What Skin Type Are You

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What Skin Type Are You
Take tills simple test to know the skin type of your face: First thing in the morning, don't bother to take a shower first; instead, take a piece of facial tissue and blot your face. If the tissue has tracer of oil nearly all over it, then you have oily skin. If it shows only light traces of oil everywhere, then you have normal skin. If the part of tissue used on the forehead and nose is oily but clean on the area of the cheeks, you have combination skin. No traces of oil on the tissue at all? Definitely dry skin! Now that you know how to determine your skin type, read on to know more about it and how to keep it healthy.

Normal Skin

Normal skin is the ideal type. What makes skin ideal is the amount of sebum (oil) in the skin. This kind of skin has just the right amount of sebum to make it supple but not too much to make it look slick. Pores are visible but not large. This good combination makes the skin smooth and relatively acne-free. Yet skin care is still essential to keep up the healthy look. Exfoliate the face using facial scrub once a week and use mild soap (pH balanced) to remove dirt and grime on skin surface. Dab oil-free (water-based) moisturize to keep skin suppleness. Normal skin doesn't need extra oil from the cleanser because it has enough naturally produced oil.

Dry Skin

Does your face feel tight (stretched) after taking a shower, especially a hot shower? If that's the case, you have dry skin. Besides tightness, other characteristics of dry skin are fine pores, thin skin, and flaking. Although you can put the blame on hereditary and hormonal factors, you still have to take outside factors into consideration. Washing your face too often and being in an air-conditioned room too long can wipe precious natural sebum off your face. To overcome dehydrated skin, apply oil-base/ cream moisturizer while your face skin is still damp. Sunscreen and natural masks work wonder. So slather home-made avocado, papaya, or egg yolk and honey mask on your face. Make sure to have a balanced diet and at least take Vitamin E capsules to nourish your dehydrated skin. Use soft/microbeads exfoliant once a week. Avoid vigorous, scrubbing during exfoliation.

Oily Skin

Again, heredity and hormones, especially during puberty, trigger this type of skin to produce more oil than it needs. As a result, the face feels greasy and appears shiny. Using blotting paper or oil control film every now and then can reduce the shiny look. Unfortunately, the problem doesn't stop there because people with oily skin have large pores. Dirt and grime clog the pores fairly easily so acne and other blemishes tend to break out. Regular exfoliation can open the clogged pores and prevent the breakout. Washing the face with mild soap and warm water as well as using a gentle cleanser is highly recommended to control excess oil production. Applying non-alcohol astringent after cleaning the face helps it get rid of soap and cleanser left-over. Oil-based moisturizer is a no-no!

Combination Skin

Most people have this skin type: A combination of normal skin with a few dry patches (on cheeks and around the eyes) and a few oily patches (on the T-zone). The T-zone is the target area for breakouts (acne). As people mature, their production of sebum will decrease further on the dry areas. It goes without saying that different care goes for different areas of the face. Use oil-based and rich cream moisturizer for the dry parts but apply water-based moisturizer for the oily parts. Blot the T-zone when it appears shiny.

Whatever your skin type is, the bottom line is to pay attention to the amount of sebum secreted on the face. Based on this knowledge, always clean your face (washing and exfoliating) and choose a suitable cleanser and moisturizer. Remember that sebum production increases at puberty and in the week before menstruation. So, extra care during these periods is needed.