What are the different skin types

We hear a lot about different skin types.  But, what are the different skin types and what do they mean for you?  Find out all you need to know.

Skin types and what they mean

So many things can affect your skin.  Whether it is stress, allergies, the environment, or your diet – it all has an effect on how our skin looks and feels.

Stress

When we are stressed, it can show up on our face.  We are in the process of thinking too hard about something because we are worried about it and trying to figure out what to do.  We scrunch up our faces and this can have an impact on our skin.

Allergies

You may be allergic to things in the environment, to the foods you are eating, or to products you are using.  This constant inflammation affects your skin in numerous ways, including:

• sensitivity or redness
• overproduction of oil – contributing to acne prone skin
• dryness

Environmental factors

The wind, snow, sun or heat will show up as wind burn, sunburn or flushing from the heat.  Even toxic fumes can affect the skin.

Diet

Of course, the things we put into our mouths can affect our skin.  Eating too much processed foods, sugary foods, or high fat fried foods can also cause inflammation in the body – including how our skin looks.

What are the different skin types

Now let’s get into what are the different skin types so you know what to look for.  They are:

1. Normal – if you have normal skin, you don’t notice the pores.  They aren’t too big, they seem perfect.  You get few breakouts, you don’t seem to ever have red, sensitive skin and no matter what product you use on your skin, you have no problems.  Good for you!
2. Dry skin – your pores are very small, you don’t get blackheads and your skin is flaky.  You may feel itchy and taut.  There seems to be no moisture, you rarely get acne, and you may see fine lines and wrinkles.

   

3. Oily or Acne prone skin – you know all about whiteheads and blackheads.  Pimples are always a problem.  You see very large pores – they are quite noticeable and you have lots of oil.  The good thing about it is that you have a lot of natural oils so you won’t look older (yay!  But, you still get all those blemishes so that’s not so good.)  It’s especially important for you to exfoliate so that you can remove the dead skin that is clogging your pores (causing your pimples).

   

4. Combination skin – you have both dry and oily skin.  You see large pores in certain areas – especially your T-zone.  This skin type is tough because you need to use different products on different areas of your face / body.
5. Sensitive skin – you know sensitive skin when it’s red or irritated.  If your face gets red after using a product that didn’t agree with you, welcome to the world of sensitive skin.  I even get redness on my hands when I use a lotion that has any kind of artificial fragrance in it.
6. Mature skin – this isn’t technically a skin type but I am making it so.  The older you (we, me) get, you will start seeing signs of aging.  I call it the new skin type.

So, what are the different skin types?  There you have it – 6 different ones.  Learn about your skin type so you know how to care for it.  It’s not that hard once you know exactly what you’re dealing with.