What is my skin type?

[Jasminex]

how do you guys find out what is your skin type? i can never figure mines out. i tried googling and its confusing

 

[divadoll]

I found this for you.  I hope it helps...

Mine tends to be more sensitive.

What Type of Skin Do You Have?
Find out the difference between oily, normal, dry skin
There are five basic skin care types: Oily, combination, sensitive, dry and sun-damaged. Your skin type is determined by how much -- or how little -- oil your skin produces. Genes, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all determine how much oil your skin produces.

Rona Berg, in her book, "Beauty the New Basics," details the five different skin types. Here's how to tell what skin type you have.

Berg suggests you take the "skin test." Wash your face, pat it dry, then take a few pieces of rice paper or lens-cleaning tissue paper and press on different spots on your face. If your skin is oily, the paper will stick, pick up oily spots and become translucent. If the paper doesn't stick or pick up any oily spots, your skin is dry. If it sticks in your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) then you have combination (or normal) skin. About 70 percent of women have combination skin.
Here are the five different skin types and their characteristics.

• Type 1: Oily Oily skin tends to shiny with enlarged pores, and is prone to blackheads and blemishes. You might experience some tightness.
   
• Type 2: Combination/normal This skin type has medium pores, a smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone.
   
• Type 3: Sensitive Sensitive skin tends to be thin, delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily, is prone to broken capillaries, is frequently allergic and can be rashy.
   
• Type 4: Dry Dry skin feels tight, especially after cleansing. You have a tendency towards fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of color, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin buildup.
   
• Type 5: Aging or sun-damaged This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone -- especially around the cheeks and jawline -- with leathery texture and broken capillaries.

http://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/a/skintypes.htm

 

[reesesilverstar]

Good post, Diva!

I have sensitive, combo. I'm not sure about the flushing and broken capillaries part, but it gets annoyed very easily, I do get rashes sometimes too.

 

[magosienne]

Thanks Diva !

I've always seen sensitive skin as a "bonus" (sorry for the bad choice of word here) skintype rather than a purely separate one, because you can have normal, dry, combination skin and have a sensitive skin.

 

[Dragonfly]

The following is from:

The Skin Type Solution 2006 by Dr Leslie Baumann MD Dermatologist

http://www.baumannstore.com/           Or you might be able to get her book from the library at no cost.

Which of the 16 skin types are you?

Dry (D) vs. Oily (O)
Oily skin appears shiny, and those who have it may prefer gel- or powder-based cosmetic products, as moisturizers feel greasy. Dry skin may appear dull and rough; dry skin types find moisturizer soothing and gravitate toward creamy makeup. Many people assume this parameter is solely affected by oil production, but the condition of your skin barrier - the moisture-retaining outer layer of skin - is equally important.

Sensitive (S) vs. Resistant ®
Sensitive skin flushes easily and may become red and irritated at the slightest deviation from its standard routine; it may also be prone to acne and eczema. While resistant skin sounds like an unqualified blessing, people with this type often need to use stronger products to penetrate their skin and achieve the desired effect.
 

Pigmented (P) vs. Non-Pigmented (N)
Some people believe that pigmented types are always dark-skinned, which is absolutely not the case. Anyone who experiences unwanted dark spots - melasma, sun spots, or freckles for example - is a pigmented type - in fact, 21% of visits to the dermatologist are for treatment of dark spots.

High pigment levels can lead to unsightly dark spots that don’t fade for months.

Dark spots can develop from cuts, inflammation, acne and increased Estrogen levels.

Examples are: Melasma (mask of pregnancy), Solar Lentigo (sun exposure and sun burns) and Ephelides (freckles).

Sun exposure accelerates skin’s tendency to produce pigment that creates dark spots, Melasma, sun spots and freckles.

As well, excessive heat/sun tanning can result in inflammation – which leads to dark spots where acne once was.

Avoid waxing, depilatories (Nair), peels, razors, spicy foods, saunas and tanning.

Wrinkled (W) vs. Tight (T)
Short of a crystal ball, this parameter is the best indication of how your skin will age, based on both genetic tendencies and lifestyle. You can't do much about your genes, but your daily routine can significantly affect your score on the wrinkled-tight scale: sun exposure, smoking, and poor nutrition, for example, all contribute to skin aging.

 

[Andi]

The 16 skin types thing sounds interesting. According to the list, I´m oily, resistant (I can absolutey say I need stronger products to achieve improvements in my skin) and I guess pigmented cause I tend to get post inflammatory hyperpigmentation after breakouts. Wrinkled vs tight - time will tell I guess

 

[Dragonfly]

I'm:OSPT - Oily, Sensitive (acne subtype) Pigment, Tight

Cycle of blemishes, followed by brown spots, followed by blemishes again.

Oil production helps preserve skin’s hydration.

Tight skin ages better than wrinkle prone skin

From mid-life on, skin can age better than most other skin types.

I forgot to mention that Dr Baumann's book describes how to take care of which ever four that you are.

However, I like how I take care of my skin better -just a nice, simple routine.

 

[Jacquelyn]

My skin is very dry. I always feels feels tight, especially after cleansing my face.