TYPES OF SKIN and SKIN PROBLEMS
The best time to judge your skin type is when you wake up in the morning and your skin is free of cosmetics, creams, lotions, etc. How to check?
Rinse your face with tepid water (tap water in warm climates), pat dry with clean face towel (are you using your body towel for your face as well? Time to stop doing that). In a well lighted area (preferably at a window where the light is natural) look in a mirror at your face, starting at the cheeks.
Check for and write down the following :
Do your pores look fine or large (can you see “holes”) and do you have blackheads on your cheeks, nose and chin? Or are the pores small & even all over your face?Do you have fine lines and wrinkles under your eyes, at the corners of your mouth and on your forehead?Stroke your skin lightly with your finger-tips – does it feel papery/flaky or smooth/moist or rough/oily? For oily skin, touch your nose and see how much oil is transferred to your fingertips - light patch or very greasy patch?Do you have redness and flaking on your cheeks? Do you have inflamed pustules on your cheeks and nose?Are your eyes puffy, baggy, with dark circles underneath?Are your lips smooth or cracked and dry?Is your skin colour the same on your cheeks, chin, forehead and jaw line?Do you have deep wrinkles on your neck and wrinkles on your upper chest?Skin type is determined by texture, pore size, sebum level, and obvious characteristics such as wrinkles, blackheads, whiteheads and muscle tightness or sagging. Once you can determine your skin type and identify the problems, you can select and apply products that will maintain the good characteristics and improve the weak areas.
Due to higher levels of collagen, male skin is up to 20% thicker and tougher than female skin. Male skin is also oilier, with larger exposed pores, a richer blood supply, and more of a tendency to break out in a sweat compared with women's skin. So men need to use skincare suited to their own particular needs.
There are five basic skin types, with variations on conditions, characteristics and flaws. They are:
· Normal skin · Dry/dehydrated skin/mature/ageing · Oily skin · Combination skin · Sensitive skinNormal Skin
Has even texture with a supple and smooth surface, small pores and mostly even skin tone. Sebum production is balanced so the skin is moist without being too greasy/ oily. This skin type rarely develops pimples or acne.
Although this skin is healthy, it still needs to be treated with gentleness and care, especially past the age of 25 when stress, pollution, cold and heat start to take their toll.
Care Recommendations:
Use gentle gel cleansers that are free of alcohol and petro-chemicals. This will help to maintain the natural moistness and sebum balance of the skin. Use of alcohol based products will strip the skin of natural sebum and PH balance, thus exposing it to bacterial attacks, dryness and sensitivities. Do not use body soap on your face and neck.Tone skin with natural toners that do not contain alcohol. Alcohol dries the skin and that “refreshing” sensation is misleading.Use a quality day moisturiser with at least SPF 15 to retain moisture balance and protect from UV rays.Use a good night serum to rejuvenate, balance and hydrate the skin while you sleep. A few drops of serum/cream at each night will keep your skin young longer.If you work in a very cold office, use a hydrosol mister to keep your skin moist and refreshed. Hydrosol can also help to increase alertness or alleviate stress (depending on the floral blend).
Dry / Dehydrated / Mature skin
Dry skin has a papery, parched appearance and has a tendency to flake easily. The dryness can be caused by factors such as genetics, age, lack of hydration, cold weather and illness. Prone to wrinkles and fine lines and often accompanied by increased sensitivity to the elements, dust, skincare and cosmetics.
Mature and Ageing skin may also tend to develop pigmentation problems due to hormone imbalance, UV exposure due to lack of care, sun-spots. Dry skin often has more problems in cold weather and ages faster than normal or oily skin if not cared for adequately and with suitable products. Dry, sensitive skin needs constant protection and must be kept moisturized and hydrated.
Note: The right way to apply cleansers and creams is in an upward and outward movement. The skin should not be stretched or pulled. Leave the cleanser on for a minute or two to loosen dirt and make up. Remove it with a tissue paper, again using an upward and out ward movement. Finally rinse with water.
Solutions:
Reduce the use of commercial soaps on dry, sensitive, mature skins. These soaps contain hardeners, alcohols, perfumes and artificial ingredients that suck what little moisture there is in dry skin. The artificial ingredients can also cause allergic reactions, itching and increased sensitivity. Cleanse with a mild lotion, gel or soluble oil cleanser. And cleanse only at the end of the day. In the morning, only rinse with water and tone with a non-alcohol based toner (floral waters, pure witch hazel or aloe lotion are good options as toners.Use an emollient day cream with at least SPF
Oily Skin
Oily skin is slightly to very greasy. This oiliness is caused by over-production of sebum (natural skin oils). The excess oil on the surface of the skin traps pollution and dust from the environment, which blocks the pores and causes blackheads. Oily skin is also prone to white heads and pimples and such skin is difficult to keep clear and smooth.
This type of skin needs to be cleansed thoroughly every day, protected well from the elements and not treated harshly with chemical products that will cause more damage, increase sebum production even more and thicken the skin further.
Solution:
Use a good quality cleanser that will purge the pores of dirt and excess sebum without damaging the PH balance of the skin. Use of a gentle wash-cloth to gently rub the oily parts of the skin also helps. Cleanse the skin thoroughly at the end of the day.Tone the skin with a natural toner that not only removes excess cleansing products and oil, but also soothes and minimizes the pores. Apple cider vinegar diluted with distilled water (50-50), and pure witch hazel extract are good toners for oily, acneic skin. Buy a water or gel-based moisturiser with ingredients that will help balance oil production yet keep the skin naturally hydratedUse a gel or serum night treatment after cleansing and toning the skin before bedtime.If you wear cosmetics, use good quality pure mineral make-up that does not contain fillers, talc and bismuth. Many commercial mineral and standard cosmetics contain pore-clogging ingredients, which is very bad for oily skin.Combination skin
This type of skin is quite common and is a combination of oily and dry skin. A central greasy panel covering the forehead, nose and chin, with the cheeks and the areas around the eyes and mouth being dry. The greasy central panel is called the T - Zone.
This skin type should use products specifically designed for combination skin, but if that is not always possible, they can use products for
Sensitive skin
Babies have delicate, sensitive skin and some carry this trait into their adulthood. This type of skin has a fine texture, tends to be dry/flaky if not well moisturized and is very sensitive to changes in the environment and climate. These days, many sensitive skin sufferers did not start out with this skin type in their childhood, but usually developed it over time due to lack of care, use of harsh commercial skin products, hormonal changes, ageing or illness such as cancer, diabetes, etc.
For people who developed it from use of harsh products and “beauty” treatments such as excessive washing with commercial soaps, bleaching/whitening, waxing, threading, perfumes, sun-tanning, shaving creams etc, there are lessons to be learned. Avoid products with dyes, perfumes, artificial preservatives and unnecessary chemical ingredients that would irritate sensitive skin. This is particularly crucial for cancer and diabetes patients, as weakened skin can lead to more medical problems.
Problem Skin
Acne - This is one of the most common skin disorders which primarily affect adolescents due to changes in hormone levels which takes place during puberty. This imbalance of sex hormones causes the sebaceous glands to secrete more sebum (Sebum is a semi-fluid oily substance which lubricates the skin). The pores of the skin enlarge and get blocked with hardened sebum. This result in black heads and pimples. Some of these develop into pustule which rupture and spread infection.
Both men and women are affected by acne, but young men are more likely to have more severe, longer lasting forms of acne. Acne should never be neglected as it causes extensive scarring. Clinical and professional treatment is necessary.
Pimply – This is a common problem among teenagers and adults with oily skin. I teenagers, hormone imbalance leads to excessive sebum production, which will usually balance out in their late teens and early twenties. However, for some the problem continues into adult life.
White heads - These are caused by pores getting clogged with hardened oil trapped in the pores and still covered by a thin layer of skin. They show up as tiny white pearly lumps. They usually form on oily parts of the skin.
Black heads – Whiteheads that turn black once the pore opens up and the clogged sebum is exposed to the air. Oxidation turns the hard sebum black.
Care Recommendation:
Same as for oily skin, but to adjust the care routine as they get older and their skin settles into a more normal phase.
Other types of problems:
Some of the skin problems are listed here occur equally among men and women:
Lesion - Change in tissue formation. Best to show a doctor to ensure it is not malignant. Papule - A firm raised lesion such as a pimple or acne boil. Pustule - Similar to papule but contains puss. Seborrhea - Excessive sebum secretion upon the skin in the form of oily coating. This is known as seborrhea. Some times a burning sensation is felt by some people due to the higher acidity in the PH of their skin. Rosacea : is a skin disorder more commonly found among women. It causes redness on the cheeks, which spreads to the nose and other parts of the face. Left un-treated, it can become worse and cause discomfort. For more info on this condition, please go to this site.CARING FOR YOUR SKIN
Cleansing
Thorough cleansing 1-3 times a day (depending on skin type and problems) is crucial to skin health. In particular, cleansing at the end of the day, to remove the day’s make-up, dirt, pollution and dust before application of night treatment products. If your skin is oily a more frequent cleansing is necessary. If your skin is dry it is best to avoid frequent washing and you may have to use a suitable oil or gel-based cleanser instead of soap, which has a drying effect.
There are several alternatives to soap and water cleansing. Cleansers can be in the form of creams, milks, lotions, gels and liquids. All are, a mixture of oil, wax and water which have been formulated to suit different skin types. A cotton -pad dipped in fresh milk available at home, is an equally effective cleanser. Fresh unflavored natural yogurt is also a very good cleanser for dry, sensitive skin. Eye makeup can be removed with light Camellia oil or extra virgin olive or coconut oil.
PLEASE don’t use baby oil – most of them contain mineral oil, which is a petro-chemical by-product and clogs the pores like plastic wrap!
Treatment Masques
Basically all face masques have some sort of a cleansing & purifying action. Clays form an important constituent of many face masks. They help to remove dirt, sebum, and dead skin so that the skin looks clean, soft and youthful.
Fullers Earth is a special type of clay often used in face packs. It contains aluminum silicate and is considered a gentle yet effective clay. As it dries on the skin, it absorbs the superficial dead cells and blots up any excessive oil on the skin. It is therefore excellent for very oily and acneic skin but should not be used on dry skin.
Individuals with very sensitive or delicate skin can also use gel masques made from products such as aloe vera, agar, etc. Gel masques don’t dry the way clay does, and can be easily rinsed off with minimal effort. Various oils, herbs and aromatherapy oils are added into these gels to soothe, rejuvenate and gently exfoliate sensitive/delicate skin.
For advice on skincare issues and product types, please email/sms us or go to our blog to post your queries and get tips from our in-house experts and other members who have tried and tested various natural and organic products.
Email: yasmin@yasmins.com SMS: +65-8308-0154
Blog: Yasmins Blog
