Skin types & how to identify them

Welcome to the first blog post of All About Beauty.

Let's start with the basics.

When we talk about basics in the beauty world, it all comes down to your skin. Prepping and grooming your skin is a must. It not only helps you achieve healthier glowing skin, but also creates a better base for flawless makeup.

But first you need to identify your skin type. This post is all about understanding your skin type and what to keep in mind while taking care of it.

1. Dry Skin : Dehydrated, Flaky, Tender, Itchy, Painful, Redness

If your skin keeps flaking and feels tender you tend to have dry skin. Extreme Dry patches usually feel painful specially during winters. At times it can feel itchy too.

Skin usually goes dry due to lack of hydration, harsh weather or harsh skin products, which can strip off your natural oils. Even if your skin produces little natural oi, you may get breakouts.

Invest in : A good Moisturizer. Avoid harsh / drying face washes.

2. Oily skin : Sticky, Shiny, Attracts dust and dirt, Large visible pores

The pores in our skin produce natural oils and sebum, lack of which can cause dry skin, but excess production of the same causes oily skin. Oil traps the dust and dirt in environment into your pores allowing growth of acne, pimples, black and whiteheads. Oil causes the face to look shiny, not in a natural way. Makeup tends to wear off quickly, as oil helps breakdown the products.

Invest in : Water based products and Toner. Avoid cream/oil based products.

3. Normal Skin : Balanced, Radiant, Less visible pores

People with this skin genes are blessed. It usually has even texture, minimal visible pores, adequate amount of oil production neither more nor less. They tend to have a natural glow. But, NO skin is perfect, there might be some growth of whiteheads or a small pimple here and there in case of heat/ hormones. Normal skin people just needs proper maintenance and less efforts to keep it's natural beauty intact.

Invest in : A regular skincare routine to maintain it's natural beauty.

4. Combination skin : Oily T-zone (nose, forehead, sometimes chin) , Dry to normal in other areas, Visible pores

People with combination skin need to take special care of the oily and dry/normal areas respectively. Sometimes in extreme climatic conditions the skin tend to act edgy, for ex. in winter the skin tends to get dryer might even flake, mine flakes in T-zone too, while in summers the skin tends to act more oily and needs gel/water based products.

Invest in : Products designed for combination skin.

Above mentioned are three general categories of skin, there are further two categories which are an add-on, for example, some skin shows signs of more than one skin type, like mine is Combination and sensitive skin.

5. Acne-Prone skin : Large pores, Excess production of sebum,

Frequent acne eruptions (usually on large scale).

Acne prone skin usually needs a proper medical treatment or really good self care. You have to be very careful with the products you use. Acne can be really painful, and difficult to handle. Even once the acne fades, it leaves you with acne scars, which needs to be catered to separately. Acne can be caused by poor hygiene, excess sebum production, hormones or body chemical imbalance.

Invest in : Hypoallergenic / Dermatologically tested products which don't clog pores.

Usually it is mentioned in the product description.

6. Sensitive skin : Prone to damage, acne, allergies or pigmentation

Sensitive skin can be caused due to accidents/damage like burns, medical treatments/ procedures or just by poor genes. Not all products suit sensitive skin. Beauties with this skin are prone to damage, by different products, dust, pollution or even sun, way too sooner compared to other skin types.

For example, me being an architect I have to visit construction sites for long duration, my skin could be clear in morning, however I would get 2-3 zits due to construction dust by the time I reach home.

Invest in : Natural or harmful-chemical free products, be careful that you could be allergic to Natural components too. Some regular products are formulated for sensitive skin, so keep a lookout. Read the ingredients list before buying and also do a patch test before using the product.

P.S. : I am not a dermatologists or an skin expert. The above post is based on my experience and research only. In case you face genuine skin problems please consult a professional. Please comment below your own experiences, so that others could learn from it.

{Tip : Buy skin care products which suit your skin type only . This will prevent further complications on your skin and you will benefit the best out of your investment.}

In my next post I will be explaining how to take care of your skin on a regular basis and how to follow skincare routines.

Till then follow me on social media (links below) for beauty bites or fun discussions!

Photo credit : <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/home">Home image created by Nensuria - Freepik.com</a>