Skin Care

When I first approached my makeup teacher and told her I wanted to become a makeup artist and that I wanted to really focus on eye makeup. The phone got quiet for a moment and she then asked "Well what do you know about skincare? I informed her I had a limited but working knowledge based on what I had read from women's magazines and that while I knew skincare was really important I really wanted to focus my time and money on makeup applicaton.

She said "uh hunh" and then said "We will talk about it during our first meeting." When I met her for my first lesson I knew why it was going to be addressed not only was her own skin glowing underneath her makeup, I was impressed to find out that she wore no foundation only bronzer, and flawless was an understatement. Once we spoke further I discovered not only did this glow not come from foundation she had only applied some bronzer. After that I made a resolution to do better one wash at a time...

So today we are going to talk about the types of skin and of course skin care.

Basics

Most experts agree that all skin routines should include 3 basic steps and 2 major concepts. The concepts are that you should take good care of your body inside and out. The first is by eating healthy fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water and eating processed foods (sugary or fried foods, alcohol) in moderation if at all. The second concept is that you pay attention to your face and what it tells you to take care of it. Therefore knowing your skintype is very important. Developing a skin care routine is completely dependent on oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or even sun-damaged skin. The way one determines their skin type varies by whom you ask but generally fall under the following types.


Oily, combination, sensitive, dry and sun-damaged.

Your skin type is determined by how much or how little oil your skin produces. However it is more of mix of Genetics, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all determine how much oil your skin produces. Knowing your skin type is the chief way you can ensure your skin feels and looks its best. Many people, however, get confused when trying to figure out exactly what their skin type is. Skin can be divided into various types according to its texture. It is essential to know what skin type you actually have and using the correct products on your face can really make a difference to those problem areas you may have.

Due to our 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.

There are five basic skin types. They are

Normal skin

Dry skin

Oily skin

Combination skin

Sensitive skin

Normal Skin

Normal skin has a fine even texture with a supple and smooth surface. It has a proper balance between oil and moisture contents and is therefore moist and is neither greasy nor dry. The pores of normal skin are small and the overall skin tone is even. It looks clear and does not develop spots and blemishes. The pores of the skin are fine and barely visible. It reflects good health and needs gentle treatment.

Dry skin

Dry skin has a dry parched appearance and has a tendency to flake easily. It is prone to wrinkles and lines. This is due to the inability to retain moisture as well as the insufficient production of sebum by the sebaceous glands. Dry skin often has problems in cold weather and ages faster than normal or oily skin. Constant protection is very important. It needs a moisturiser during the day and a good cream at night.

Oily skin

As its name implies, oily skin is slightly to moderately greasy. This type of skin is caused by the over secretion of sebum making the skin surface oily. The excess oil on the surface of the skin attracts dirt and dust from the environment. Oily skin is also prone to black heads, white heads, spots, pimples and such skin will never be clear. This type of skin needs to be cleansed thoroughly.

Combination skin

This type of skin is very common. As the name suggests, it is a combination of both oily and dry skin with certain areas of the face oily and the rest dry. Usually there is a central greasy panel consisting of the forehead, nose and chin and a dry panel consisting of cheeks and the areas around the eyes and mouth. The greasy central panel is referred to as T - Zone. In such cases, each part of the face should be treated accordingly - the dry areas as for dry skin and the central panel as for oily skin and use skin care products made especially for combination skin.

Sensitive skin

This type of skin has a fine texture and is very sensitive to changes in the climate. This skin type show the disadvantages of bleaching, waxing, threading, perfumes, temperature extremes, soap etc and for men sun, perfumes, shaving cream etc. People with this skin type should avoid products with dyes, perfumes, or unnecessary chemical ingredients that may irritate the skin.





Types:

OILY
Oily skin tends to shiny with enlarged pores, and is prone to blackheads and blemishes. You might experience some tightness.

treatment



DRY

COMBINATION & NORMAL

Combination/normal This skin type has medium pores, a smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone.



SENSITIVE
Sensitive skin tends to be thin, delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily, is prone to broken capillaries, is frequently allergic and can be rashy.

DRY

Dry skin feels tight, especially after cleansing. You have a tendency towards fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of color, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin buildup.


AGING OR SUN-DAMAGED

This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone -- especially around the cheeks and jawline -- with leathery texture and broken capillaries.

References: