Understanding Your Skin
Knowing and understanding the condition of the different parts of your body is the first step in taking care of it. Your skin is no different. Identifying your skin type is the foundation for giving it the proper treatment to maintain its healthy tone.
Your skin type refers to the general way your skin feels and behaves. The most common types used for commercial products are normal, oily, dry, and combination skin. Other categories include blemish-prone, sensitive, and sun-damaged skin.
While these skin type categories are convenient for choosing products, they aren’t always the best way to truly understand your skin and what it needs.
This might be why, even when you use the “right” products for your skin type, you may still experience dryness, oiliness, acne, or other problems.
Why Does This Happen?
First of all, remember that, like any other part of your body, your skin isn’t the same everywhere. It’s affected by numerous factors, such as your genetics, lifestyle, and habits.
Add to this the possibility that the problems you’re facing may not just be the result of a lack of care. Skin conditions, in some cases, may be caused by underlying medical issues.
So, from now on, forget what beauty magazines and cosmetics salespeople tell you about the four skin types.
It’s time to dig beneath the surface and truly understand what your skin needs.
Factors That Influence Your Skin
Understanding the factors that influence your skin type can be complicated, as almost everything can have an impact on its condition. Simply looking at and touching your face isn’t enough to accurately determine your skin type.
Internal Factors
The first set of factors affecting your skin comes from within your own body. Hormonal changes, such as those caused by puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, can significantly influence your skin.
For women, the menstrual cycle can cause drastic changes in skin behavior. Men, too, experience hormonal influences during puberty, as their bodies develop.
Additionally, your genes play a role in determining your skin’s characteristics and its predisposition to certain conditions. However, your skin might not be identical to your parents’ due to other influencing factors.
Lifestyle and Habits
Lifestyle choices and habits also have a significant impact on your skin. Your diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking habits all influence your body—and, by extension, your skin.
External Factors
External factors, such as weather, climate, and skincare routines, also play a key role in determining your skin’s condition.
For example:
- Cold climates often cause dry, flaky skin.
- Humid climates may lead to excessive sweating and oil production.
- The skincare products you use can either improve or worsen your skin. Using heavy creams with too many emollients may make your skin too oily, while strong cleansers and over-exfoliation can result in dryness and sensitivity.
Evaluating Your Skin
Now that you know what influences your skin, it’s time to assess its current condition.
When to Evaluate Your Skin
Never evaluate your skin immediately after washing your face. At this time, your skin is reacting to the water and cleansing products. Instead, wait four to five hours after washing your face.
This waiting period allows your skin to recover from the cleansing process and resume its “normal” activity. For the best results, perform the evaluation on a day when you’re not wearing makeup or applying creams.
Simple Skin Assessment
Follow these steps to evaluate your skin:
- Take a piece of tissue paper and press it against different areas of your face.
- Hold the tissue up to the light.
- If you see oily spots, you have oily skin.
- If your face feels dry and you notice flaky patches, you have dry skin.
- If some areas are oily and others are dry, you have combination skin.
Identifying Skin Conditions
Now that you know whether your skin is oily, dry, or a mix of both, it’s important to determine if you have any skin conditions.
- Do you notice redness around your nose and cheeks, along with red bumps and patches that aren’t acne?
- Do you see fine capillaries visible on the surface of your skin that feel sensitive to the touch?
If so, you might have rosacea.
- Do you experience irritated, dry, red patches with flaky white or crusty skin around your hairline, nose, eyes, or cheeks?
This may be a symptom of psoriasis.
In both cases, it’s essential to consult a dermatologist.
The Changing Nature of Your Skin
Remember, your skin type won’t remain constant over time. Even with the right products, your skin changes as your body develops and adjusts to various conditions.
It’s a good idea to perform this simple skin assessment every four to six months. With the right attention and care, you can give your skin the treatment it needs, when it needs it.