Eating plenty of good food, getting some daily exercise and drinking loads of water will keep your skin nourished from the inside. To help with the outside and get your complexion pumping, however, you’ll need to establish a good skincare routine, and the first step to a good skincare routine is knowing your skin type.
Dry Skin Type
Those with fair hair (such as blondes) and light skin tones are the most likely to have a dry skin type. You’ll know you’ve got dry skin by its fine texture and no trace of enlarged pores. You’ll also notice that your skin will feel quite tight after being exposed to water, wind or cold weather. Dry skin is very prone to chapping; looking flaky and broken veins and should be handled with care and not treated with steam or splashed with very cold or very hot water.
Greasy Skin Type
If you find that your skin has a greasy film after washing or first thing in the morning (particularly around the cheeks and nose) then your skin type is greasy (also called oily). The pores of this skin type are usually enlarged and the skin is also very prone to blackheads. Having oily skin is not all gloom and doom though as this skin type, due to the excess oil, ages the best and will only get better as you get older. Those with dark hair (such as brunettes) and skin tones rich in color are likely to have a greasy or oily skin type.
Combination Skin Type
If you’ve read the info on dry and greasy skin and noticed that your skin has elements of both then you have combination skin. It’s a mixture of characteristics from dry and greasy skin and is only oily down the central part of your face (commonly referred to as the T-zone as is runs along the middle of your forehead and down your nose and chin in the shape of a T) and is dry and tight everywhere else.
Balanced Skin Type
The final skin type is balanced, which is also known and referred to as “normal” skin. Balanced skin is actually the rarest skin type to have (unfortunately) and requires a delicate mix of ensuring the skin care products used do not over-stimulate the oil glands or dry the skin out.
By using this consultation to identify your skin type you have taken the first step towards good skincare, just keep in mind that when it comes to caring for your skin, there are no concrete rules as all skin types have their own little quirks (much like our hair type!). The best we can do is understand what our skin type is and then use products that will nourish and enhance.
To find the right skin care products to use, see our beauty article, The Right Skin Care Products for Your Skin Type.
