Ever find yourself wondering what the best skincare is for you? Maybe you wander the isles of your favorite beauty store, aimlessly trying to decide what skin type you have. Not to mention how committed you're willing to be to have "good" skin. Today, we're going to break down some of the basics of skincare with an introduction to the five skin types.
As an aesthetician, I've found myself trying to explain the basics of skincare too many times to count. I will try to educate anyone who wants to learn, my family, friends, strangers on Instagram, the list goes on. Even with my years of experience and education, I too find myself overwhelmed with marketing terminology - and I have a degree in marketing. How could someone without a basis for understanding be expected to decode the buzz words, decipher the messages, and identify the best skin care products for them? Are you someone who needs a multi-step Korean beauty-inspired skincare routine, or will the traditional western three to four steps suffice?
Maybe it's a nine-step routine you do twice a day like David here. You know, "not a big deal." The unfortunate truth is, there isn't a one size fits all model for skincare. When you're trying to design and implement a good skincare routine, there are many variables to consider.
At the very top of the list is, what is your skin type? Without that information, the battle land of beauty can eat a person alive. That's why we are going to discuss the very basics (and I mean very basics) of understanding your skin type. Hopefully, harnesses with these foundational principles will be able to build the basics of a good skincare routine.
Before we begin.
Okay, now I am going to say the potentially unpopular answer - find a good aesthetician. A dermatologist is great, don't get me wrong, but for someone to analyze your skin and identify what concerns you should be targeting - nothing beats regular facials. I know, I know, former aesthetician here giving biased information. But here's the truth - I see an aesthetician for facials. Full disclosure, I also see a Dermatologist, but only once a year to check it - and that's partly my point.
And yes, I realize the timing of me recommending regular facials during a global pandemic isn't the best, but the purpose of this blog is to build lifetime habits. I think we can all agree - we hope corona doesn't last a lifetime! Back to the topic - learning good skincare because you know how to identify your skin type.
Right now, you may be mentally checking out, stick with me, I promise I'm going somewhere good.
But why should I see an aesthetician?
At this moment, a few of you might find yourselves thinking things like, "I can't afford regular facials," or "how am I supposed to know where to find a good aesthetician." Lastly, my personal favorite "most of the time, my skins fine, it's just right now because... [insert rational reason]." All of these inner monologues are valid and reasonable counterpoints to my proposal. Still, we go to the doctor for an annual physical or dentist for cleanings semi-annually. Why? Because prevention is half of the battle.
Sure your skin might be excellent 99% of the time. It might even glow on the daily, and then one day, it seems to fall apart. Dry patches or pimples pop up out of nowhere. But here's the thing - skin concerns don't generally just happen - they build.
Seeing an aesthetician, even quarterly, if it's all you can swing, will help you understand what to do when trouble arises. At the very minimum, one or two visits with an aesthetician will help you uncover vital skincare routine information - namely, your skin type and any conditions you might be dealing with.
Let's walk through a fictional example.
Say your skin type is normal. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, your skin starts feeling more oily. Halfway through the day, it might feel shiny, and maybe you're noticing more breakouts than usual. Yet somehow, your skin also feels extra irritated, perhaps even tight after you wash your face. Your first instinct, being someone not used to breakouts, might be to buy some acne-fighting skincare and kill that pesky acne-causing bacteria with some trusty salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
The dilemma is if you have a normal skin type, but it's dehydrated. Using too many acne-fighting ingredients will most likely worsen the problem. Why, you ask? Many acne-fighting products contain drying or exfoliating properties, which can lead to surface level dehydration in the skin, thereby trapping the excessive oil and bacteria, ultimately causing more clogging and breakouts.
In the above scenario, an aesthetician might recommend humectant products. The goal is to hydrate the surface of your skin and bring out the clogging. Yes, it might result in pimples, but you'd follow with bacteria-fighting agents to kill the pustules that arise. Quick background here, pustules are the whiteheads, and papules are the painful red bumps that never seem to come to the surface.
Now, let's use another scenario with a common complaint about sensitivity.
You've been using the same skincare for some time when all of a sudden, your skin starts to freak out. It feels more sensitive, and you might even develop a rash. Your first instinct might be to change everything and go buy a whole skincare routine designed for sensitive skin. Sure, it is good to use sensitive skin products when your skin is clearly irritated. The problem is, if your skin doesn't get better, or dare I say it gets worse, it will be mighty difficult to determine what the irritant is. Remember you've just switched up your whole routine, is it the old products or the new ones? Standard practices are to try out a skincare product for a minimum of 28 days, or one cell turnover, to determine how well it works for your skin. In the case of chemical exfoliants like retinol or vitamin C, results can take longer to show.
These are just two examples of scenarios I've personally and professionally encountered as a licensed aesthetician and beauty enthusiast. Frankly, there are many basics to cover when it comes to skincare. There is how to identify your skin type and any current conditions. Building on that is how to detect changes in skin's health and what to do in those circumstances. Another essential basic is how to create a unique skincare routine to address your skin's specific needs. More intermediate topics might be answering questions like, at what point should anti-aging ingredients like vitamin C and retinol be incorporated into your routine? Or for the more controversial topic, do you need them at all?
In the interest of not boring each of you by trying to encompass all skincare basics into one blog post, I will provide quick summaries of what I deem to be the most important topics. Have no fear, this is a segment I will build on in the future and link as I go, so each elaboration is easy to find. So, for the not so short, short version, let's start with skin types.
What's My Skin Type?
For some relevant background information, before we dig into the 5 skin types, it is vital to understand the cosmetic term - Tzone. I'm sure you've heard this term time and again. Basically, it refers to the forehead and central plane of your face. If your forehead is the top horizontal line of a T, your nose, upper lip, and center of your chin would be the vertical line.
It's also worthy to note, skin type runs on a scale. Meaning, someone can have normal to dry or normal to oily skin depending on several factors. Normal skin types are the most common, and the conditions of the skin affect how they appear and the issues it battles. Truly dry or oily skins are less common. Now, let's summarize the 5 skin types.
Oily Skin.
Think of an orange peel as a dramatic, albeit unfair, example of oily skin. Oily skins typically have enlarged pores and an excessive amount of oil flow all over their faces. The cheeks are just as oily as the t-zone and acne tends to be a common problem. Referring back to my orange peel visual, oily skins are also thicker than normal skins. Throughout the day, oily skins fight off a sheen. Gel moisturizers or emulsions are the go-to products of choice for oily skins. Some might even try to forego moisturizer altogether because they are worried about breakouts.
Normal Skin.
The "ideal skin type." Typically contains an adequate amount of oil flow (sebum) throughout the t-zone with less out to the peripheral of the face. In normal skin's sensitivity and acne are not severe issues. If your skin condition is good (well get to that in a later blog), it has that sought-after lit from within glow. As for pore size, it is not too big and not too small. In other words, your skin is not too oily or too dry - its goldie locks and the three bears just right.
Combination Skin.
Combination skins can be one of the trickiest of skin types. They're normal to oily to dry all at the same time. Along the t-zone, combination skins tend to run normal to oily. On the cheeks and peripheral of the face, combo skins are drier. Remember, dry skin means it can be flaky, red, sensitive, and rough. Combination skins might break out along their t-zone and not on their cheeks. Pore sizes vary for combination skins, with larger pores along the t-zone and less visible on the cheeks. Finding the right balance between hydrating and mattifying skincare products can be difficult. It's common for people to mistake their skin type for combination skin because of other skin conditions like dehydration.
Dry Skin.
I like to use the analogy of a baby's bottom for dry skin. Dry skins contain little to no excess oil flow and have very small, if not invisible, pores. That's right, if you have dry skin, you typically won't be getting breakouts. In fact, you tend to have the opposite problem. Your skin is patch and flaky. Smooth as a baby's bottom, as I said in the beginning. People with dry skin tend to need thicker moisturizers, facial oils, and struggle to make their skin feel quenched.
Sensitive Skin.
Some consider sensitivity to be a condition of the skin and not an actual skin type. Going with today's marketing cosmeceutical terminology, I will classify it as a skin type with one caveat - sensitive is also a skin condition. Any of the previous 4 skin types mentioned can also have sensitivity. The most common sign of sensitive skin is redness, they get red very quickly. Simply touch a sensitive skin, and a red mark will linger on the skin longer than usual. Aside from redness, irritation, and itchiness, sensitive skins can range in oil flow and pore size. Hence why many consider sensitivity to be a condition.
Now, I know this list is quite short and sweet. It's not meant to give you a plethora of knowledge to know everything and anything about your skin. It's intended to provide understanding, on a fundamental level, of your skin type. Understanding what skin type you have can seriously help when you're trying to create a routine. Or better yet, trying to figure out what's going on with your skin.
*Disclaimer* This is not a sponsored blog post. All opinions and images are my own.