Understanding your skin type is important for more than just choosing the right skincare products. Different types of skin can also be prone to different skin conditions or more susceptible to sun damage. Understanding these risks can enable you to take better care of your health.
Dry or Oily
When we consider different types of skin, we are usually thinking about how dry or oily our skin is as this is something we often see on skincare products. Our skin type can change depending on our environment, skincare routine and health, but it will usually fit into one of the following categories:
- Normal: well balanced skin that looks and feels healthy
- Oily: produces lots of sebum and can look shiny or feel oily, associated with spots and acne as excess oil can block the follicles
- Dry: produces less protective sebum and can feel rough or flaky, can be more vulnerable to allergens as it lacks the protective layer of oil, and is associated with eczema
- Combination: is oily in some areas (usually the forehead and nose) and dry in others
Sensitive Skin
Different types of skin can also react differently to allergens and irritants. If you have sensitive skin then you are more likely to suffer from redness, irritation and allergic rashes so it is important to be very careful about the products that come in contact with your skin.
Sun Sensitivity
Another significant different in skin types is how easily it burns. If you have fair skin that burns easily then you more likely to be affected by conditions such as age spots, actinic keratoses and skin cancer. However this doesn’t mean that you can just relax if you have darker skin. You are still susceptible to sun damage so you need to take the appropriate steps to protect yourself. Understanding your skin type should help you to recognize how long you can stay in the sun without burning and which sun cream you should choose.
