What skin type am I?

Two years ago, I had no idea about skincare or how to look after my skin. My mum tried her best to educate me but it's safe to say I never listened. It wasn't until I started study beauty therapy that I began to develop an understanding about the skin and just how important it is to look after it. I learned all about the different skin types and conditions and how to look after my skin based on this. I never knew how detrimental it was to use specific skincare based on your skin type.

To break it down into simple language so everyone can have a deeper understanding about what skin type they are, the 5 skin types are: balanced, dry, oily, sensitive and combination.

HOW TO RECOGNISE BALANCED SKIN:

A balanced skin is when your skin is never particularly oily or dry, isn't constantly red or has terrible breakouts and is just an all round normally balanced skin. The skin may become slightly oily in your t-zone (forehead, nose & chin) towards the end of the day but typically remains the same throughout the day. The skin is even in colour and texture, feels soft and tends to have a slight glow to it. This is generally your pre-pubencent children before hormones take over, however some teenagers and adults have this skin type as well and should be counted as the lucky ones in my opinion.

SKIN CARE:

If you are fortunate enough to have a balanced skin type, then as far as what type of cleanser, exfoliator etc. you should be using, theres not a specific set of rules. I tend to advise if you have a normal skin to use a cream cleanser as that always feels soothing on the face, however, if you feel like thats too heavy, try a milk cleanser. Exfoliators are good to use 2-3 times a week in my opinion on balanced skin types to keep that smooth and supple look. Go for an exfoliator thats fairly course but nothing too rough as you don't want to damage the skin. Masques are always a good idea and I suggest 1 a week if you can. As a balance skin type you can vary your masques and what you want them to do, so go for a detoxifying one, then a purifying one, and just constantly change it up. A good rule of thumb when choosing an eye serum for yourself is; eye gel for younger dehydrated skin, eye cream for mature ageing skin. This is something my teacher once said to me and has stuck with me as something I tell all my clients. When your younger, you don't have ageing lines yet, and if you do, they're only dehydration lines and can be fixed with a light gel. However if you're a mature person who does have age lines then a more intensive cream is best suited to you. Moisturises for a balanced skin type, I suggest to be fairly light (maybe because I don't like anything to heavy on skin) but if you prefer that thicker feeling, then go right ahead.

HOW TO RECOGNISE DRY SKIN:

Dry skin can be thought to look pale, flakey and can feel tight after washing it. Your pores will also be smaller, hence you don't excrete as much sebum (oil) to form a layer over your face. Although you will always have the same skin type throughout your life, as you mature into your late 40's, you will tend to have a dryer skin type as you become what is known as lipid dry. Lipids are the water components your skin excretes and when this depletes it can be a sign of menopause, someone who over cleanses or exfoliates their face.

SKIN CARE:

Dry skin can be easily managed if you know the right skin care to use. For a cleanser, once again I say cream (I know I'm addicted) because when your skin is dry, it needs 10x more nourishment. Don't go too rough with an exfoliator, so just use a medium strength (is that the right word? I couldn't think of a better one) and only exfoliate 2 times a week. This is because you still want to be able to remove the dead skin, but don't think just because it still feels rough that it needs to be exfoliated more. A good masque is anything that says nourishing in it. You should use a masque that is going to infuse moisture into your skin rather than using anything thats drawing. For moisturiser it's best to use a thicker cream as you will find your skin drinks every little thing you put on your skin, so the more the merrier. Eye serum is the same as what I said previously.

HOW TO RECOGNISE OILY SKIN:

Oily skin can be detected rather easily, because as a whole, your face will always have a sheen and oil component to it. Oily skin is also more prone to acne, breakouts and blackheads. Pores are larger (have a look around your nose and forehead) and therefore excreting more sebum (oil) which is forming that layer over your face. Your skin can also feel thick sometimes. Oily skin is more typical in a younger skin type as around the teenage years you are producing more sebum than normal due to hormones. Do not be mistaken though, your skin will tend to get that oily sheen over it throughout the day and in the afternoon. So don't panic if after the day and your skin is shiny that you have oily skin, that's normal for teenagers.

SKIN CARE:

Cleansers with oily skin can be tricky because generally, everyone thinks you should be using a gel cleanser. Well I say a big NO to that! In fact, no one should use a gel cleanser! They are way to drying on the skin and just removes all the good oils from your face, leaving it feeling tight, and forcing your skin to then just produce more oil. Instead, try a foaming cleaner. It tends to come out looking like foam, and isn't drying on the skin but sill removes the grime. If you do still insist on using a gel cleaner, then before you rub it into your skin, first mix it with water to make it foam up. This way it is not directly drawing the oil from your skin, but instead just removing it. Exfoliating is still important for an oily skin, but try to find one with smaller beeds (the little bits that scrub your face) and only exfoliate 2 times a week. Anymore and you just keep stimulating the oil glands that will in turn, produce more oil. Masques I find can be tricky with oily skin because most people I have talked to, tell me they don't like the feeling on their face. I suggest trying something lighter, a clay masques always feels lovely on the skin, also try things that use the words purifying as these helps to restore the natural oils. Don't use any think creams on the face because your skin will find it hard to breathe, and it will basically just 'slide' off. Try something lighter and more refreshing. Day creams tend to be lighter than night creams.

HOW TO RECOGNISE SEN

SITIVE SKIN:

Sensitive skin can be recognised when you tend to have a lot of allergies in skin cares , constantly have red skin and can even cause rosacea. Don't mistake your sun kissed cheeks though for sensitive as this can be a common mistake.

SKIN CARE:

Use a very gentle skin care brand. Most brands these days tend to have a sensitive range, which is wonderful (and I even tend to buy some for myself). A cream Cleanser (yes I know again with the cream cleansers) is great as its very soothing on the face and it's not stripping the skin of anything, rather it's just removes the build up of makeup and dirt. Exfoliating is still a good idea for someone with sensitive skin as you still need to remove the dead skin, however limit yourself to once a week, and something that has very fine granules, so it isn't further damaging the skin. A soothing or calming masques is always a good option to use once a week as this can calm down any irritation you may have after exfoliating. Use a normal moisturiser as your skin still needs nourishment, but make sure with all your skin care choices, none of them have to many fragrances in them as this can be what causes some irritation.

HOW TO RECOGNISE COMBINATION:

Combination skin is typically an oily t-zone and dry cheeks, or vies versa. Don't be mistaken though and think you have combination skin just because you get an oily t-zone towards the end of the day…if you are truly a combination skin type, this area will always be oily. Look out for larger pores around your nose, forehead and chin, and smaller pores on your cheeks.

SKINE CARE:

Combination skin can by far be the hardest to decide on what skin care, because you are essentially trying to accommodate two different skin types. My best advice is to use a milk cleanser. This will still remove the oil from your skin, but not be too drying. Only exfoliate 2 times weekly and use something mid-way in the range . You still want to exfoliate but nothing too rough that may irritate those dry areas. It can be tedious work, but when it comes to masques, it can be useful to use two different types. Try to use a nourishing, thicker masques on the dry areas, and a thinner clay masque on the oily areas. The best option for a moisturiser is light one, something that will still be nourishing but not too thick.

I really do hope this helps some people when you next have to go out and purchase skin care, however I'm not entirely convinced half of what I say makes sense sometimes.

Till next time,

Ali

P.s. Beauty begine the moment you decide to be yourself - Coco Chanel

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