It's no secret that women today will buy any number of skin care products with the hopes of fighting wrinkles and returning their skin to it's youthful glory. So popular are these products that the market is literally flooded with choices. Often times I am asked, "Which Brand works best" or something similar. The truth is, everybody has different skin, and what works best for one person may not work at all for another. Therefore, it's important to experiment with different brands and products until you find one that gives you the best results.
The first step is determining what type of skin you have. There are 5 main categories when describing skin types, which are listed below:
1. Normal Skin
A person with "normal" skin has a smooth and even look. This is achieved by having the proper balance of moisture and oil in the skin. These people have small pores, basely visible at all, and their skin does not appear dry or greasy. Generally, this skin type needs minimal maintenance and treatment to look great. Consider yourself lucky if you fall into this category, but most of us do not.
2. Dry Skin
Dry skin types are caused by the lack of moisture in the epidermis, not to mention poor sebum production of the sebaceous gland. Appearance wise, this skin type is easily spotted by it's tendency to crack and flake off. Cold weather often compounds the effects of this skin type. For this skin type, you will need to provide constant treatment in the form of a moisturizer.
3. Oily Skin
This skin type can be categorized by it's greasy appearance and feel. This is caused by an over active sebum gland, producing too much sebum. Dirt and dust will stick to this extra oil causing all sorts of problems like blackheads, whiteheads, zits, etc. The key to taming this skin type is good hygiene. Make sure to clean your skin as often as you can in order to maintain a healthy look.
4. Combination Skin
Combination skin is both oily and dry, in certain areas. If you have combination skin, then you are part of the largest skin type. The oily regions are usually located in your T zone, which is your chin, nose and forehead. The dry areas are typically the cheeks, near the mouth and eyes. The trick here is to treat each area separately with it's proper skin care technique. Special products also exist for combination skin.
5. Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin has a very fine texture and is excessively sensitive to changes in the climate. This skin type is easily irritated, bruised and/or scarred from bleaching, waxing, threading, perfumes, temperature extremes, soap, shaving creams, etc. People who belong to this skin type should avoid products with dyes, perfumes, or unnecessary chemical ingredients that may aggravate the skin.
Now that you have determined your skin type, you can put together a plan of action for maintaining a healthy epidermis. There are numerous products to choose from, so I recommend taking a look at the top 5 skin care products of 2012 first. From there, you can get an idea of which products are working well for others and their skin type. Reading through user reviews is often the best way to find products that you think will work for you.
