Types of Skin and factors affecting skin type

Your skin is the largest organ of you body. It protects your body from external influences, senses the environment with nerves and hair, eliminates toxins and helps control internal temperature through sweat.

The most common Skin types are:

Normal, Oily, Acne, Dry, Damaged, Mature, Sensitive and Combination

• Dry: Small pores and dull finish, forms expression lines, especially around eyes and mouth, easier than other types.
• Normal: Healthy looking texture with smooth finish and small pores. It is not easily irritated and blemishes are rare.
• Combination: Healthy looking skin with smooth texture. Usually t-zone is oily and the cheeks are dry. This is the most common skin type. Products that balance the complexion are recommended to use.
• Oily: Shiny appearance and larger pores than other skin types, more prone to blemishes and clogged pores. Less wrinkles are formed than other skin types.
• Sensitive Skin: This type of skin may be easily irritated by soaps, touch, or other substances in the environment. It may be thin, dry, with fine pores. It may become red and damaged easily, while appearing blotchy and irritated. Broken capillaries and vessels beneath the surface may be apparent

Factors that Influence Skin Type

Climate/Weather - Cold, warm, humid or dry weather will all affect your skin. Cold/Dry environments will takeaway moisture from the skin causing it to be dry and vitamin deficient, whereas humid environments will cause sweating and excess body moisture leading to oily/acne prone skin.

Water- The type of water you use to bathe and wash your face does affect your skin. If you live in the city you will likely use chlorine treated water. This type of water dries and depletes the skin. Whereas, those with water softeners will have water with a high salt ratio and usually no harsh chemicals added.

Sun Exposure - Every person needs a little sun in their daily life to create valuable Vitamin D. Most can achieve this with about 5 to 15 minutes a day of sun exposure. But lots of sun exposure can damage the skin.

Hormones - Women and men have hormonal fluctuations that will definitely change their skin. At puberty the body goes through radical changes and it is common for excess sebum and acne to appear.

Genetic predisposition - Every person is likely to have an inclination to one type of skin or another. Fair (light) skin tends to be drier, shows age and freckles/burns easily. Darker skin has more natural sun protection, ages gracefully, but has a higher sebum production.

Smoking –Smoking actually causes external and internal damage. Smoking depletes the body's nutrients and hinders the immune system. Toxins build within the body which will be apparent in the skin.

Diet/Nutrition - You've likely heard the expression 'You are what you eat.' This simple fact will be apparent in your skin. Eating unhealthy foods like those high in sugar, carbohydrates and fats, as well as those with artificial ingredients will lead to toxins building up within the body.

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