“If I only had your skin,” my friend said before math class began. She was complaining about her dry, flaky skin. My other friend turned around and said, “Yeah, mine’s way too oily.” They both stared at me like I had some magical secret I wasn’t sharing with them. My secret? I didn’t have one. My skin was oily in places and dry in others.
However, I did know a few tips about keeping skin looking its best. I’m not saying I never had a breakout or blemish. I got them on occasion. But at least I knew how to keep breakouts to a minimum by caring for my skin and all its dry and oily patches.
Skin care starts with body care. It’s important to drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day to keep your skin and body hydrated. Get a good night’s rest and exercise two to three times a week. Walking is great exercise, and it helps keep stress hormones down. Though stress doesn’t cause acne, it can make it worse.
Regardless of what skin type you have, you should always protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays by avoiding sun exposure and using a sunscreen with a SPF rating of 15 or higher. Remember, you need to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before being in the sun. Now you’re ready to discover your skin type and learn how to make your skin, no matter the color, the best it can be!
Determining Your Skin Type
Which of these best describes your skin?
Dry skin: Skin feels dry, tight, chapped and rough. Skin is flaky and sometimes cracks or peels. Often dry skin feels sensitive because it lacks moisture.
Oily skin: Skin feels greasy and oily. Areas of your skin may be very shiny, and sometimes pores appear large and darkened.
Combination skin: Skin around the nose, forehead and chin are oily while the cheeks are dry and flaky. Combination skin comes in two general types.
1. Oily-to-combination skin: Characterized by an oily chin, nose and forehead
2. Normal-to-combination skin: Characterized by an oily chin and nose but a drier forehead
Tips for Dry Skin Care
The key is to keep water from escaping your skin. Once your skin is dry and flaking, you can’t add more water back into it. So fight dry skin by keeping it hydrated from the start.
Do
• Wash your face at night.
• Use a splash of cool water in the morning but avoid extra cleansing.
• Thoroughly wash off soaps and cleansers.
• Lightly pat your face dry, leaving it slightly damp.
• Rub petroleum jelly or Vaseline on dry patches of skin at night. Wipe off any remaining residue in the morning.
Don’t
• Use antibacterial or deodorant soaps.
• Use products with alcohol, which can further dry out your face.
• Vigorously rub or scrub your face with a washcloth or towel.
Other Tips
• Apply moisturizing creams or lotions to slightly dampen your skin to seal in moisture.
• An alternative to petroleum jelly is a moisturizing cream that’s more oil-based than water-based.
• Move your bed away from any heater vents to prevent hot air from blowing on your face.
Tips for Oily Skin Care
The key is to keep oil and dirt from building up and clogging your pores. Since the amount of oil your body makes is determined in part by genetics, you have to help keep the oil under control to reduce breakouts.
Do
• Use warm water and soap to wash your face twice a day.
• Use a mild cleanser or astringent to remove excess oil.
• Use water-based cosmetics or those labeled “non-comedogenic.”
• Remove all makeup before going to bed.
• Use a lightweight, water-based moisturizer.
Don’t
• Use oil-based cosmetics, cold creams or lotions.
• Scrub your face with hot water or harsh cleansers. These irritate your skin, making it dry and red.
• Overuse astringents and cleansers. Overdrying your face can stimulate oil production.
Other Tips
• Lightly tap your forehead with baby powder to reduce shininess.
• Carry astringent pads to touch up your nose, chin and forehead during the day instead of repeated washings.
• Use a cloth headband to pull your hair back from your forehead at night.
• Try wearing lip gloss or mascara only to give your skin a break from cosmetics.
Tips for Combination Skin Care
The key is to treat your skin as two different types. Treat the oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and also treat the dry cheek zone.
Do
• Wash your face one or two times a day using a gentle cleanser for combination skin.
• Use products designed for combination skin.
• Use toners or astringents only on oily patches.
• Apply a light, oil-free lotion on dry cheeks at night.
• Use water-based cosmetics and remove them before going to bed at night.
Don’t
• Overwash your face. Dry areas will become drier and oily areas will compensate by making more oil.
• Vigorously scrub oily areas, as they will only produce more oil.
• Treat your skin the same way by using the same products over your entire face.
Other Tips
• Combination skin patches tend to change with age, seasons, stress and environmental factors, so re-evaluate your skin frequently and change your treatment as needed.
• Use a cloth headband to pull your hair back from your forehead at night.
• Pay careful attention to the area around your nose where dry flakes sometimes stick to the oil in the creases around your nose.
