skin types & tone
Determining your skin type is helpful in makeing effective product choices, how to best use that product and to enable you to get the best out of your skin. Skin type ca change over time.
We are all genetically pre-determined to have the skin we are born with, our DNA dictates if we have porcelain fine pale skin or olive, course, acne prone skin. However, the health and beauty of your skin later in life largely depends on what a person eats, their lifestyle and how they have taken care of themselves.
Normal
Normal skin has an even tone, soft, a smooth texture, no visible pores or blemishes, and no greasy patches or flaky areas. This type of skin has a clear, fine-textured, supple and smooth surface which is neither greasy nor dry. There may be occasional pimples in women just before menstruation due to increased hormonal activity, which makes the sebaceous glands overactive.
Dry
Fine, dry texture, with no visible pores, but it can be uncomfortable, increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Can easily develop a sallow tone and is prone to irritation. Dry skin conditions can be inherited.
Dry skin and dehydrated skin are not the same, commonly misdiagnosed because both feel tight, rough, and uncomfortable. Dry skin is caused by not having enough oils in the skin, and dehydrated skin is from not having enough water in the skin.
Dehydrated
Dehydration of the skin is a loss of water, Moisture evaporates rapidly through the skin. Some signs of this are tightness, fine lines, a lack of radiance, and loss of elasticity. Once this occurs, the skin is no longer be a good barrier against the environment.
Causes - Poor cleansing: Skin damage, through too harsh products and or environmental factors, medication and illness, inadequate moisturizers, astringents, air conditioning and climate, hot showers, diet.
Combination
Combination skin has patches of both dry and oily skin but we treat the face as a whole to balance the complete face. Dry areas are usually on the cheeks, mouth and around the eyes, while oily areas, usually on the forehead, nose and chin (T zone).
Oily
Medium to large pores, shiny appearance, tendency for blackheads and blemishes, Oily skin is shiny, thick and can appear dull. Often a chronically oily skin has coarse pores and pimples and prone to blackheads. The pores are enlarged and the skin has a coarse look. Because of the high oil content oily skin is less prone to premature aging
Sensitive
Sensitive skin can be dry, tends to feel tight, and becomes inflamed and irritated easily. Typically, sensitive skin develops reddish and scaly areas, can be itchy and tingly, and is prone to breaking into pimples. It is the most problematic and fragile type of skin, which needs special care.
The most common place for sensitive skin to react to cosmetics is next to the nose and on the eyelids.
Skin Tone
Skin tone is determined by the amount of melanin present in the skin, therefore also controlling the skins ability to resist sun-damage.
White
(Caucasian) because it contains less melanin than darker skin is far more susceptible to skin damage and premature aging from sun exposure, broken veins and capillaries, rosacea and precancerous and cancerous lesions.
Generally white skin scars less easy and is finer in texture.
Brown
Contains more melanin that whit skin so is less vulnerable to sun damage. It contains a greater density of sebaceous glands so tends to be oilier so may be more susceptibly to open pores and acne but will show signs of aging at a slower rate to white skin. Brow skin tends to be more elastic and tends to stay firmer longer.
Light brown and yellow
Contains more melanin than white skin giving greater more resistance to sun damage. Pores of Asian skin tend to be finer giving a smooth appearance with a tendency to inflammatory conditions, where as Mediterranean skin tends to have larger pores and generally oilier, both can appear sallow if not looked after.
