HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TYPE

If you're like me, you've probably been wondering how you would determine your skin type. Knowing your skin type is the most important step to understand in caring for your skin. Your skin is your body's largest organ and it is as complex and intelligent as any other vital organ. Knowing your skin type will help you choose the right options that will balance your skin resulting in a healthier, radiant complexion. Skin type is more of a spectrum than a group and everyone's skin falls somewhere on the spectrum of either normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive skin. Every persons skin is unique and skin type can change throughout the years



                                                          GUIDE TO SKIN TYPE

OILY SKIN: You know you  have oily skin if your skin constantly looks greasy and shiny within hours of cleansing. oily skin has large pores and is prone to acne and breakouts, this is due the excess sebum (natural oil produced by your skin which helps to keep your skin hydrated) and dead skin cells which gets stuck in your pores clogging it.


DRY SKIN: Dry skin feels tight and taut especially after cleansing. If you frequently experience flakiness or scaling when you lightly drag your nails across your skin then you have a dry skin, dry skin has almost invisible pores. Dry skin is often confused with dehydrated skin, dry skin type is caused by lack of sebum production in the skin while dehydrated skin is caused by lack of water. Dehydrated skin a temporary skin condition due to environmental factors or due to not drinking enough water.

COMBINATION SKIN: For combination skin type, your skin is oily and your pores appear to be larger in your T-zone. Your T-zone comprises of your forehead, nose and chin. But you have  dry or normal skin on your cheeks and jawline. People with combination skin type usually get breakouts in their T-zone.

NORMAL SKIN: Your skin is pretty ,not too dry not too oily , has no severe sensitivity and your pores are barely visible and you have an even radiant complexion ,congratulations! you have been blessed with a normal skin

SENSITIVE SKIN: Sensitive skin is not a skin type by itself. The term is generally used to describe skin that easily breaks out in rashes, gets blotchy or itchy in response to products or water. You can have oily sensitive or dry sensitive skin. If your skin is easily irritated, inflamed or gets red and itchy easily, congratulations! you've won the sensitive skin lottery. For people with sensitive skin you would also notice that you constantly get bumps or rashes after you shave, get sunburns easily and experience conditions such as eczema or rosacea frequently.



                                           HOW TO KNOW YOUR SKIN TYPE

BAREFACED METHOD:

• Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser
• Make sure you don't apply any product on your skin. so no toner, no serums, no moisturizers, nada!
• Wait for an hour 
• Now examine your skin   

If your skin feels tight and parched, you have dry skin. If you notice shine on your forehead, nose and chin, you have a combination skin. If you're shining on your cheeks in addition to your forehead, nose and chin then you have an oily skin and if your skin doesn't fall under any of these categories you have a normal skin.

BLOTTING SHEET MASK METHOD:

This method is faster and is majorly excellent for differentiating between oily and dry skin

• Gently pat a blotting paper on different areas of your face
• Hold the sheet up to light to determine how much oil is visible
• Now examine

If blotting paper is saturated with oil, you have an oily skin. If  the sheet picked up little to no oil, you have a dry skin and if blotting sheet reveals oil from forehead and nose areas, your skin is probably normal or combination.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

skin type is not a set type and can change overtime as you grow and mature so it is essential that you regularly check up your skin to see whether it has changed or if your skin routine needs adjustment.

 I will go more in depth about each skin type and what skin care routine to follow, what to use and what to avoid in the next couple of weeks on my skin care series every Wednesday.