Lately I've been talking a lot about skin types, mine being oily, and what products could be used for this. 

This talk about skin types may be confusing for some, and you may not know what skin type you have. That is what this blog post is about. I want to clarify the skin types, and hopefully you will find yours amongst them. But remember. You can have a mixture of several of these depending on the time of year, and time of month. ;)

Womens skin can change a lot according to where they are in their menstrual cycle because of the hormonal changes in the body. The hormones doesn't only effect your mood, but also your skin, craving for specific foods and you can feel tired and bloated. 

Before we can take a look at the skin types, we need to know something basic about skin. First of all the skin consists of 7 layers and the tops layers make sure that the skin is moisturized and keeps a thin layer of fat. This is what a sebaceous gland is for. It is placed in every one of our pores and is where the fine hairs appears. It is the function of the sebaceous glands that causes the different skin types. Lazy glands = dry skin. Over-productive glands = oily skin. 

There are 4 overall types of skin: 

1. Dry skin

2. Combination/Normal skin

3. Oily skin

4. Sensitive skin

Dry skin

Dry skin is characterized by tight, flaky and somethings patchy skin with some redness. This happens because the skin has very small pores and the sebaceous glands don't manage to produce enough oil to lubricate the skin and it dries out. 

With age the skin gets dryer, and for people with already dry skin, this will cause more wrinkles than with other skin types. This is because the skin has difficulties moisturizing itself and tightens. 

Your living environment/temperature and genes play a big role in what type of skin you have, but there are some other things that can cause dry skin.

Products with alcohol, air-condition, low humidity - especially during autumn/winter, overuse of soap, too hot/long/frequent showers, acne treatment that strips the skin for its natural grease. 

For dry skin you need to help the skin moisturizing by using creams for this. For example: 

Combination/Normal skin:

This is probably the most common skin type. The pores are very medium sized and manages to hydrate the skin well by itself. Some people have combination skin, which means that they can have periods with very dry skin on their cheeks and oily skin in the T-zone. Forehead, nose and chin. 

Because the skin is combined that way, it is difficult to take care of it. For most people it works well to use products made for combination skin or to use products for dry skin on the cheeks and products for oily skin on the T-zone. 

Many brands make excellent moisturizers for combination skin, so it shouldn't be a problem for you to find something suitable:

Oily Skin:

This is the skin type I have. And I HATE it!!! Oily skin has an overproduction of the lubricant that keeps the skin healthy. This overproduction can lead to blemishes/acne and overall a greasy looking skin. 

HOWEVER! There is an upside to this! Because your skin produces a lot of moisture itself, your skin will keep up a young appearance much longer! Your skin won't age as fast as those who have dry skin. YAY!

Sadly, this is not a good comfort when your skin keeps breaking out and gets shinny after 5 min of applying your make-up. Luckily the cosmetic companies are getting better at fighting oily skin, and we know a lot more about skin now, than we did 10 years ago. 

Back then, doctors ordered exfoliators and creams that dry out your skin. But this is a problem. When you dry out your skin with these products, washing your face with soaps, using products with alcohol in it, your skin gets dry on the surface, because you stripped it for its natural oil. When the surface of your skin gets dry, it sends a message to the sebaceous glands, that they need to produce more oil, and we're back to square one, or maybe even worse!

So, what can you do if you have oily and acne prone skin? 

First of all. Drink a lot of water and watch what you eat. The overall health on the inside of the body, will show through your skin. So, be healthy!

If your acne is genetic or related to hormones, there is very little you can do. There is a lot of acne treatments out there, but the damage they can do to your skin, might not be worth it. 

Therefore I use less harsh products on my skin, to keep the oil under control. Unfortunately I have yet to find the perfect product that will give me better skin. I'm going to keep looking, and I will let you know if I find something. 

For now I use these products:

La Roche-Posay line for oily skin. Effaclar

Vichy Normaderm for oily skin

Sensitive skin: 

Sensitive skin can be hard to handle because it has tendencies to flush and get redness and dry patches. Also, many people with sensitive skin has allergic reactions to skin treatment, foods, temperature etc. 

This skin type is prone to pustules, skin bumps and tightness. It can be extremely difficult to find cosmetics and treatments for this skin type. A good idea, is to avoid products with a lot of ingredients in it, products with alcohol, parabens and acids. Buy organic and natural products with few ingredients. 

Change of climate can cause tightness, and if you have sensitive skin, you should stay clear of the sun as it damages your skins natural protection layer, the same goes for overheating of your house in the wintertime. 

Furthermore you should be aware that your skin might be reacting on a certain food you are allergic to, and if you cut that out your skin may feel a lot better. 

I hope you found this helpful and now know more about what skin type you have. It is important to know, when you buy your facial care products. If you still don't know what you have, go see a dermatologist :)

If you have questions or comment, don't hold back. And remember, I'm not a beautician, but have researched a lot on the subject because of my own problems with skin. A dermatologist will always know more than I do! 

Love, Christine