How To Understand Your Skin Type

The first step in any skin care journey is understanding what type of skin you have. Your skin is your everyday garment, you don't take it off so you must show care for it.

With a good understanding of the kind of skin you have, you will know what to apply and not to apply; your knowledge will form a basis of your personal skin care rountine

Skin by general definition is the outermost covering of the human body. There are various skin types; Basically 4.

1) The Normal skin " o!! I really wish.

2) The Oily skin "super prune to acne and skin disorders"

3) The Dry Skin

4) The Combination skin

You can fall under any of this categories, but you hear people say "their skin is sensitive" Skin sensitivity is not a skin type but can be placed as a skin condition

As we go on you will get to understand the factors that could make your skin sensitive

A sensitive skin condition occurs when the skin is more prone to inflammation and reactions. Individuals experiencing this sensitivity should avoid whatever that make their skin sensitive like oil.

Essential oils in skin care products; essential oils are of various types. They are actually beneficial in producing skin care products. Like tea tree essential oil works for acne. Lemon and any citrus essential oil lightens up the skin.

Note this, please don't use any lemon product without a sunscreen to top it. lemon is photosensitive, so therefore you shouldn't be using a skincare product containing lemon or its essential oil in the afternoon or daylight it will cause sunburn and this is for all skin types. Also, If you are experiencing skin sensitivity, please check your bathing soap to be sure a chemical known as Sodium Lauryl sulphate (SLS) isn't present. Avoid alcohol based products too.

How do we now identify your skin type? Its a practical thing.

1) Preferably at night really it depends on you. Get a soft toilet soap and with it wash your face and rinse.

2) Gently wipe the water off from your face, ( NOTE: Using the same towel you use to clean your body on your face isn't too good. So get a soft towel to use specially for your face)

3) Make sure you are not in an air conditioned room or under a rolling fan.

4) After 45 minutes, look at your face in the mirror what do you notice.

5) Pick a tissue paper( toilet roll) and use it to wipe your fore head. Stop✋ what do you see

6) Wipe your chin and lower jaw.

RESULTS

For a normal skin: There would be no traces of oil on the face at all, no flakiness, it will feel comfortable and normal.

For an oily skin: From the mirror you will already see it shining, and with the tissue you will see oil residues.

For Dry skin: No oil will be seen, you will feel a kind of tightness in your skin, and may notice a flaky area. Many time there's a folding at the fore head of an individual with a dry skin.

For a combination skin: You will notice oil around the T -Zone (T- Zone; forehead, lower jaw, nose).

How To Care For Your Skin

1) I will like us to know that skin care is beyond bathing and using good products. Eating healthy and stress management are ways to care for the skin.

2) Managing stress is a way to care for the skin as an mismanaged stress can make your skin *sensitive* and trigger acne breakout.

3) Excessive use of hot water and long showers removes oil from the skin, can tamper with the skin microbiota of microflora. Microbiota/Microflora refers to beneficial microorganisms that stay in the skin or any body part, some stay in out gut.

Instead of hot water, use warm water. The hot water thing has been argued over and over, I've heard people say" hot water kill bacterias and viruses" And am like why do you use soap to bathe. Please keep your bath water warm.

4) Protecting your skin from the sun, is also a way to care for the skin. In this part of Africa it is almost impossible😁😝😝 That why they are mild sunscreen skin care product will help In that area.

Do you have a job that makes you stay outdoor late, please when you are getting a body cream. Ensure it has sunscreen. Zinc oxide and Titanium oxide are the most common mild sunscreens. If that's in you cream it will go a long way in wrestling sunburn.

Let's us all understand our skin so that we will be able to take care of it and look healthy.

I hope you find this article informative.

Thanks for reading