What Is Skin Type?
Simply put, skin type is the description and interpretation of how and why your skin
looks, feels, and behaves as it does.
The four most common and relatively helpful skin-type categories used by the cosmetics
industry are:
1. Normal (no apparent signs of oily or dry areas)
2. Oily (shine appears all over skin, no dry areas at all)
3. Dry (flaking can appear, no oily areas at all, skin feels tight and may
look dull)
4. Combination (oily, typically in the central part of the face, and dry or normal
areas elsewhere)
Often blemish-prone skin is included under the oily or combination skin types, though
it is sometimes listed as a skin type all by itself. Occasionally, sensitive skin may be listed
as an individual skin type. However, I feel strongly that all skin types should be considered
sensitive, and I’ll explain why in just a moment.
As nice and neat as those four (or six) categories may be, and they are an excellent starting
point, the truth is that understanding your skin type is more often than not far more
complicated, which is why lots of women find identifying the skin type an elusive, changing
puzzle that never settles down in one specific direction. Yet understanding your skin
type is incredibly important, and just not in the way the cosmetics industry approaches it
or the way we’ve been indoctrinated to think about it. First, skin type is never static. The
variations of what is taking place on your skin can not only change season to season but
month to month and even week to week. Adding to the complexity is the strong possibility
of skin disorders such as rosacea (which affects more than 40% of the Caucasian population),
eczema, skin discolorations, precancerous conditions, blackheads, sun damage, and
whiteheads. Four or six categories of skin type just can’t cover it.
When it comes to determining your skin type you need to forget what you’ve been taught
by cosmetics salespeople, aestheticians, fashion magazines, and even some dermatologists.
The typical categories of normal, oily, dry, and combination are good basics, but they don’t
address every nuance, and they can change and fluctuate with everything from the weather
to your stress levels.
Why is recognizing all the nuances of your skin type so important? Because different
skin types require different product formulations. Even though many skin types often
need the same active ingredients such as sunscreen agents, antioxidants, cell-communicating
ingredients, and so on, the base they are in (lotion, cream, gel, serum, or liquid) should
match the needs of your skin type. Skin type is the single most important factor influencing
the decisions we make about the kinds of skin-care routines and products we buy. But we
need to be careful about the way we categorize our skin or the very products we thought
would help could actually make matters worse.
What Influences Skin Type?
Almost everything can influence skin type, which is why it can be so tricky to attribute a
single skin type to what you see on your face. Both external and internal elements can and
do impact the way your skin looks and feels. To effectively evaluate your skin and determine
the correct skin-care routine, here are some of the factors that need to be considered:
Internal Influences:
• Hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, menstrual cycle, and more all cause skin
conditions to fluctuate from oily to breakouts, skin discolorations, and dryness)
• Skin disorders (rosacea, psoriasis, dermatitis, with each one posing its specific
concerns)
• Genetic predisposition of skin type (oily versus dry, prone to breakouts, sensitive
skin)
• Smoking (cause of necrotic skin that cannot be corrected by skin-care products)
• Medications you may be taking (some birth-control pills can increase oily skin and
breakouts while other types can actually improve the appearance of acne)
• Diet (there is research showing a diet high in antioxidants and omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids can improve the appearance of skin)
External Influences:
• Climate/weather (cold, warm, moist, dry)
• Your skin-care routine (over-moisturizing or over-exfoliating, using irritating or drying
products, using the wrong products for your skin type can create skin problems
that weren’t there before)
• Unprotected or prolonged sun exposure (the major cause of wrinkles and skin
discolorations)
• Secondhand smoke (see above)
• Pollution (creates additional free-radical activity that damages collagen and the
skin’s genetic stability)
These complex and often overlapping circumstances all contribute to what takes place
on and in your skin, which in turn determines your skin type.
Simply put, skin type is the description and interpretation of how and why your skinlooks, feels, and behaves as it does.
The four most common and relatively helpful skin-type categories used by the cosmetics
industry are:
1. Normal (no apparent signs of oily or dry areas)
2. Oily (shine appears all over skin, no dry areas at all)
3. Dry (flaking can appear, no oily areas at all, skin feels tight and may
look dull)
4. Combination (oily, typically in the central part of the face, and dry or normal
areas elsewhere)
Often blemish-prone skin is included under the oily or combination skin types, though
it is sometimes listed as a skin type all by itself. Occasionally, sensitive skin may be listed
as an individual skin type. However, I feel strongly that all skin types should be considered
sensitive, and I’ll explain why in just a moment.
As nice and neat as those four (or six) categories may be, and they are an excellent starting
point, the truth is that understanding your skin type is more often than not far more
complicated, which is why lots of women find identifying the skin type an elusive, changing
puzzle that never settles down in one specific direction. Yet understanding your skin
type is incredibly important, and just not in the way the cosmetics industry approaches it
or the way we’ve been indoctrinated to think about it. First, skin type is never static. The
variations of what is taking place on your skin can not only change season to season but
month to month and even week to week. Adding to the complexity is the strong possibility
of skin disorders such as rosacea (which affects more than 40% of the Caucasian population),
eczema, skin discolorations, precancerous conditions, blackheads, sun damage, and
whiteheads. Four or six categories of skin type just can’t cover it.
When it comes to determining your skin type you need to forget what you’ve been taught
by cosmetics salespeople, aestheticians, fashion magazines, and even some dermatologists.
The typical categories of normal, oily, dry, and combination are good basics, but they don’t
address every nuance, and they can change and fluctuate with everything from the weather
to your stress levels.
Why is recognizing all the nuances of your skin type so important? Because different
skin types require different product formulations. Even though many skin types often
need the same active ingredients such as sunscreen agents, antioxidants, cell-communicating
ingredients, and so on, the base they are in (lotion, cream, gel, serum, or liquid) should
match the needs of your skin type. Skin type is the single most important factor influencing
the decisions we make about the kinds of skin-care routines and products we buy. But we
need to be careful about the way we categorize our skin or the very products we thought
would help could actually make matters worse.
What Influences Skin Type?
Almost everything can influence skin type, which is why it can be so tricky to attribute a
single skin type to what you see on your face. Both external and internal elements can and
do impact the way your skin looks and feels. To effectively evaluate your skin and determine
the correct skin-care routine, here are some of the factors that need to be considered:
Internal Influences:
• Hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, menstrual cycle, and more all cause skin
conditions to fluctuate from oily to breakouts, skin discolorations, and dryness)
• Skin disorders (rosacea, psoriasis, dermatitis, with each one posing its specific
concerns)
• Genetic predisposition of skin type (oily versus dry, prone to breakouts, sensitive
skin)
• Smoking (cause of necrotic skin that cannot be corrected by skin-care products)
• Medications you may be taking (some birth-control pills can increase oily skin and
breakouts while other types can actually improve the appearance of acne)
• Diet (there is research showing a diet high in antioxidants and omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids can improve the appearance of skin)
External Influences:
• Climate/weather (cold, warm, moist, dry)
• Your skin-care routine (over-moisturizing or over-exfoliating, using irritating or drying
products, using the wrong products for your skin type can create skin problems
that weren’t there before)
• Unprotected or prolonged sun exposure (the major cause of wrinkles and skin
discolorations)
• Secondhand smoke (see above)
• Pollution (creates additional free-radical activity that damages collagen and the
skin’s genetic stability)
These complex and often overlapping circumstances all contribute to what takes place
on and in your skin, which in turn determines your skin type.
