has a tendency to look coarse and dull. This condition arises generally when there is overproduction of sebum (natural skin oil) and there are times in our life when this is prompted by our hormones. Adolescense is one of these. Oily skin is prone to acne and unsightly blemishes - again this is no stranger to most of us during puberty. However, hormonal imbalances can cause oiliness of the complexion at any age and diet is definitely a contributing factor. People with oily skin needs to deep cleanse more frequently and may find that natural skin peels become a regular and slightly more time consuming part of their routine. On the bright side, those with oily skintypes are often the last to get wrinkles and show the signs of ageing. But this benefit hardly outweighs the drab look that oily skins can often have.
Some people have combination skins where greasy patches form around the nose, chin and across the forehead. Managing this type of skin requires a mixture of products from the recomendations made for all the skintypes and you will have to take a little extra care in choosing which and what you use.