HOW TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE YOUR SKIN TYPE
In this day and age, I find it funny that every person knows their astrological sign, or what colour birthstone they are, but only a select number of people can properly diagnose their skin type! Our skin is the largest organ in the body. It is made for protection. We wear it every single day. Yet, only a small number of the population knows how to take care of it!
As beauty therapists, we categorise skins into 5 different skin types:
- Dry Skin
- Normal to Dry Skin (Combination Dry Skin)
- Normal Skin
- Normal to Oily Skin (Combination Oily Skin)
- Oily Skin
To help you better understand what each of these 5 skin types actually mean, and how we as beauty therapists diagnose someone’s skin type, we use these simple tools (keep in mind this is just a general guide, and could be subject to some differences)
- A true dry skin never/rarely has oil present on the skin. A dry skin is very prone to dry patches, or flakey skin. Pores are non-visible/less visible.
- A Normal to Dry Skin (Combination Dry Skin) - can be prone to dryness, perhaps by the end of the day, their face starts to feel tight or dry. But for most or part of the day feels neither dry nor oily. Non-visible pores.
- A Normal skin is neither oily, nor dry. Can sometimes be prone to either, but for the most part skin is relatively normal.
- A Normal to oily skin (Combination Oily Skin) Is a common skin type, where you may acquire an oily T-zone (nose, forehead or chin) by the end of the day, but skin stays normal for the majority of the day. Pores can be somewhat visible in the T-zone area.
- A True Oily skin gets oily before or around midday. Pores are usually more visible and can be prone to congestion and/or acne.
It’s important to keep in mind that you cannot be both a dry skin type, and oily skin type. Generally if you find you get both Oily and dry, you are actually an Oily Dehydrated skin, Dehydration is a skin condition and you should still treat your skin as a normal- oily skin or Oily skin type. (We will get into skin conditions in more depth in the next step).
Your skin type is the genetic make-up of your skin. Much like your fingerprint, you are born with it, it comes from your parents and it cannot be changed. However, it can be managed using the correct skincare, eating a balanced diet and exercise etc.