How do I know what skin type I have? Sometimes my face is shiny and other times, it looks like it is peeling and dry.
There are four major skin types. Normal, Oily, Dry and a combination of Oily and Normal or Oily and Dry. Your skin falls in one of these types. However, how you treat your skin determines the condition.
To know your skin type;
Wash your face in the morning, wait for an hour and look in the mirror. If you still cannot determine your skin type after an hour, wait until about noon.
Normal:
If your skin looks the same as when you washed it, with no evidence of tightness or shine then you have a normal skin.
Oily:
If your face is shiny on your forehead, nose chin and cheeks(also called the T-zone area of the face because it forms the letter T), and you can possibly see visible open pores (tiny holes), especially around your cheek area, then you have oily skin.
Dry:
If your skin feels tight and patched with no oils and no visible open pores then you have a dry skin.
Combination:
If your skin feels shiny only around your forehead, nose, and chin, while your cheeks seem dry and your pores are not easily visible, then you may have a combination of Oily and normal or Oily and dry.
Other skin types, which I personally will categorise as a condition of either a dry or combination skin are
Sensitive skin:
which is a reactive skin because it easily flares up because of an allergic reaction.
Mature/Aging Skin:
which shows signs of aging; some of which are dullness, fine lines, wrinkles, slacking and uneven skin tone.
When your face is shiny, and other times it is peeling and dry, this means you have oily or combination skin, but the way you have treated your skin may have affected your skin condition. This could either be not using the right products for your skin type or using too much of the right product. It could also be ignoring the effects of the environment on your skin, or you may be experiencing some lifestyle or hormonal changes.
Your skin peeling and drying is a sign that your skin is dehydrated and/or even sensitised and you need to hydrate and moisturize your skin.
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Ronke is an internationally trained and fully qualified beauty, skin and wellness therapist. She has a CIBTAC and CIDESCO Diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Oxford International College of Beauty, Oxford, United Kingdom.
