what is my skin type? here's how to find out!
If you are like many other people, you spend a lot of time and money searching for the perfect skincare products. In fact, this report says that in 2019 alone, 1.6 million Americans spent $500.00 or more on skincare.
Quite frankly, if I were to spend that amount of money on products, I’d definitely want to make sure I knew my skin type. That’s what I’ll talk about today – having a good idea what your skin type is, and the best products to use and avoid.
Skin is generally classified as one of 4 types: normal, dry, oily and combination. You may have noticed that I did not include sensitive. We’ll talk about that in a bit. First, let’s define each skin type.
Normal – A ‘normal’ skin type is neither too oily, nor too dry. It has a smooth texture with very few visible pores, little sensitivity and appears radiant, plump and healthy.
Dry – With a ‘dry’ skin, you may experience a dull, rough texture; red patches; more visible lines and almost no visible pores. Besides being rough textured, a dry skin can crack, peel or become itchy or irritated.
Oily – Oily skin will have enlarged pores; a shiny, thick complexion; blackheads, pimples or other blemishes.
Combination – Just like the type says, you will experience a combination of skin types. Usually, the ‘T-zone’ (nose, forehead and chin) will be oily, while the cheeks and sides of your face will be drier. Combination skin can have larger pores; blackheads; shiny T-zone and drier, sometimes red patches on outer areas of the face.
Now let’s talk about ‘sensitive skin’. Believe it or not, sensitive skin is not a true skin type. According to a report in Contact Dermatitis, the majority of women across the U.S., Europe and Japan now believe that they have sensitive skin – and the numbers are on the rise. As a licensed esthetician of almost 19 years, I can’t begin to tell you how many clients would say that they had sensitive skin when asked what type of skin they thought they had. Sensitive skin is most common in Caucasian women, although it can happen to any ethnicity and men, too. Sensitive skin is actually a symptom of something else. Sensitive skin is a skin that is prone to irritation, and that irritation can have many triggers. Some of those triggers are:
- Genetic conditions
- Immune system disorders
- Medications
- Infections
- Allergens
Some people are also sensitive to environmental factors such as heat, cold, wind, sun exposure, humidity and pollution. Sensitive skin will usually present as:
- Redness
- Tightness
- Stinging
- Burning
- Itching
- Dry Patches
- Inflammation
- Soreness Rashes
According to Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, author of Beyond Soap: The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow, “Approximately 80 percent of sensitive skin cases I see stem from pre-existing skin conditions and irritation. And each one of those problems originates with a compromised barrier.”
Sound familiar? If you have read any of my blogs, you will know that I have spoken many times about skin barrier function and the importance in keeping it intact and healthy. With sensitive skin and all other skin types, healthy barrier function is paramount to healthy, balanced skin. You do not want to over-exfoliate your skin; over-use harsh retinoids or other drying chemicals such as benzoyl peroxide or denatured alcohol. These ingredients can and will strip your skin’s barrier, which will allow bacteria and irritants to penetrate pores and cause all kinds of havoc, such as dry patches, clogged pores, blemishes, irritation and inflammation.
The good news is all high products contain ingredients that are beneficial for ALL SKIN TYPES! I have long shouted praises for Cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil and its amazing properties that fortify skin’s barrier. With its highest percentage of essential fatty acids, along with vitamins A-E, plus beta carotene, phytosterols, phospholipids, minerals and twenty amino acids, it not only hydrates and protects all skin types, but it protects the many layers of the skin because of its barrier protection ingredients! Add bioflavonoids that help calm inflammation and soothe stressed skin, as well as terpenes that adapt skin to its changing needs, and normalize skin’s acid mantle (barrier) and sebum levels for optimal epidermal barrier protection against environmental stressors and you have expertly formulated products that balance, hydrate and protect all skin types.
Coming soon High will add two amazing products to its line-up: high & bye CLEARING GEL and REFINING OIL. The high & bye collection is formulated with LYGOS-CBG – a cutting edge, non-psychoactive cannabinoid, known for its ability to help with inflammation and help purify pores. (For more information, see ‘Exciting New Ingredient: CBG’ blog on www.highbeauty.com. Click on the science page link). High & Bye will help dry and purify pores, refine skin’s texture and help calm inflammation. Look for it the end of 2020!
Should you have any questions about this article, please reach out to me at joanne@highbeauty.com.
