Nothing But Skin

Hello There,

There are 5 distinct types of skins out there and knowing which type of skin you have is important because this determines what sort of makeup you should be using and what type of products to use to look after your skin.

Most woman don’t know and just assume they have a certain skin type and then buy products that actually don’t help at all.

The 5 skin types are : Oily, Dry, Sensitive, Normal and Combination.

Additionally there are products that help refine texture and to even out skin tone and pigmentation.

Oily Skin

It’s not just teenagers that have oily skin - most woman in their 20’s and 30’s. Oily skin have large visible pores and tends to look very shiny. This means that the oil producing glands in the skin are super active which makes your skin more prone to spots and blackheads. What I recently found out is that oil skin types don’t age as fast as other skin types because the extra moisture in the skin prevents it.

Dark, warm or ebony skins are generally more prone to oily skin.

How to care for oily skin: it tends to attract more dirt because of the skin being so greasy, how ever you should still use gentle skin treatments to aid you - over scrubbing and harsh cleansing can strip the skin and cause the skin to be over stimulated and will further produce more oil.

Cleansers: Green Gel Cleanser MAC is great for oily skin types. Gels are perfect for oily skin especially like this one because it’s a foaming gel which helps to dissolve oils and leaves the skin feeling smooth, protected and refreshed.

Moisturizers: Oil Control Lotion MAC is he best, I’ve used this before and it s a great lotion. It helps control and correct the oil dispersion on the skin. It’s hydrating enough to not strip the skin but strong enough to help correct and control oil. If you use a product that dries out the skin too much it’s going to kick your glands into over drive so they will over produce and you will just be right where you started. Hydration for oily skin is still a good thing.

Sensitive Skin

These skins are easily identified by their redness and irritated appearance and that’s because they are. They are easily irritated and can get red and blotchy quickly - sometimes even feel itchy. Sensitive skin can flare up or react to products and if you are allergic to something it can cause problems too.

How to care for sensitive skin: the key here is to be super gentle and to probably use as minimal products as possible. Look for products that have the labels hypoallergenic or that have been allergy tested.

Cleansers: Mineralized Charged Water Cleanser MAC. This is a lightweight cleanser that removes makeup and doesn’t leave an oily residue. It replenishes lost moisture while soothing the skin. Cucumber extracts are the key ingredient for sensitive skin because it’s a soothing ingredient. Don’t just use regular soap, it can mess with your skin’s natural ph balance.

Moisturizers: Mineralized Charged Moisture Gel. This is a lightweight cream that helps to hydrate the skin as well as nourish it. Look for ingredients like Algae Extract as this reduces redness in the skin, Cucumber extracts to soothe the skin and again remember hypoallergenic anything.

Dry Skin

Your skin will naturally get drier the older you get, although you can still have dry skin or the odd dry patch - although dry skin is more of a hereditary trait - a lot of woman confuse dry skin for dehydrated skin - there is a difference. Dry skin looks flaky and thin. The skin has super fine pores.

How to care for dry skin: moisture, moisture and more moisture. The key here is to use products that boost and maintain the moisture in the skin. Invest in a good exfoliator as well to assist in removing the dead, flaky skin.

Cleansers: Cleanse Off Oil MAC. It is an oil based cleanser - adding moisture to the skin. Products that are rich and thick are great.

Moisturizers: Studio Moisture Cream MAC. It is a rich cream that adds moisture and helps to nourish and hydrate the skin. Finding products that have Humectants in them are perfect. Humectants are ingredients that pull moisture out of the air constantly through out the day to keep your skin hydrated, like a moisture magnet. Drinking water helps to replenish lost moisture as well, water always does the trick!

Normal Skin

You are the lucky few that don’t suffer any problems. Your skin is balanced, smooth and doesn’t have any visible pores. You don’t get breakouts much or suffer from allergic reactions or skin variances in using different products.

How to care for normal skin : The only challenge here is to try and maintain the skin just the way it is for as long as possible, keeping the peace between oil and moisture.

Cleansers : Gently Off Wipes with Micellar Water. This helps to remove makeup, cleanses, tones and exfoliates skin. No rinsing is required.

Moisturizers: My favourite in this instance is Strobecream MAC. It enhances luminosity in the skin and moisturizers the skin. It also hydrates the skin throughout the day. Like before, you can experiment and find products that work best for you because you don’t have to worry too much about what you use - you’re lucky remember you can use most products.

Combination Skin

This is when you have two different skin types - the general combination is oily and normal skin and sometimes dehydrated skin. I fall into this category. The oily skin tends to be the T - zone which is the forehead and nose. Mine is definitely my nose. You can open a KFC franchise on the tip and make a profit overnight. The rest of my skin is actually dehydrated even though it is normal.

How to care for combination skin : So the idea of using one product for your skin needs to go straight out the window. You have to treat the two skin types as exactly that. You have to use products for your oily skin and then separate products for the the normal or dehydrated skin.

Cleansers : Determine what sort of skin types you have and then use your discretion with products - the same thing applies to your moisturizers.

Check your skin regularly and adapt your skincare regime to your skins changing needs.

I trust you found this somewhat helpful in deciphering what sort of skin you have and how best to look after it and accommodate it when shopping for products.

Don't forget to check out our other blogs! until then...

Have an amazing day!

*Disclaimer: at the time of writing up this blog I was working for MAC Cosmetics and so I had gathered most of my information from my trainers and training manuals. Also the product recommendations are all MAC Cosmetics products as that is the best frame of reference I can offer being a MAC makeup artist at the time. All of the MAC recommendations are great options to consider as the products are sound and specially formulated to accommodate the vast variety of skin types and skin concerns.