SKIN TYPE

Before knowing what facial skin care is right for us, we must know what type of skin we have. Figure 1 is an easy way to determine the type of facial skin. Knowing the skin type is very important to know what skincare formulations to choose from. The distribution of skin types depends on :

Skin moisture
The amount of sebum on the skin
The level of skin sensitivity

Figure 1. How to find out the type of facial skin.

Source: http://instagram.com/systranbeauty

Based on the three factors above, human skin is generally divided into 5 types, namely:

Normal skin

Normal skin is skin that is in a balanced state. Balance between water and sebum. This skin type doesn't cause too many problems. However, if treatment is not done, the skin type will very easily turn dry, especially in very thin areas, such as the eyes, cheeks, and neck. The characteristics of normal skin are:

Small or medium pore size.
Good skin moisture.
Smooth skin texture; neither too thick nor too thin.
Skin pigmentation looks even.
Healthy skin tone due to good blood circulation.
Good skin elasticity (when skin is young).

Dry skin

Dry skin is skin that has a limited amount of sebum so that the skin's moisture often diminishes quickly. This condition is called skin dehydration. On this skin there is often milia around the eyes and other areas that are completely dry. The characteristics of dry skin are:

Pores are small and tight.
Skin moisture is not good.
Skin texture is rough and thin.
Many capillaries are broken.
Experiencing premature aging, causing visible wrinkles in the eye area, lips and neck.
Uneven skin pigmentation such as ephelides (freckles).

Factors that aggravate dry skin:

Environment (pollution, air conditioning, and exposure to temperature extremes, ie temperatures too hot or too cold).
Excessive exposure to UV.
Selection of the wrong skincare formulation.

Oily skin

Oily skin occurs because the sebaceous glands are very active at puberty and are stimulated by male hormones (androgens). Meanwhile, increased sebum production often results in the appearance of a less clean skin. However, the activity of the sebaceous glands usually begins to decline when you are in your 20s. The characteristics of oily skin are:

Large pores.
High skin moisture.
The skin is rough and thick.
Dead skin cells cover sebum so that blood circulation and lymph circulation to the skin is not smooth.
Possible uneven pigmentation.
Pale and shiny skin color due to remaining sebum due to overproduction.

Having several disorders or several skin diseases that often occur, for example the appearance of blackheads, pustules (small, red bumps with white pus at the tips), papules (small bumps), milia (small white bumps), or sebaceous cysts (small, noncancerous bumps in under the skin). Factors that aggravate oily skin:

Use of care products that are too harsh.
Poor diet / diet.
Insufficient cleaning.

Combination skin

This skin type is a combination of dry skin and oily skin. The oily areas commonly found on the chin, nose and forehead are known as the T-zone or "T area". The tops of the cheeks are showing signs of oiliness, but dry face and neck. The characteristics of combination skin are:

The pores on the T-zone are large so it is easy to blackheads.
In oily areas it has high humidity, but in dry areas the humidity is low.
The skin is rough and thick on oily areas, while on dry areas the skin looks thin.
The skin looks pale on oily areas but on dry areas the skin looks sensitive.
Uneven pigmentation, usually seen ephelides (freckles) and lentigo (dark spots with uneven shape).
Damaged milia and capillaries will appear in dry areas, usually on the cheeks and near the eye area.

Factors that aggravate combination skin:

Using the wrong skincare products.
Stimulation of sensitive areas.

Sensitive skin

This skin is a skin type that overreacts to environmental factors. However, everyone has different triggers for reactions, some of which can be caused by exposure to pollution and changes in temperature. Other common causes are frequent product changes and excessive skin care. Constantly changing products and too often exfoliating the dead skin which can damage the skin's defenses. The characteristics of sensitive skin are:

Rash appears easily.
There is stinging pain if you give an allergic reaction.
It is very easy to develop allergic reactions to food or skincare products.

Sensitive skin should have more attention than other skin types. Here are 5 common mistakes (Figure 2) that are common in the treatment of sensitive skin.