Find Your Skin

At some point we have all made promises to ourselves for self-improvement whether it be establishing healthier eating habits, exercising more and even reading more books! Then there are those of us who have a sudden epiphany that we need to take better care of our skin now that we are beginning to age and can no longer afford to go to bed with a full face of make up or skip the sunscreen.

With so many options out there for skincare, you may be asking yourself where do you begin?

The first step is figuring out your skin type!

There are 5 different types of skin:

Oily – Produces an excess amount of sebum that causes the skin to be shiny. It feels greasy especially in the T-zone (chin, nose and forehead). Oily skin often exhibits large pores and in prone to acne, blemishes and breakouts

Dry – Rough, scaly, flaky and has a dull appearance. Often it feels tight and is prone to showing more visible lines. It can easily become itchy and irritated.

Normal – Is balanced meaning it doesn’t feel oily or dry. It is not prone to acne, blemishes, feeling slick or being tight. Pores for the most part appear small, and the texture of the skin is smooth and is less likely to be prone to sensitivity.

Combination – As the type says, it is a mix of oily and dry areas with the T-zone commonly being oily and the cheeks being normal or dry.

Sensitive – This one here is a little trickier. You can have oily skin that is sensitive, dry sensitive skin or normal sensitive skin. No matter which, if you have sensitive skin, it will show signs of irritation and redness, itchiness and dryness. This can be caused by different factors such as dyes and fragrance as well as environmental factors such as pollution and weather. If you fall into this category, it can be tricky to figure out what the root cause is. Start by altering one thing at a time reducing your exposure to possible irritants.

A good trick is using blotting papers which are easily available at your local beauty supply retailer and pharmacies.

First, wash your face with a cleanser, pat dry and leave your skin rest for 30 minutes.

Next, take blotting papers and press them against various areas of your face then hold the sheets up to light to see the oil markings. If you see in abundance of oil in all areas, you have oily skin. Little to no oil, dry skin. If most oil is found in the T-zone, you’ve more than likely have combination skin. If there is minimal oil from all areas, you most likely have normal skin.

Many different skincare brands offer online assessments to help you if you are unsure and can help tailor skin care routines that are suitable to you.

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