Identifying different skin types and conditions

Identifying different skin types and conditions

Identifying Different Skin Types

Normal Skin:

  • Balanced level of sebum production
  • Small, fine pores
  • Smooth texture with no flaky areas or excessive shine
  • Rare to experience breakouts or sensitivity
  • Has a fresh, healthy colour

Dry Skin:

  • Can feel tight, especially after cleansing
  • May have patches of flakiness and rough texture
  • Less elasticity, meaning it may show lines and wrinkles more noticeably
  • Low level of sebum, resulting in less protective oil on the skin surface
  • Has a dull, matte appearance

Oily Skin:

  • Excessive sebum production results in larger, visible pores
  • Often shiny or greasy to the touch, and need to blot or powder regularly
  • Prone to acne and blemishes due to oil and dirt clogging pores
  • Normally has a shiny appearance

Combination Skin:

  • Typically has oily T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) and normal or dry cheeks
  • Sebum production is variable, leading to combination of dry and oily skin symptoms
  • May have larger pores in the T-zone area and smaller pores on the cheeks

Sensitive Skin:

  • Often feels tight and uncomfortable
  • Can react to new products or environmental factors with redness, itching, or burning
  • Can have dry patches or breakouts
  • Prone to blushing and skin flushing

Identifying Different Skin Conditions

Acne:

  • Appears as frequent breakouts of pimples, blackheads, and or whiteheads, mostly on the face, back, and chest
  • Caused by excess sebum and dead skin cells clogging the pores

Rosacea:

  • Characterised by redness, usually on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin
  • Can have small, red, pus-filled bumps, often mistaken for acne
  • It can flare up for several weeks to months and then diminish for a while

Eczema:

  • Shows up as patches of chronically itchy, dry, thickened skin, usually on the hands, neck, face, and legs
  • If the skin is scratched, open sores can develop, which may become infected

Psoriasis:

  • Characterised by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal
  • These extra cells build up on the skin’s surface, forming red patches covered with white scales, often on the elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet
  • The patches can burn, sting, or itch.