There are lots of natural skin care products available, so it can be difficult to choose what’s right for you.
Categorizing Skin Types
The first step to proper skin care and knowing what natural skin care products you need is figuring what type of skin you have. There are five classes:
- Dry – If your skin is dry, it usually has a dull appearance. Not only does it feel dry, it can be itchy, and sometimes sensitive.
- Normal – With normal skin, the oil glands work at a moderate rate, so that skin isn’t too oily or too dry. (Like the Little Bear says, “It’s just right!J However, natural skin care is still important to keep normal skin looking good.
- Oily - Caused by glands in the skin that produce too much sebum, oily skin has a greasy slippery texture and looks shiny. There are frequently large, clogged pores that can cause acne.. In spite of these problems, oily skin generally remains younger looking over time than other skin types.
- Combination – Most people actually have at least two different types of skin, most frequently characterized by an oily “T-zone” area, which covers the forehead, nose and chin. The skin around the cheeks, eyes and mouth is normal or dry. These different types of skin call for different treatments, so people with combination skin should assess their skin regularly and use different products on different areas of the face.
- Sun-damaged or Aging: This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone — especially around the cheeks and jaw line — with leathery texture and broken capillaries.
Sensitive skin is sometimes considered another type of skin, but perhaps it is more of a condition than a specific skin type, since it can occur in combination with any of the above skin types. This type skin frequently reacts adversely to environmental conditions and cosmetics with synthetically manufactured oils, fragrances, and artificial colors. While all skin types benefit from natural skin care, sensitive skin especially needs this gentle care.
Testing, Testing! What’s Your Type?
If you’re not sure what type skin you have, there’s a simple way to figure it out. Wash your face, then pat it dry. Take a small piece of toilet paper, paper towel or lens-cleaning tissue and stick it on your forehead and other parts of your face. If it sticks, you have oily skin. If it falls right off, then you have dry skin. If it sticks for a little bit and then falls off, you have normal skin.
If the paper sticks in some places but falls off in others, then you have combination skin.
Sun-damaged skin is usually dry with a leathery texture. Sensitive skin can be any of the types.
Choosing The Right Natural Skin Care Products
Once you’ve determined what skin type you have, you’ll be better able to choose what natural skin care products will work best for you. Most products are labeled for specific types of skin, but a general guideline is to choose less moisturizing products for oily skin, and more for dry skin.
Your skin takes good care of you. Return the favor, and whatever type skin you have, take good care of it by using natural skin care products!