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Friday, February 27, 2009

How Can You Determine Your Skin Type?

By Andi Bradshaw

Do you know if your skin is Oily,Dry or Sensitive? Whenever a woman says she's not sure, then she usually has Normal/Combination skin. Anyone who has oily, dry or sensitive skin, is sure.

Normal/Combination skin is the ideal and may feel slightly dry or slightly oily within 2 hours after cleansing. If your body produces oil that may be a little more or a little less than you need, you're still within the normal range. Normal to Dry combination skin has dry cheeks and a normal T zone. Normal to Oily combination skin has normal cheeks and an oily T zone.

When your skin is Dry, you know that it doesn't produce enough facial oil. That "less than enough" oil production means that your skin will feel dry and tight within seconds after cleansing. Generally, this type has very tight pores and spots of dry, flaky skin.

If your skin is really shiny or very oily within 2 hours after cleansing, then you have Oily skin. This person knows that her body has over active sebaceous (oil) glands, and her face produces too much oil. This type has enlarged pores, is generally oily all over, and is prone to outbreaks or acne.

Average products may cause redness and/or itching for Sensitive skin. Most cosmetic lines carry a group of products with no known allergens. These are designed to be mild and very gentle to sensitive-type facial skin; which may be combined with any of the above types, dry-sensitive, oily-sensitive, etc.

All skin types will have some kind of unfavorable reaction if you're not using the right skin care products. You can expect extreme problems if you have very dry or very oily or sensitive skin. Dry skin may flake, peel, or even crack open; with prolonged improper care, dry skin will wrinkle 10 to 20 years ahead of the other skin types. That's why dry skin needs to begin appropriate (pH balanced) skin care as early as possible to prevent those serious, costly problems.

Oily skin will have more severe, longer lasting problems if your skin care products contain oil. There will be clogged pores, and there may be facial infections that develop into cysts due to bacteria and overgrown skin cells that stop natural follicular growth. The long lasting effects could be permanent, dark pimple spots or uneven facial surface and extremely large pores.

Sensitive skin may develop allergic reactions that resemble excema with the accompanying blotchiness and itching. Another reaction my be first degree burns and scarring from products that are too strong for your skin type. This type needs to test new products, by using it behind an ear and waiting 24 hours to see if there will be a reaction before full facial use.

The average person does not suffer from these extreme problems, but many other people do. The idea of using the most beneficial products for your skin type is that it should make your skin feel normal, not too dry, not too oily and not itchy. Once you've identified your skin type and only use the appropriate skin care items, you can minimize or eliminate those extreme problems and the added expense of a dermatologist.

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