What Is Your Skin Type?
I thought it was important to start off with skincare because it is almost impossible to create a beautifully natural makeup look without understanding and taking the best care of your skin. Knowing as much as you can about your skin and your skin type will also help you when you purchase skin care products like facial cleanser, face moisturizer, etc. All skin care products aren’t created equally and don’t be fooled by price tags! Just because a product is expensive; that doesn’t mean that it works better. I’ve tried some amazing drug store/lower priced skincare products that worked amazing on my skin. Some worked just as good as luxury items or even better! So don’t be intimidated by skincare if you feel like it’s out of your price range. There is great skincare for every price bracket.
Most skincare products are created for people with these 5 different skin types, oily, dry, normal, combination, sensitive. People with oily skin usually are more prone to getting pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. They may have large pores and find their foundation not lasting throughout the day. They may notice their face being very oily in their T-Zone area. People with dry skin may often feel like their skin gets itchy and tight especially after cleansing. Their skin may get rough, flaky, or red patches sometimes. People with combination skin may be dry in the cheeks and oily in the T-zone. They may also find that some products work well in one area on their face but may irritate another area on the face. People with sensitive skin may get irritated easily. They may have allergic reactions to some beauty products, sunburn easily. People with normal skin often find that their skin is just feels balanced and looks supple without using a moisturizer. They almost never get breakouts, they aren’t easily irritated by products, and they have a very even skin tone.
Many people of color have hyperpigmentation as well as having any of these 5 skin types. Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of the skin in patches or all over. Hyperpigmentation is commonly found around the eyes and the mouth. Hyperpigmentation can just be hereditary or be caused by some type of trauma on the skin such as sun exposure, acne, burns, etc.
When going off to buy skincare products; it's important to use products on your skin that will help it thrive and be the best it can be. Buying products that cater to your skin's needs are extremely important because it is easy to do harm to your skin by using the wrong products and it’s even more common to use products on your skin that do nothing at all for your skin.
There are some key words to be mindful of when buying skincare products. If a product is hydrating; this is usually a great product for someone with dry and oily skin. Both dry and oily skin is a sign of lack of hydrating, therefore one skin type is overcompensating and producing too much oil (sebum) while the other isn’t producing enough. Oil free products, especially oil free cleansers and gel or foaming cleansers are great for someone with oily skin and combination skin. Cream, oil cleansers will be great for someone with dry skin because it will give the skin some moisture without stripping it of its natural oils. Exfoliators are great for people with hyperpigmentation so that they can remove the layers of the dark marks on their skin. Be mindful on what kinds of exfoliators that you do use because MOST exfoliators on the market are extremely harsh on facial skin and can cause a lot of irreparable damage. Stay away from nut exfoliators, or very rough beeding exfoliators because they create micro tearing on the face causing us to have premature fine lines, wrinkles, even scarring which leads to MORE HYPERPIGMENTATION and trust me, no one wants that. People with sensitive skin should stick to more natural or “clean” beauty products. Products that are vegan friendly and even cruelty free often are great for people with sensitive skin. These products are often created for people who like to look at the ingredient list of products and know exactly what is in their products. This is no shade to the people who aren’t as picky when it comes down to buying skin care, but people who have sensitive skin have had to learn the hard way over the years about what ingredients to avoid; therefore they happen to be more cautious when picking up beauty products. Skincare products often are labeled that they are great for people with sensitive skin but if they are not; try to stick to products that have more natural ingredients like natural oils, shea butter, honey, milk, aloe vera, etc. People with combination skin need to stick to gentle products that help balance out skin.
I hope all this information is helpful and makes it easier to figure out what exactly your skin is telling you by how it behaves. In my next post we will talk about what a basic skin care regime for all skin types consist of. I will even recommend products for your specific skin types needs. Make sure you’re subscribed, comment, like & share! I’ll see you in my next post! Thank you all so much for reading!
