Skin is Not Just Skin

Being in skincare, nothing annoys me more than hearing people say ridiculous things like, "skin is just skin." It is not. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and how you treat your skin is an indicator of how the rest of your body will react. Skin is not just skin as there are differences. Let's talk the difference in skin types, a clear example that skin is not just skin.

Normal Skin:

Normal skin is skin that doesn't really break out. Your skin doesn’t attract dirt or bacteria. Normal skin is the skin envy of everyone else. It rarely experience breakouts or flaky skin and all you ever really do is wash it. If you have normal skin, congratulations!

A basic natural skincare routine for your skin type would be to:

• Wash twice daily with any natural soap
• Use a toner after light oil after toning
• Exfoliate maybe once a week or lightly once a day if you use a light washcloth. This helps to remove dead skin cells and prevent the rare breakouts you get.

Oily Skin:

Oily skin simply means your sebaceous (face) glands produce too much sebum, the natural oil your skin produces. This makes your pores clog as it attracts dirt and bacteria, which then cause breakouts on your face. Oily skin is super prone to hyperpigmentation and is one of the most common skin types that people have.

A basic natural skincare routine for your skin type would be to:

• Wash daily with any natural soap.
• After washing, use a toner to remove excess dirt and to lighten the pores so toxins don't get in.
• Moisturize with a light oil after toning because toners can be drying to your face and cause your face to peel. You don't need much because your skin naturally produces enough. A little goes a really long way.
• Exfoliate two to three times a week or lightly once a day if you use a light washcloth. This helps to remove dead skin cells and prevent acne from coming on board.

Dry Skin:

Dry skin occurs when your sebaceous glands don’t produce enough sebum, the oil your skin naturally produces, causing the skin to flake and turn red with irritation. Dry skin is what makes your skin look ashy. Wrinkles are more visible with dry skin because it lacks elasticity.

A basic natural skincare routine for your skin type would be to:

• Wash daily with any natural soap.
• Moisturize often. If you're moisturizing your body, you can moisturize with a body butter. For your face, use a light oil as you don't want your glands overproducing.
• Exfoliate no more than twice a week so as to not irritate your skin when it is dry and to give your skin time to heal and produce healthy sebum.

Combination Skin:

As if one weren’t enough, some people deal with two types of skin with double the trouble. Combination skin is dry in some places and oily in others. For example, you'll have oily skin on the forehead which causes breakouts, while still having dry skin around the nose, which is red and flaky. For people who have combination skin, you’ll have to treat your skin differently for each symptom. Use more moisturizers or oil where your skin is dry, and use more astringents and toner where your skin is oily.

A basic natural skincare routine for your skin type would be to:

• Wash twice a day with any natural soap.
• Moisturize often. If you're moisturizing your body, you can moisturize with a body butter. For your face, use a light oil as you don't want your glands overproducing.
• Exfoliate no more than twice a week so as to not irritate your skin when it is dry and to give your skin time to heal and produce healthy sebum.

Sensitive Skin:

Sensitive skin is genetic. It's what you are born with. This means that from birth you are sensitive to sunlight, chemicals, the weather, heat, cold or fragrances. When exposed, sensitive skin becomes inflamed and irritated easily and often.

A basic natural skincare routine for your skin type would be to:

• Use products made for sensitive skin
• Keep your skin moisturized because dry skin can exasperate the problem
• Wear sunscreen when going outside to protect your skin

So, as you can see skin is not just skin. It is made up of five different types. It is important not to be so cavalier about your skin and really pay attention to the type you have and treat it well.