Know your skin

14 Jul 2008 08:36 AM | Posted by Editor

Identifying your correct skin type could be harder than you think. We all want to look the best we can, especially considering the time and money we invest in our skincare, so choosing the right products to match our needs is an important issue.

 

Skin type is one of the most important factors influencing our decisions when it comes to choosing skincare routines and specific products. So we need to be careful when categorising our skin, as some products we think might help can actually make conditions worse.


What influences skin type?
With so many factors affecting our skin on a daily basis, it can be quite tricky to identify an exact skin type. External factors such as humidity, cold winds and the sun effect our skin, as well as internal factors including hormones, health problems, medication and diet.

Emma Hobson, Education Manager (Asia, Australia & New Zealand) of The International Dermal Institute explains, “A common mistake people make is not understanding what skin type they have and what condition it is currently in. A skin type is determined genetically (predominantly by our parents) and can be directly measured by the amount of oil in the skin. Overactive sebaceous activity will produce an oily skin, and underactive sebaceous glands will produce a dry skin.”

Hobson says there is very little that can be done to influence or change this, and our skin type only changes very slowly with time (unless influenced by medication).

The older we get, the less oil our skin produces. There are some people whose skin is very oily when young, hence they still have an active oil flow in their 50s and sometimes even in their 60s. Though for women going through menopause, skin may change quite dramatically.

“What people tend to notice and experience with the changes to their skin is the condition, such as increased dehydration, increased sensitivity, congestion and breakouts, hyper-pigmentation and premature ageing,” Hobson advises. “These conditions can certainly be changed with effective treatment.”

Other factors that influence the skin condition include stress, surgery and illness. These conditions affect all skin types and will regularly change, possibly from day-to-day.

Identifying your skin type
Most cosmetic companies put skin types into five categories. Now that we understand our skin can have different needs at different times, these skin types will give you a general overview of what to look for.

Normal

This skin type has a balanced oil and water content. It is smooth and even with tiny pores. Normal skin very rarely gets blemishes or feels oily or dry.

Oily

This type of skin has overactive sebaceous (oil-producing) glands, which makes the face shiny, especially down the central panel of your nose, forehead and chin. Pores are usually enlarged, making it prone to blackheads and pimples.

Dry

This type of skin lacks both sebum and moisture. It looks fine-textured, transparent, patchy and fragile. This type of skin flakes and chaps easily compared to other skin types. Pores are barely visible. Tiny expression lines may be obvious.

Combination

This skin type is generally oily down the central panel and dry on the cheeks. The forehead, nose and chin need extra attention, as they may be prone to clusters of blackheads and enlarged pores.

Sensitive

This type of skin reacts externally and internally to changes in life. It can be both oily and dry and may be easily disturbed by skincare and cosmetics. It tends to be blotchy and have broken capillaries. Sensitive skin may also have a flushed or reddened look and feel tight or itchy. It may require a consultation with a dermatologist in serious cases.

Apart from these major skin types, there may be other exaggerated versions, like dehydrated skin, acne-blemished skin and visibly ageing skin.

Choosing the right skin care
To successfully address your different skin conditions, Hobson has some very helpful recommendations. “When choosing a cleanser and moisturiser, your first focus is to choose one that matches your skin type (based on the oil flow of the skin), with added benefits for various skin conditions. For instance, an oil-free moisturiser for oily skin with salicylic acid for congestion.”

Dry skin

Appearance: Flaky, tight on surface, very fine lines, blackheads can be present

Cause: Lack of moisture, incorrect product use, diet, environment, medications

Products:
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Very Dry to Dry (Step 1)

Ilcsi Organic Skincare Peach Cream Gel Mask

Eau Thermale Avène Skin Recovery Cream

Dermalogica Gentle Soothing Booster

Prematurely ageing skin 

Appearance: Wrinkles, pigmentation, poor circulation, dry

Cause: Genetics, sun, stress, free radicals, smoking

Products:
L’Occitane Shea & Organic Cotton Ultra Comforting Cleansing Milk

Clinque Repairwear Deep Wrinkle Concentrate for Face & Eye 

Shea & Organic Cotton Ultra Comforting Mask

Eau Thermale Avène Rich Compensating Cream

Ahava Continual Eye Treatment

Congested and oily skin

Appearance: Open pores, congestion below the surface, possible inflammation, pustular breakouts and papules (raised red spots)

Cause: Hormonal imbalance, comedogenic ingredients, smoking, pollution, friction

Products for congestion: 

Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser

Dr. Spiller Biocosmetic Peach Toner

Clarigel Exfoliating Cleanser

Gatineau Paris Mateliance Anti Shine Emulsion 

Garnier Pure SOS Anti-Spot Treatment Pen 

Alpha H Purifying Clay Mask with Vitamin A

Products for inflammation and pustular breakouts: 

Comfort Zone Active Pureness Cleanser Gel

Neutrogena SkinClearing® Deep Cleansing Wipes

La Prairie Cellular Normalizing Serum

Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Skincare Sulfur Cooling Masque

 

- Claudia DeBono