Do You Know Your Skin Type?

Photo by Audrey Fretz on Unsplash

In this day and age, acne has become a common skin issue for many individuals, particularly teenagers. There are a variety of factors affecting acne problems, and one of which is skin type. Hence, we must first understand what types of skin we have in order to know how to deal with acne problems.

To know more about different skin types and how to protect them, we have interviewed Wong Chooi Khum, a 53-years-old professional beautician with 33 years of experience in this field. According to Wong, there are a total of seven skin types, which are neutral skin, oily skin, dry skin, the combination of dry and oily skin, acne skin, aging skin, and sensitive skin. Do you know what type of skin you have and how to take care of it? Continue reading to find out.

1. Neutral Skin Type

Neutral skin type is the best and most healthy skin type among the rest. It is neither too dry nor too oily. This type of skin has a clean and smooth appearance, with no flaws and unnoticeable small pores. If your skin has all the traits mentioned above, congratulations! You have the perfect skin type that everyone desires!

Even though this skin type is the best of all, you will still need to take care of it to maintain its good condition. Wong recommends applying a day cream and sunscreen regularly to protect the skin. Aside from skincare products, make sure to eat a well-balanced diet and get enough sleep to keep your skin in the best condition.

2. Oily Skin Type

Oily skin has a bright, greasy and porous appearance as the skin tissues are rougher. People with this skin type are prone to blackheads, pimples, and milia. According to Wong, overactive sebaceous glands or hormonal imbalance are generally the cause of oily skin. Hormonal imbalances during puberty or pregnancy can cause sebaceous gland dysfunction, resulting in excessive sebum secretion. "Sebum is the oily substance produced by the sebaceous gland to protect our skin. That is why the skin would be too oily if the sebaceous gland secretes too much of sebum," Wong explained.

In terms of skincare routine, Wong suggests washing the face three times a day. Make sure your skin is always clean and use water-based products such as emulsions and moisturizers. Also, avoid using products that contain powerful chemical ingredients such as Alpha Hydroxyl Acid (AHA) or Glycolic acid as they will irritate your skin. On the other hand, alcohol is an effective ingredient for removing oil from oily skin. Lastly, a piece of helpful advice from Wong is to go for a facial treatment once in a while.

3. Dry Skin Type

As opposed to oily skin, dry skin has a tight and rough appearance. This skin type is usually dehydrated and prone to fine wrinkles. If the skin dehydration is too severe, the skin will eventually become thinner and translucent. The primary cause of this skin type is the inactivity of sebaceous glands, which results in inadequate sebum production. People with dry skin might encounter problems such as cakey foundation when applying makeup.

If you have this type of skin, do not worry! Wash your skin gently with a mild cleanser and use oil-based day and night creams with higher nutritional content. Avoid products with labels such as purifying, comedones, and astringent as they contain alcohol, which is not suitable for dry skin. If people with dry skin use alcohol-containing products, their skin will become drier. Apart from that, remember to drink more water, eat more vegetables and fruits to stay hydrated. You can also go for a facial treatment to stimulate the sebaceous glands in order to nourish the skin.

4. Combination of Dry and Oil Skin Type

As the name implies, the combination skin type is a combination of dry and oily skin on one face. Hence, this skin type has the characteristics of both dry and oily skin as the distribution of sebaceous and sweat glands is not even. The T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) is usually more oily, while the skin on the cheeks is either normal or dry.

To address this issue, separate the skincare for the T-zone and the cheeks. Use water-based products on T-zone and oil-based products on the cheeks. According to Wong, most morning skincare products are water-based and have a higher water content, whereas most night skincare products are oil-based and have a higher nutritional value.

5. Acne Skin Type

Acne skin resembles oily skin in appearance, being bright, greasy, and porous. This skin type is prone to blackheads, pimples, pustules, and scars. The primary cause of acne skin is excessive sebaceous gland secretion, which leads to bacterial infections.

To deal with this skin type, make sure to clean your face thoroughly. Wong suggests using acne cream and products that contain alcohol which helps to remove oil and reduce inflammation. "However, if your acne is too severe, do seek for a doctor and take antibiotics to kill the bacteria," Wong said.

6. Aging Skin Type

Aging skin, as the name implies, is skin that is growing older. Every Tom, Dick and Harry will go through this when they grow older. Aging skin has a rough and dull appearance. People with this skin type will have wrinkles, skin laxity, and some might have eye bags or swollen eyes. "It's inescapable because everyone eventually gets old," said Wong.

However, Wong does have some tips for dealing with this type of skin. She recommends using products with higher nutritional value that can help in increasing metabolic rate. Collagen, for example, can help to repair skin laxity, while ginseng can stimulate dry cells to moisturize the skin.

7. Sensitive Skin Type

Sensitive skin is often reddish in colour. The reason for this is that the skin tissues are thinner and more translucent than normal skin. The skin will grow more reddish when exposed to sunlight or when the surrounding temperature is high.

To protect this type of skin, try to prevent prolonged exposure to sunlight. Also, remember to use sunscreen more frequently to protect your skin. Another piece of advice from Wong is to avoid using products that contain powerful chemical ingredients such as Alpha Hydroxyl Acid (AHA) or Glycolic acid as they will irritate your skin.

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

To summarise, our skin can be classified into seven types, and it is necessary for every individual to understand their skin type in order to protect it. Wong claims that although she can provide general guidance for all skin types, each skin is still unique in its own way. It is best to consult with a professional beautician to learn more about your skin type and which products are the best for you. “Also, do not put too much trust in advertisements,” said Wong. "Do not buy products based on advertisements as they might not be suitable for your skin type. You may suffer from skin problems in the future if you use skincare products that are not suitable for your skin type," she warned. Hence, remember to be more careful, or you will end up crying over spilled milk.

Written by Fionna Lee