Determining Skin Type

There are 4 skin types:

• Normal
• Dry
• Oily
• Combination

Everyone has normal skin until puberty when hormones create changes.  Some people change very little after puberty and experience no major problems - these are classified as having NORMAL skin, even if you notice a tendency toward oily or dry skin.

There are also 5 main conditions which can happen to any skin type.  They are: dehydration, loss of elasticity, wrinkles or expression lines, sensitivity and breakouts.

To determine the other types of skin you refer to the visibility of the pores.

Pore and Pore Size

Although we speak of large pores representing an oily ski and small pores representing dry skin, listed below are guidelines which should be used to determine skin type:

1. When determining skin type, always view the skin from 30 cm (12") away.  If you are looking in a mirror the distance is half (15 cm).  
2. No longer think in terms of large pores - the more accurate term is the visible pore.  
3. Realize that every skin type should have some visible pores.
4. If you have visible pores all over your face (centre of face, chin, sides of face), you would be safe in classifying your skin as OILY.
5. If you have visible pores only in the centre of your face (forehead, nose, chin), most likely you would be classified as NORMAL skin.  It is normal to have visible pores in these areas (also known as COMBINATION skin).
6. If there are few visible pores on the sides of the nose only, and a few on the chin, you would be classified as DRY skin.
7. Another reason for enlarged pores is a buildup of sebum that swells the rim of the pore.  The cleansing system will help reduce enlarged pores.

Conditions of the skin

There are 5 main conditions, applicable to any skin type:

• Dehydration - crisscross under cheek, dull, flakiness
• Loss of elasticity - press into soft area below cheek
• Wrinkles or expression lines
• Sensitivity - pinch between brows, watch redness
• Breakout (acne or cyst)

What are you looking for and what do you see?

1. Look to see visible pores.  This will help determine the biological skin type.
2. Shine and location of shine.
3. Expression lines; intense or light.
4. Elasticity, or lack of.
5. Crisscross dehydration lines
6. Blackheads or bumps such as whiteheads, pimples.
7. Texture, flaking or coarse skin.
8. Reactions to different outside elements such as soap, astringent, cold, sun, medication, which represent sensitivity.
9. What you feel your needs are?
10. Longevity of makeup on the skin.