AU NATURALE

It is important to take care of your entire body. However, taking care of yourself is more than just exercising and dieting. One of the most important parts of your body is the skin. Skin care is important because our skin is the largest barrier we have against infections. Keeping our skin healthy, clean, and moist helps keep the barrier strong. When skin gets dry or irritated by things such as harsh soaps, etc, cracks can occur in the skin. And as you know, that’s no good.

So, before finding out how to avoid this, it is important to know what type of skin you even have.

There are five skins types: Normal, Oily, Dry, Sensitive, and Combination. Here are some ways to identify each category.

Normal

• Neither oily nor dry
• Very few discolorations or variances in tone/pigment
• Blemish free
• Appears smooth and clear – pores are barely visible

Oily

• Shiny appearance
• Enlarged pores
• Prone to acne and blackheads

Dry

• Flaky, dry, or red patches
• Tight appearance with small pores
• Looks dull or lackluster
• Wrinkles and lines may appear more easily

Sensitive

• Blotchy patches
• Redness spots
• Prone to irritation and rashes
• Broken capillaries
• May feel burning or itching

Combination

• Areas around chin, forehead and nose may be oily
• Areas around eyes, hair and jaw lines often dry
• Prone to blackheads
• Large pores

If even after reading this you are unsure which is your skin type, there is a way to test it out. Simply wash your face then pat dry. Then afterwards, leave your face alone for a few hours without placing any makeup or products on. Using blotting oil paper, dab it on one area at a time in order to see what oil is produced (if any).

Now that you know your skin type, what can you do to protect and maintain healthy skin?

Normal skin, although being the least problematic type, still requires cleaning, nourishing, and moisturizing. In the morning, you can refresh your skin with rose water, natural cucumber toner, or an alcohol-free astringent tonic. Anything that you use on this skin type, such as a cream or facial lotion should be mild and non-greasy. Before bed, also make sure to use a mild soap.

For oily skin the focus is on removing excess oil from it, hydrating, cleaning enlarged pores, and preventing or treating acne. Cleansers are good for this skin type, such as an astringent, citrus-based cleanser. Mild soaps and non-greasy lotions are again beneficial. In case of acne, you can try to remove sugar and other carbohydrates from your diet and make sure not to eat any processed foods.

Dry skin requires more thorough care because of being prone to flaking, irritation, and fast aging. If you have this skin type, use only natural and rich skin-care products. Products that are good for dry skin are shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, or even try a soothing chamomile moisturizer.

Sensitive skin is always very dry and irritated, this is why you should take a very thorough care of it using the above tips for dry skin. Another product besides the chamomile moisturizer is a soothing green tea extract.

Lastly, there is the combination skin type. Combination skin may be complicated to manage, because it has both oily and dry areas each requiring different care. The trick is to use the oily skin tips (mentioned above) for the facial areas of oily skin (usually, on the forehead and nose) and to apply the dry skin tips to the areas of dry skin (around the eyes and on the cheeks). A skin softening, rosemary extract is also nice for combination skin.

I hope these tips and tricks for healthier skin were helpful. ‘Till next time, take care of yourself from the inside out.