Admittedly, some brands are betting on ‘all skin types’. But, more often than not, in the cosmetics market, the world is divided into several categories depending on whether you have oily, combination, dry or normal skin. The problem? We don’t always know how to distinguish which profile suits us best…
What is my skin type?
There are 4 different skin types: dry skin, oily skin, combination skin and normal skin.
- How do I know if I have dry skin?
The problem of dry skin, is that it produces an insufficient amount of sebum. Results ? We feel tightness, a feeling of discomfort, redness … and this can also be seen on several levels. This can be seen on several levels: the skin looks matte, the pores are not very visible because they are tight, the wrinkles and fine lines are marked because in dry skin, the skin aging tends to be accentuated.
- How to recognize oily skin?
On the contrary, the oily skin are linked to an overproduction of sebum … which can be seen: shiny appearance, visible and dilated pores, uneven skin texture. Oily skin is also prone to blackheads and blemishes
- Combination skin, what characteristics?
Combination skin combines oily skin on the T zone (forehead, nose, chin) and dry skin on the rest of the face. We are used to saying that it is the most common skin type. It thus borrows from both skin types: shiny appearance on the T-zonevisible and dilated pores on the T zone, regular blackheads on the T zone, redness and feelings of dryness on the rest of the face, especially on the cheekbones.
- What is normal skin?
It’s a bit of the holy grail, but ‘normal skin’ is not very common in adults. His characteristics ? The pores are barely visible, there are no imperfections and the skin texture is even. Smooth, neither too greasy nor too dry, people may feel a feeling of dehydration and tightness, but this is not constant.
How to determine your skin type?
To know your skin type, you have to take the time to study it a minimum. Start by cleaning your skin and then wait a little (about 1 hour to allow the sebaceous glands to resume their activity) by letting your skin breathe, without applying any care on it. Then it remains to find the category that corresponds to your skin type. For this, we observe: the shine of the skin, the appearance of the pores, the imperfections… and we are also interested in how it feels (tightness, feeling of dryness or – on the contrary – comfort). These different aspects should make it possible to determine your skin type!
Another option? Realize the handkerchief test ! After removing make-up and cleaning your skin, wait 30 minutes then apply a handkerchief to your face for a few seconds. By observing the handkerchief after having removed it, we can know if we have the oily skin (the whole face left a trace), mixed (only the T-zone left a trace) or dry and normal (the face left no trace).
Skin type and transient states
If the type of skin is mainly determined by genetics and hormones, it happens that we observe variations in the quality of its skin. Most often, it is only a temporary state, variable, linked to the season, age, exposure to the sun, hormonal fluctuations… We talk about skin condition. What is it about ? Acne, for example, is a skin condition. The acne skin does not only concern oily skin but concerns the majority of women, in adulthood (hormonal acne). Dehydrated, sensitive skin… are other skin conditions that can occur at some point and then disappear. Unlike skin types, skin conditions can be combined…
Having trouble getting out? Several cosmetic brands now offer to carry out a skin diagnosis to help us see things more clearly. This is notably the case of Typology, Kiehl’s, Yves Rocher, Paula’s Choice…
To read. “Natural cosmetics – 18 healthy, minimalist and effective recipes”by Alison Fleck (ed. Solar).
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