What Type of Skin Do You Have?

Find out the difference between oily, normal, dry skin
There are five basic skin care types: Oily, combination, sensitive, dry and sun-damaged. Your skin type is determined by how much -- or how little -- oil your skin produces. Genes, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all determine how much oil your skin produces.

Rona Berg, in her book, "Beauty the New Basics," details the five different skin types. Here's how to tell what skin type you have.

Berg suggests you take the "skin test." Wash your face, pat it dry, then take a few pieces of rice paper or lens-cleaning tissue paper and press on different spots on your face. If your skin is oily, the paper will stick, pick up oily spots and become translucent. If the paper doesn't stick or pick up any oily spots, your skin is dry. If it sticks in your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) then you have combination (or normal) skin.


Here are the five different skin types and their characteristics.

* Type 1: Oily Oily skin tends to shiny with enlarged pores, and is prone to blackheads and blemishes. You might experience some tightness.

* Type 2: Combination/normal This skin type has medium pores, a smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone.

* Type 3: Sensitive Sensitive skin tends to be thin, delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily, is prone to broken capillaries, is frequently allergic and can be rashy.

* Type 4: Dry Dry skin feels tight, especially after cleansing. You have a tendency towards fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of color, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin buildup.

* Type 5: Aging or sun-damaged This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone -- especially around the cheeks and jawline -- with leathery texture and broken capillaries.

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4 Basic Skin Care Needs

by Julyne Derrick

The right (& wrong) ways to cleanse, moisturize & exfoliate your skin

You probably learned in school that your skin is your body's largest organ. What you probably weren't taught is how to properly care for your skin. The truth is no matter your age or skin type, the minute you start taking care of your skin -- keeping it clean, nourished & pampered -- it will respond in gratitude & you will reap the benefits. Here I show you tips on how to properly care for your skin, from the right way to wash your face, to the best moisturizers & UV protection.

Before we start with the proper daily 4-step skincare routine, you'll need to know your skin type. How you care for your skin is utterly dependent on the type of skin you have: oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun- damaged. Check out this article to determine what skin type you are.

The Basic 4-Step Skincare Regimen

* Step 1: Cleansing Simple is key here.

You need to find a good cleanser that your skin responds well to, and stick with it. (I list the best cleansers for skin types in this article ). Avoid soap at all costs. According to Rona Berg, in her book, 'Beauty,'a French cosmetics executive once told her 'soap should only ever touch your skin from the neck down.' Most cleansers contain oil, water & surfactants. The oil dissolves oil on your face, surfactants dissolve dirt & makeup & the water washes it all away. The secret is finding the right mix of oil. Too much on your skin will clog pores, while too little will dry it out. This is why you need to know your skin type.

Most women need only clean their faces at night. In the morning, a splash of lukewarm water is all you need. However, if you apply moisturizer at night, you will need to cleanse in the morning, too. Never wash your face with hot or cold water (both hot & cold water causes broken capillaries) & never go to bed with makeup on, you run the risk of clogging your pores. Also be careful about over-cleansing your skin.

Here's the best way to wash your face: Use warm water to loosen dirt & clogged pores. Use a dime-sized bit of cleanser & gently apply it in a circular motion, then rinse with cool water. Cool water tends to tighten the pores. You'll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.

* Step 2: Exfoliate 'The most important thing you can do for bright, glowing skin is gentle daily exfoliation,' Katie Rodan, clinical assistant professor at Stanford University, said in Allure's April 2005 issue. 'Not weekly, daily. Do it in the shower every morning, a routine like brushing your teeth.'

Every 3 weeks, skin cells are replenished, meaning new skin cells make their way up from the lowest level of the epidermis. The secret to exfoliating is to make way for new skin cells by getting rid of dead skin cells. Removing dead skin cells helps give your skin a youthful, fresh appearance not only because new skin cells are fresh & plump, but because getting rid of the dead skin allows your skin to absorb moisturizer more readily. Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their daily skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference.

So how much should you exfoliate? If you have oily or combination skin, you'll need to exfoliate 4 or 5 times a week, after you cleanse. If you have dry skin or sensitive skin, it's recommended that you exfoliate once or twice a week. You'll actually need to exfoliate more in summer & any hot months because sweat acts like glue & will cause your dead skin cells to stick together and coat your skin. Many women with mature or sun-damaged skin (a sure sign: wrinkles) have turned to different types of hydroxies which act as deep exfoliants. According to Berg, one of the reasons men's skin looks more youthful than women's is because men tend to exfoliate daily when they shave.

Should you use a toner? Some people swear by toners, but many beauty experts do not. Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup & dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. So go ahead, skip it & save money. Turns out only copy machines really need toner.

* Step 3: Moisturize A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers. (The only exception is those with acne). Why? Moisturizers attract moisture & draw it into the skin. They also seal in moisture (Berg calls this the 'Saran Wrap effect') & plump skin cells. So how much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you. When your skin is tight, it's crying out for moisture. Be careful not to overmoisturize -- this can cause pore-clogging. For the skinny on great moisturizers for your skin type, check out this article.

Are eye creams necessary? Well maybe. Some beauty experts strongly recommend eye creams. Why? The skin around the eye contains no fatty tissue and is therefore very thin & susceptible to wrinkles. Special eye creams are formulated to 'thicken' this area & keep it sturdy. Yet others claim your daily lotion works around the eyes just as well.

Step 4: Apply sunscreen The #1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so it's important to use sunscreen from your early years on even in winter & on cloudy days. A great trick is to purchase 2 moisturizers: one for nighttime & one for daytime that includes UV protection. Don't use moisturizers with sunscreen at night, the ingredients are not meant to be used 27/7 & can aggravate the skin. When choosing a sunscreen, make sure it contains 1 of 3 ingredients as an 'active ingredient': titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 (avobenzene).

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Facial Skin Care Treatment

To rejuvenate aging skin, start with the basics...
A good facial skin care regime!

Effective facial skin care treatment for aging skin can be quite a challenge. As we begin to see our skin age, we notice that a variety of changes are gradually occurring.

Over time, the changes in our skin's appearance become more and more apparent, even as we seek out a miracle solution that will reverse all those horrid signs of aging.
The signs of facial aging can gradually sneak up on us, rapidly becoming more numerous and alarmingly varied with each passing day.

They can start with that furrow between the eyes that gradually continues to deepen, or the development of the fine lines, or "crow's feet", that begin to radiate out from the corners of our eyes.

The next sign of aging that randomly begins to appear are those brown age spots that seem to blossom in patches. Not to mention the fine lines that resemble an accordion that begin to circle our mouths with those ever expanding "laugh lines" that gradually deepen into significant wrinkles.

The generalized "ruddy" red, splotchy complexion can be another facial aging attribute that can send us all embarking (or stampeding) on an eternal search for the definitive answer to the age-old questions, "What are the most effective treatments for aging facial skin care, and what are the best skin rejuvenation strategies?" Well . . .

The Skin Care e-Learning and Resource Center has come to your rescue!

As it ages, skin gradually undergoes changes that become quite apparent and readily visible in our complexion. As our metabolism slows down and circulation becomes more sluggish the skin gets short changed on the nutrients it needs to stay young and vibrant looking.

Skin begins to sag, becomes much drier and begins to lose its elasticity. As you may have already noticed, aging also significantly slows down the skin's ability to heal itself. Even small blemishes seem to take longer and longer to go away.

Then there are highly charged oxygen molecules called "free radicals", which make a significant contribution to the deterioration of the skin's condition. The presence of free radicals, which typically occur as the result of too much sun, environmental pollutants, a poor diet, smoking and stress accelerates the skin's aging process.

Fortunately, free radicals can be neutralized by antioxidants which are found in many of the components of skin rejuvenation products. But in order to keep free radicals and their adverse effects contained, good facial skin care means that using sunscreen on a daily basis is essential; antioxidants just can't do it alone.

And, in case that's not enough, aging skin is also affected by changes with the gradual decrease in the production of elastin and collagen which adversely affect the skin's plumpness and suppleness. The skin's firmness deteriorates which contributes to the sagging that begins to occur, allowing those dreaded wrinkles to start to appear, seemingly with wild abandon.

Bear in mind that stress, smoking, sun, insufficient sleep, excessive alcohol, lack of exercise, and poor diet all have a profoundly negative impact on the health of your skin. Some of the major characteristics that all these activities have in common is wrinkle acceleration, along with providing an encouraging environment for the birth of brown spots and for the drying and sagging of skin to occur!

Add all these skin damaging factors together and a good corrective action plan is in order, a simple yet effect rejuvenating facial skin care treatment regime.

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The Importance Of Skin Care

Beauty and skin care go hand in hand, especially for those who want to show off their best with confidence. Starting good skin habits at a young age will contribute to younger looking skin in our not so young years later on. Good eating habits of healthy organic foods too contribute to more beautiful younger looking skin. Besides good daily habits of serious skin care, there is also the very strong advise of skin cancer doctors to never smoke and always use skin protection in the sun. Beauty skin care is not just a facial issue; serious skin care must include all of your skin from head to toes. According to dermatologist MD Dennis Gross, the absolute worst thing we can do to our skin is unprotected sun exposure. Doctor Gross goes on to say that 90% of the skin's wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin are caused by unprotected sun exposure. This is why doctors highly recommend always wearing SPF 15 sun protection products all of the time. This is especially important to start these habits at an early age for those with the most sensitive skin. The reasons for our skin changes over time, have to directly do with skin collagen breaking down. As already mentioned, there are several reasons why this happens, but there is now ways to change some of the damage done. We can do things to prolong and even make some skin reversals of damage that will take off years without the expensive doctors office treatments. There now are proven products out there with collagen repair that will improve the damage. Retinol and organic skin care antioxidants such as green tea extract and vitamin C are also affordable and proven to bring back your skins beauty without even having to use harsh or expensive products. Aside from beauty skin care repairs; there is also the importance of your daily facial cleansing habits. Most now understand that there are very few soaps properly balanced for facial skin use. Many will dry out our skin and only the soaps or cleansers made just for our facial washing should be used. Over washing is also bad for our face, because of removing to many natural oils that should be there. Luke warm water is recommended too, for reasons of hot or cold breaking down capillaries. One more very important point for serious beauty skin care is once a week exfoliation. A good at home kit is affordable and easy to use for anyone. It is important though to use small-grained exfoliates and not large grained because of large grains being damaging more than helping. With the small-grained exfoliate usage once a week; a glow will come back to you skin. Moisturize is too very important to keep that glow going. It is important to moisturize for all skin types except skin with acne issues. Depending on your skin type, moisturizing will vary on how much or how little you use. Beautiful skin does not take much to get back, but just a few good products and good habits of commitment. So just in time for the warmer weather, it does not take long to start treating your skin with kindness and in return, softness and beauty will be yours to show off. A little effort will go along ways and the glow will show!

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