NORMAL, DRY, OILY OR MIXED: WHAT KIND OF SKIN DO YOU HAVE?
We talk often of "skin types" and we do it by defining the
following 4 specificities: normal skin, dry, oily or mixed.
But what does this mean? What are the differences?
How to understand what kind of skin we have?
Generally speaking, every skin type satisfies a check list of
distinct characteristics, even very obvious ones, that we can
independently use to define our status,
or rather, the status of our skin: normal, dry,
oily or mixed.
Understanding which of these types represents us is important
because allows us to identify the 4 types of leather
most popular and, at the same time, the specifications needs
basic cosmetics to define home self-care.
Not only that, knowing your skin is important to define
their own lifestyle, their own eating habits, etc.,
which have a fundamental role in health management
of your own skin.
Normal skin:
Normal skin has a good cell turnover at the epidermal level, a uniform and functional hydrolipidic film, with an optimal and constant value of NMF (natural hydration factor) together with adequate production of ceramides.
Equilibrium is the correct term to describe this coexistence of structural and functional characteristics.
Normal skin can be:
consequence of one's genetic heritage.
the result of attention in the choice of home self-care, or products more suitable for maintaining healthy skin, preventing alterations such as dryness or greasiness of the skin.
or a mix of several aspects: lifestyle, genetics and healthy eating habits and caring for your appearance.
Those with normal skin, in addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, must also take care of do not choose aggressive detergents which could alter the hydrolipidic film.
At the same time, however, it is important choose the most suitable cosmetic to withstand the external environment according to the seasons. For example, in winter, with the cold, the hands are always exposed to wind and frost, as well as in summer, after exposure to the sun, the skin must always be nourished and protected.
Dry skin:
Dry skin is rough, it is easily irritated and tends to "pull". Dry skin is never shiny, not even in the T zone, which is the area that includes the forehead, nose, ment and which it generally produces more sebum.
Dry skin it is lacking in water, dehydrated, but also in essential nutrients fundamental to maintain softness, brightness and elasticity. Water and nutrients guarantee the maintenance of the hydrolipidic film.
Dry skin is the result of:
deficiency of ceramides (lipid molecules)
alterations in the cell turnover of the epidermis
alterations of the hydrolipidic film
deficiency of the Natural Hydration Factor (mixture of water-soluble substances able to bind to water)
To these, there are others factors:
genetics → is recognized some familiarity in people with dry skin
age → the elderly subject tends to have drier skin than the young subject
stages of life → for example, menopause and aging, but also pregnancy
environmental pollution
hormonal changes → in particular, during menopause or pregnancy stages characterized by hormonal alterations that could induce skin changes favoring dryness
humidity of the environment → a dry environment favors the evaporation of surface water
conditions of general dehydration → drinking water is a healthy habit that also applies to preventing dry skin
Power supply healthy, varied and rich in fruit and vegetables → we are what we eat even when it comes to skin
exposure to the sun
use of too aggressive detergents → the presence of surfactants or other degreasing agents promotes dryness of the skin, washing away the hydrolipidic film
use of unsuitable cosmetics → dry skin must be nourished and hydrated, so depending on the degree of dryness of the skin, you must choose products that are not only moisturizing. The choice of cosmetics is essential and must meet the needs of the skin and change according to whether it is dry, very dry or even peeling skin .
Oily skin:
Main feature of the oily skin is the excessive production of sebum on the part of the hair follicles, manifesting a shiny and oily appearance.
Oily skin is also characterized by more or less dilated pores which tend to develop black dots, the result of the concentration of sebum and foreign bodies that accumulate, spread over the face and other parts of the body.
Oily skin tends to evolve into oily or impure acne-prone skin, both expressions of a skin particularly rich in sebum due to excessive reactivity to internal or external stimuli.
In particular, the deficiency of ceramides and / or an altered hydrolipidic film are often highlighted, to which the skin reacts excessively producing sebum in abundance in order to fill its lipid deficiencies and return to a state of structural integrity.
When it comes to the skin, then, the body focuses on promoting the rebalancing of the elements that guarantee its natural protective barrier function of the human body, as the first line of defense from the outside to the inside.
Oily skin, therefore, And often the result of an excessive response to skin lipid deficiency.
This explains why people with oily skin they must not use degreasing detergents: removing excess sebum further nourishes its production, entering an unhealthy circle reminiscent of the classic "snake eating its own tail".
But what are the main causes of oily skin?
Genetic inheritance: Familiarity has been shown in some people with oily skin
Hormonal alterations: puberty is a phase of life in which oily skin problems can occur up to acne in relation to evident hormonal alterations and fluctuations. In some women, even cycle-related hormonal fluctuations can affect sebum production and so in other situations characterized by changes in hormone levels
Cleaning with aggressive detergents and degreasers
Use of cosmetic products not suitable for the type of skin
In particular, oily skin needs careful daily cleaning, at least morning and evening, with delicate detergents that do not wash off the hydrolipidic film and astrigent products, which limit the dilation of the pores and keep its surface adequately "disinfected", limiting the attack of microorganisms that favor the development of blackheads and acne.
In addition, you must choose a cosmetic that rebalances the production of sebum by nourishing the skin with lipids it needs and with sebum-balancing actives.
These products generally have a fat component and prefer O / A creams or gels with a sebum-normalizing, moisturizing-normalizing and astringent action.
Mixed skin:
Mixed skin is probably that more widespread, also because it is often bound to "Bad" beauty habits or poor skin care - daily exposed to the external environment, its pollution and its seasonal variability.
Combination skin tends to be particularly oily in the T-zone, nose, forehead and chin, e dry let's hope on cheeks, eye contour, hands, elbows and legs.
On the face, moreover, 2 situations can be highlighted:
combination skin tending to dry, if the dry areas are more extensive
combination skin tending to oily, otherwise
In both cases, areas of normal skin can be seen where tendencies to extremes balance out.
Combination skin is the consequence of:
poor skin protection in summer or winter, in the sun or in contact with frost and wind
use of unsuitable or too aggressive cosmetics that wash away the hydrolipidic film or alter the acid pH of the skin that reacts trying to re-balance the normal conditions in the affected areas
zonal alterations of the skin structure, the composition of the hydrolipidic film and the concentration of ceramides
unbalanced eating and lifestyle habits
Combination skin needs cosmetics that re-balance its normal structure and functionality in addition to the adoption of a varied, balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables and a healthier life.
In particular, it will have to be done pay attention to the choice of detergent suitable for cleaning face and body and at the same time it will be necessary choose tonics, masks and other cosmetic products with targeted action in the area of interest.
As for creams, oils and gels, you will have to choose also in this case the most suitable normalizing product for areas that are too dry or too oily on the face and body.
