Skin type defines the condition and type of our skin – its problems and characteristics. The commonly accepted division includes four basic types: dry, normal, combination, and oily. A deeper classification distinguishes additional skin types depending on more characteristic signs – we are talking about vascular skin, acne skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin.
Cosmetic stores offer hundreds of different skin care products. Some are more universal; others are designed for specific ailments. They have different compositions and use the properties of many active substances, and the purpose of their use is different – just as the needs of each type of skin are different. If you want your skin to be healthy, resistant to external factors, and look good, you need to know what kind of skin you have. Then, you can react appropriately and take proper care of it daily.
Specialists categorize skin into four basic types: dry, normal, combination, and oily. A more detailed classification further distinguishes additional skin types
based on specific characteristics, including vascular, acne-prone, sensitive, and mature skin.
Normal skin is often considered the ideal type, though few adults enjoy this condition. It is smooth, moisturized, and elastic, has a healthy color, and is easy to care for. Normal skin is usually found in children until they enter puberty, after which it usually changes its character.
This skin type produces too little sebum and has a thin hydrolipid layer that cannot retain water in the epidermis. The skin lacks elasticity, often has protruding dry skin, and wrinkles appear quickly. After contact with water, it is accompanied by a feeling of dryness, tightness, and discomfort. In care, the key is strengthening the hydrolipid layer to prevent water loss from cells and to have strong moisturizing and anti-wrinkle effects.
Intensively working sebaceous glands, excess sebum, shiny skin, enlarged pores, blackheads – this is the everyday life of people with oily skin. It is thick and has an earthy color. The advantage is that it ages slower and is more resistant to external factors, including sunlight. It should be gently cleansed of excess sebum, aimed at regulating the work of the sebaceous glands, and at the same time moisturized.
It combines the features of oily and dry skin. In the T-zone – covering the forehead, nose, and chin – it produces too much sebum, shines, and has visible pores and blackheads, while around the cheeks it is dry. The optimal method of care for combination skin should include both of these types, which is why cosmetics are recommended for oily and dry skin on individual parts of the face.
Sensitive skin is not resistant to external factors; it is prone to irritation, burning, and a feeling of tightness. To avoid excessive exposure to harmful conditions and use mild preparations, sensitive skin must be treated.
Acne skin struggles with seborrhea, and skin changes, and is often accompanied by inflammation. It requires a comprehensive approach in which possible hormonal disorders, stress, diseases, and diet are also examined. Sorting out these topics and proper care can significantly calm acne lesions and the skin.
Vascular skin manifests with redness, visible blood vessels, and spider veins. In this case, care is significant, as well as diet, hormonal fluctuations, and external circumstances, e.g., UV radiation.
Mature skin is closely related to age and manifests itself with loss of elasticity and lower density, visible wrinkles, and discoloration. Cosmetics with ingredients that slow the aging process and products that protect against free radicals are also important.
There are several ways to determine your skin type.
The watch-and-wait technique (sometimes known as the bare-faced method) permits you to comprehend your skin type by watching how your skin acts after cleansing. To begin, wash your face with a delicate cleanser, then dry it using a gentle towel. Wait for half an hour and look closely at your skin in the mirror.
If your skin seems glossy all over, you probably have oily skin. Flaky, rough, or tight-feeling skin signals that you have dry skin. If you glimpse shine exclusively near the T-zone, you presumably have combination skin. And lastly, if your skin feels hydrated and doesn’t appear dry or oily anywhere, you assumably have normal skin.
When pressed to the skin, blotting sheets soak oil, and you can utilize them to determine your skin type. To test this uncomplicated technique, wash your face, dry it, and wait for half an hour. Then, press blotting sheets to different face areas and hold them up to the light to catch the grease markings as you do it.
If the sheets soaked up oil from all parts of the face, you likely have oily skin. If they soaked little to no oil, you probably have dry skin. Sheets that harvest oil exclusively from the T-zone suggest combination skin. And if you see the tiniest oil from every face area, you most likely have normal skin.
Facial skin analysis is a test that allows you to assess skin condition accurately. Thanks to advanced imaging technology, we can examine various aspects, such as:
This test provides full knowledge about skin conditions, which is necessary to create an effective individual care plan. The analysis is quick, painless, and non-invasive, making it the ideal first step to healthier and more beautiful facial skin.
Proper skin care is essential for healthy-looking, radiant skin, regardless of skin type. Here is how to effectively care for different skin types.
Try to wash it with a mild preparation without alcohol twice a day. Use a pore-tightening mask and a fine-grained facial scrub once a week. Pay attention to a delicate rice facial scrub. Oily skin care should also be based on make-up cosmetics.
Traditional drugstore foundations should be replaced with mineral cosmetics. They have mattifying properties and have a healing effect on problematic skin. It is also a great solution if, in addition to oily skin, you also have acne. Minerals do not block the outlets of sebaceous ducts, so they will not aggravate the existing problem.
Moisturizing creams for combination and oily skin will work great in this role. Remember, oily skin should also be watered. Day creams should have the lightest possible consistency to not intensify shine during the day, while night creams can be more prosperous in nourishing and moisturizing ingredients.
Although all creams contain moisturizing ingredients, this is not always the case with other cosmetics, such as cleansing ones, which can intensify the feeling of dryness. When choosing products designed for dry skin, you can be sure that regardless of the cosmetic formula, they will support its hydration. When washing your face, choose gels, foams, or emulsions containing substances that moisturize and protect against drying. The same applies to makeup removal.
Dry skin cannot be further irritated by intensive detergents. So choose micellar fluid, oil, or make-up removal milk, which not only effectively removes makeup but also provides the skin with conditioning ingredients.
In the case of dry skin, it is a good idea to use oils, which not only cleanse the skin perfectly but also reduce the deficiency of lipids, which are responsible for limiting water loss in the stratum corneum of the skin under the influence of external factors, and thus for maintaining an appropriate level of hydration. Hydrophilic oil is also great for cleansing dry skin. When combined with water, the gel formula turns into a delicate foam that is friendly to the hydrolipid barrier of the epidermis. Caring for dry skin with cosmetics designed for it is the best way to reduce its dryness and improve its condition.
Regularity and persistence are of great importance in the care of dry skin, so remember to take care of its good condition every day. Both sunlight, wind, heating, and air conditioning dry it out. Counteracting this process every day will make the skin better moisturized and protected against drying out, despite the action of these factors.
A moisturizing cream that strengthens the lipid layer is essential, and its application takes about a dozen seconds. To provide long-lasting moisture to the skin, which is easily dried out and irritated, it is worth creating care rituals based on good, effective cosmetics. Thanks to them, dry skin will regain balance.
The skin functions slightly differently during the day when it acts primarily as a protective barrier, so it first requires strengthening its defensive functions. Supporting the hydrolipid layer, which protects against external factors and loss of moisture, is crucial.
The skin regenerates intensively at night. These processes can proceed more efficiently and bring spectacular effects thanks to an optimal moisture level. Water has, among other things, a significant impact on the regeneration of collagen fibers responsible for skin firmness. Its deficiency leads to the formation of wrinkles and rapid skin aging. For this reason, in the evening, it is worth choosing cosmetics with a strong moisturizing effect, stimulating skin regeneration and revitalization, so that in the morning, after waking up, the complexion is perfectly prepared for the day's challenges.
The first strategy involves using two types of cosmetics – dry skin on dry areas and oily skin on areas with excess sebum. The second way of caring is to use cosmetics designed for combination skin. It seems to be a good solution, but it may be ineffective or too weak, e.g., sometimes it does not cleanse the oily zone sufficiently or moisturize the dry zone enough. In such cases, a two-track care is recommended, i.e., for oily and dry skin. It is worth knowing that a group of cosmetic ingredients cope well with this type of problem.
The composition of the preparations should be free of irritating and allergenic substances that can cause an inflammatory reaction. The basis of caring for combination skin is intensive moisturizing, preferably with a light day cream with high SPF, protecting against the harmful effects of sunlight.
When choosing cosmetics for combination skin, it is worth focusing on the synergy of their action and opting for one series so that the care is comprehensive. The skin has various needs after waking up, such as when it should be prepared for hours of external factors, and different in the evening, when it is worth focusing on nourishment and regeneration. Cosmetics from one series will complement each other, and the effects of their action are noticed faster.
The basis of skin care is cosmetics containing moisturizing ingredients. Use hyaluronic acid, ceramides, vitamin C, or retinol. Regularly exfoliate dead skin, preferably using enzymatic peels or AHA/BHA acids. Choose ingredients to maintain a radiant appearance.
If you introduce retinol to your care, remember to develop a tolerance. It means that you need to use it gradually. At first, twice a week, then increase this frequency until you apply this ingredient daily.
You can also try the skin cycling method. It consists of a four-day care system. On the first day, during your evening care, you apply a cosmetic based on acids. The next day, in the evening, you use retinol. For the next two days, you use products with peptides or ceramides, which will rebuild the epidermal barrier. Repeat the cycle for many weeks. You will notice the effects after a month of regular use.
Table of Contents
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