Why Is It Important To Know My Skin Type?

by Andi Bradshaw

Is your skin type dry, normal/combination, sensitive or oily? Whenever I ask this question and a woman answers I dont know, then she typically has normal/combination skin. Believe me, those who have dry, oily or sensitive skin know who they are.

Normal/combination skin is the ideal and it's not unusual to feel a little dryer or a little oilier a short while after cleansing. If you produce a little more or less oil than you need, you're still within the normal range. You'll have dry cheeks with a normal T zone when your skin is Normal to Dry. And, you'll have normal cheeks with an oily T zone when your skin is Normal to Oily.

When your skin is Dry, you know that it doesn't produce enough facial oil. That "less than enough" oil production means that your skin will feel dry and tight within seconds after cleansing. Generally, this type has very tight pores and spots of dry, flaky skin.

Really shiny skin is what you can expect within a couple hours of cleansing when you have Oily skin. If this sounds like you, you probably know that your oil glands produce too much oil. This skin type is usually oily all over, is prone to acne or pimples and may have enlarged pores.

Average products may cause redness and/or itching for Sensitive skin. Most cosmetic lines carry a group of products with no known allergens. These are designed to be mild and very gentle to sensitive-type facial skin; which may be combined with any of the above types, dry-sensitive, oily-sensitive, etc.

All skin types will have some kind of unfavorable reaction if youre not using the right skin care products. You can expect extreme problems if you have very dry or very oily or sensitive skin. Dry skin may flake, peel, or even crack open. With prolonged improper care, dry skin will wrinkle 10 to 20 years ahead of the other skin types. That's why dry skin needs to begin appropriate (pH balanced) skin care as early as possible to prevent those serious, costly problems.

Oily skin can expect more severe and longer lasting problems if their cleanser contains too much oil. Those severe problems may be facial acne that becomes infected as bacteria attaches itself to oily skin or where hair folicles that are unable to grow past the surface level (because of overgrown skin cells), may develop into puss filled cysts. The lasting problems may be permanent dark pimple discolorations or extremely enlarged pores that equal an uneven skin surface.

Sensitive skin may develop allergic reactions that resemble excema with the accompanying blotchiness and itching. Another reaction my be first degree burns and scarring from products that are too strong for your skin type. This type needs to test new products, by using it behind an ear and waiting 24 hours to see if there will be a reaction before full facial use.

The average person does not suffer from these extreme problems, but many other people do. The idea of using the most beneficial products for your skin type is that it should make your skin feel normal, not too dry, not too oily and not itchy. Once you've identified your skin type and only use the appropriate skin care items, you can minimize or eliminate those extreme problems and the added expense of a dermatologist.

About the Author:

Andi Bradshaw is a licensed esthetician. If you want the latest techniques in makeup or skin care, then you'll love her books. They cover "what it does and how do I use it" of every topic in all of her 17 books. Check out tinyurl.com/88e9ho and get a FREE recipe booklet for Lip Glosses, Balms & Butters Affordable Skin Care Books