Makeup experts and skin care specialists refer often to various skin types — dry, oily, combination — assuming you know which category you fall under. Your skin care regimen depends on your skin type, but not everyone has a good understanding of their skin. As a result, their skin care plan is more of the hit-or-miss variety.
Know Your Skin Type
Unsure of what skin type you have? See which description fits you best:
Dry skin. Dry skin can be flaky and easily irritated. It’s more sensitive, if your skin has these qualities and also tends to react to some (or all) of the skin products you have tried, you have dry skin. The extreme version of dry skin is sensitive skin.
Oily skin. The primary test for determining if you have oily skin is when you start to feel some oil on your face. Most people can feel a little oil by late afternoon, but if you feel oil around midday, you have oily skin. Oily skin rarely reacts negatively to skin products like dry, sensitive skin types do. It has slightly better natural sun protection, but is also prone to acne.
Combination skin. If the description of dry skin matches your cheeks, but the description of oily skin matches your “T-zone” (nose and brow area primarily), you have combination skin.
Matching skin care to skin type is important. There are two commonly used skin care products that just about everyone can steer clear of: toner and too-frequent exfoliation, both of which can strip away the protective layers of your skin. If you have a good skin care regimen, you don’t need either one, although you could plan for a semi-annual exfoliation as seasons change.
Caring for Dry Skin
Dry skin needs babying and lots of tender, loving care. Here are the key components of dry skin care:
Cleanse. Use a gentle cleanser. You should be able to cleanse at night and not have to cleanse again in the morning. Mild cleansers are best for all . These cleansers should easily remove makeup as well as dirt.
Apply retinol. Stick to a retinol for anti-aging. Retinol can be very good for dry skin. However, not everyone with dry skin can use retinol products due to sensitivity. If irritation appears, the frequency of use can be decreased.
Apply products with hyaluronic acid. The other thing that can go on underneath a moisturizer is a hyaluronic acid product. That molecule is very hydroscopic — it pulls water in around it. That would be a great augmenting moisturizer for someone with dry skin.
Moisturize. The stratum corneum, which is the dead skin cell layer that protects the surface of the skin, tends to get easily interrupted with dry skin. You want to try to repair that. Look for moisturizers that contain phospholipids, cholesterol, and essential fatty acids. I recommend CeraVe Moisturize in the morning (with an SPF of 30) and more moisturizer before bed, using a thicker cream, such as Olay’s Regenerist.
Proceed with caution. It helps to take your time adding new products to your skin care routine. Try them one at a time and wait to see if you get a reaction before adding another new product.
Caring for Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, you’ll have an easier time finding skin care products that won’t irritate, but your challenge is managing the oil:
Cleanse. People with oily skin or acne should wash with a gentle cleanser morning and evening. Franks offers this tip for cleansing properly: Use your fingertips and rub it in for 30 seconds before rinsing.
Use salicylic acid. Apply an alcohol-free salicylic acid product, such as a Stridex pad, or a salicylic acid medicated cleanser on the oily areas of your skin. Do this two or three times a week.
Till we meet again, be safe!
Know Your Skin Type
Unsure of what skin type you have? See which description fits you best:
Dry skin. Dry skin can be flaky and easily irritated. It’s more sensitive, if your skin has these qualities and also tends to react to some (or all) of the skin products you have tried, you have dry skin. The extreme version of dry skin is sensitive skin.
Oily skin. The primary test for determining if you have oily skin is when you start to feel some oil on your face. Most people can feel a little oil by late afternoon, but if you feel oil around midday, you have oily skin. Oily skin rarely reacts negatively to skin products like dry, sensitive skin types do. It has slightly better natural sun protection, but is also prone to acne.
Combination skin. If the description of dry skin matches your cheeks, but the description of oily skin matches your “T-zone” (nose and brow area primarily), you have combination skin.
Matching skin care to skin type is important. There are two commonly used skin care products that just about everyone can steer clear of: toner and too-frequent exfoliation, both of which can strip away the protective layers of your skin. If you have a good skin care regimen, you don’t need either one, although you could plan for a semi-annual exfoliation as seasons change.
Caring for Dry Skin
Dry skin needs babying and lots of tender, loving care. Here are the key components of dry skin care:
Cleanse. Use a gentle cleanser. You should be able to cleanse at night and not have to cleanse again in the morning. Mild cleansers are best for all . These cleansers should easily remove makeup as well as dirt.
Apply retinol. Stick to a retinol for anti-aging. Retinol can be very good for dry skin. However, not everyone with dry skin can use retinol products due to sensitivity. If irritation appears, the frequency of use can be decreased.
Apply products with hyaluronic acid. The other thing that can go on underneath a moisturizer is a hyaluronic acid product. That molecule is very hydroscopic — it pulls water in around it. That would be a great augmenting moisturizer for someone with dry skin.
Moisturize. The stratum corneum, which is the dead skin cell layer that protects the surface of the skin, tends to get easily interrupted with dry skin. You want to try to repair that. Look for moisturizers that contain phospholipids, cholesterol, and essential fatty acids. I recommend CeraVe Moisturize in the morning (with an SPF of 30) and more moisturizer before bed, using a thicker cream, such as Olay’s Regenerist.
Proceed with caution. It helps to take your time adding new products to your skin care routine. Try them one at a time and wait to see if you get a reaction before adding another new product.
Caring for Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, you’ll have an easier time finding skin care products that won’t irritate, but your challenge is managing the oil:
Cleanse. People with oily skin or acne should wash with a gentle cleanser morning and evening. Franks offers this tip for cleansing properly: Use your fingertips and rub it in for 30 seconds before rinsing.
Use salicylic acid. Apply an alcohol-free salicylic acid product, such as a Stridex pad, or a salicylic acid medicated cleanser on the oily areas of your skin. Do this two or three times a week.
Till we meet again, be safe!
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