How well do you know your skin type? Do you know which products will do it good, and which will it irritate it more? Knowing your skin type is a difficult game, because your skin is your body’s largest organ and unique to you. Some people are overly sensitive, whilst some never seem to encounter a blemish at all. As a skin clinic in Leeds and a provider of leading skincare brand Obagi, we’re going to guide you on what’s best for your skin type.
‘Normal’ skin type
The normal skin type is the most ambiguous skin type, because it falls directly between the two poles of ‘oily’ and ‘dry’. In many ways, those with ‘normal’ skin tend to have it a lot easier than those with problematic skin types. Flare-ups and blemishes may occur, but they tend to be short-lived and driven by other stimuli such as not washing makeup off, hormones, environment, stress, or diet. Though this skin type may feel like less maintenance, having a normal skin type doesn’t automatically grant you a glowing complexion. Keeping your skin healthy and looking beautiful still requires light cleansing, moisturisers, and even a weak retinol or vitamin C serum to keep your skin cells ticking over.
‘Oily’ skin type
An oily skin type is often inherited through genetics or dictated entirely by hormones, but either way it can prove problematic and difficult to manage. Blemishes and oil production may come and go week to week and month to month because of hormonal changes, so it’s difficult to know how to stay on top of this. Active oil glands produce a higher amount of sebum that seeps through our pores and follicles and can sit on the skin’s surface, and these oil levels along with dead skin cells can clog these openings and cause spots. High-street skincare products for spots contain a lot of alcohol (too much alcohol) because they aren’t permitted to use clinical ingredients. Aggressive alcohol in skincare actually dries your skin out which can trigger more aggressive oil production to compensate. We’d recommend professional cleansers, active retinols or vitamin C serums, and even a course of chemical peels to bring oily skin types under control.
‘Dry’ skin type
If oily is one end of the spectrum, then dry is placed directly at the other. Dry skin types struggle with moisture in their skin, so their complexion often feels tight, flaky, scaly, and irritable. Often this is visible in actual flakes of skin or in a sort of greyed-out dulled appearance to the complexion. Topical products like cleansers and makeup with too-high chemical compositions can make this problem so much worse. Due to a lack of natural oil production, dry skin types often have smaller pores that aren’t too visible, but they’re more likely to develop premature wrinkles and irritation through skin dehydration. Harsh exfoliators and too alcoholic or chemical-based skincare products can strip away the little moisture dry skin types have, so lighter products coupled with much richer moisturisers could really turn this skin type’s appearance and health around.
If you’re struggling with your skin and aren’t sure what exactly you need, book a skin consultation with Face Perfect Clinic in Leeds. We know what we’re talking about when it comes to skin health, and we offer industry-leading ranges by Obagi. Contact us today or call us on 0113 4572805 to book your consultation and feel confident in your skin again.
