Is It Really Necessary To Know Your Skin Type?

Is your skin type dry, normal/combination, sensitive or oily? Whenever I ask this question and a woman answers I dont know, then she typically has normal/combination skin. Believe me, those who have dry, oily or sensitive skin know who they are.

Normal/Combination skin is the ideal and may feel slightly dry or slightly oily within 2 hours after cleansing. If your body produces oil that may be a little more or a little less than you need, you're still within the normal range. Normal to Dry combination skin has dry cheeks and a normal T zone. Normal to Oily combination skin has normal cheeks and an oily T zone.

The person with Dry skin knows that her body doesn't generate enough oil to keep her facial skin moist. The under activity of her oil glands results in skin that feels dry or tight within minutes after cleansing. This type skin has very tight pores and generally has spots of dry flakey skin.

Really shiny skin is what you can expect within a couple hours of cleansing when you have Oily skin. If this sounds like you, you probably know that your oil glands produce too much oil. This skin type is usually oily all over, is prone to acne or pimples and may have enlarged pores.

Women with Sensitive skin know their skin type because their reactions may be itching, splotchiness or swelling. Today, almost all popular cosmetic companies have developed a group of products that are hyper-allergenic. Designed to work for dry sensitive or oily sensitive skin, these products are specially formulated to be very mild and gentle.

All skin types will have some kind of unfavorable reaction if youre not using the right skin care products. You can expect extreme problems if you have very dry or very oily or sensitive skin. Dry skin may flake, peel, or even crack open. With prolonged improper care, dry skin will wrinkle 10 to 20 years ahead of the other skin types. That's why dry skin needs to begin appropriate (pH balanced) skin care as early as possible to prevent those serious, costly problems.

Oily skin will have more severe, longer lasting problems if your skin care products contain oil. There will be clogged pores, and there may be facial infections that develop into cysts due to bacteria and overgrown skin cells that stop natural follicular growth. The long lasting effects could be permanent, dark pimple spots or uneven facial surface and extremely large pores.

Sensitive skin may develop allergic reactions that resemble excema with the accompanying blotchiness and itching. Another reaction my be first degree burns and scarring from products that are too strong for your skin type. This type needs to test new products, by using it behind an ear and waiting 24 hours to see if there will be a reaction before full facial use.

The average person does not suffer from these extreme problems, but many other people do. The idea of using the most beneficial products for your skin type is that it should make your skin feel normal, not too dry, not too oily and not itchy. Once you've identified your skin type and only use the appropriate skin care items, you can minimize or eliminate those extreme problems and the added expense of a dermatologist.

More Free Body Acne Info