All About Skin Types: What They Are and How to Care for Yours

Date Published: January 25, 2021

You’ve heard every beauty guru, skincare expert, and maybe even your best friend talk about skin type and how it plays a role in how you should care for your skin.

There’s a lot of lore surrounding the topic of skin types. The main skin type categories we can all agree upon in the skincare community are:

Normal
Dry
Combination
Oily
Sensitive

Of course, there are other factors that can affect the skin as well. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the telltale signs of each skin type, as well as ingredient and product recommendations for each.

AesthetiCare is a leader in the aesthetics industry. We strive to help our clients look good and feel spectacular, and we serve clients in Overland Park, Leawood, Liberty, North KC, and Kansas City. We offer many skin treatments and products to help you, whatever your skin concerns may be! Keep reading to learn how to care for all skin types and other skin conditions.

Normal Skin Type

A normal skin type is characterized by skin that is neither dry or oily. You don’t feel any itchy or flakiness, and you also don’t have oil on your forehead or other common areas. You typically don’t have many breakouts.

Normal skin type traits:

Smooth surface texture
Small pores
Minimal or no breakouts
No blemishes
No sensitivity

How to Care For a Normal Skin Type

Since your skin itself isn’t fussy, you don’t have to fuss over an elaborate skincare routine. You should follow the basic skincare routine for all skin types later on in this post!

Essentially, cleanse every day, moisturize, nourish, and use sunscreen. You can also choose to boost your skin even more with masks or facial treatments, and through a healthy lifestyle and diet (such as staying hydrated and eating skin-enhancing foods).

Dry Skin Type

A dry skin type often feels tight and irritated. You don’t naturally produce enough oil for your skin to feel balanced and hydrated.

Dry skin type traits:

Skin often flakes
Skin texture feels rough
Itchy skin

For dry skin types, it’s all about hydration and giving your skin the moisture it craves. Your routine should reflect this, so go for moisturizing cleansers or cleansing oils to soothe and hydrate your skin. A high quality medical grade hydrator is excellent for dry skin, and if you’re really dry, you can add a serum as an added step for hydration.

You can also try to replenish hydration through drinking more water, skipping long hot showers, and other things that pull moisture from your skin.

Combination Skin Type

Combination skin has the best of both worlds: dry flakes and oil overproduction Sarcasm aside, this is a very common skin type. Usually those with combination skin have dryness on the cheek area and oil on the nose and forehead (T-zone), or chin.

Combination skin type traits:

Oily in specific places but not in others, such as the forehead
Dry areas with no breakouts
Breakouts on forehead, chin, and areas prone to oil

Use a gentle cleanser that takes care of your dry skin while fighting off oil in other areas. We also recommend that you exfoliate to remove oil and skin cell buildup once a week. Products with chemical exfoliant ingredients (instead of physical abrasive exfoliants) are much more gentle and effective for the skin. Look for exfoliant products with ingredients like retinols, glycolic and salicylic acid.

Oily Skin Type

The overproduction of oil (sebum) on the face is the hallmark of an oily skin type. You may experience the most oil on the forehead and nose (the T-zone), and may also be more prone to breakouts.

Oily skin type traits:

Enlarged pores
Breakouts
Skin appears to be shiny or “greasy”

While all skin types can get breakouts, oily skin types can be a bit more susceptible to them. One of the biggest misconceptions about oily skin is that you don’t need to moisturize since you naturally produce a lot of oil. You should still moisturize your skin to help balance its hydration levels. You may also consider cleansing your face twice a day to keep oil in check.

Other Skin Conditions

Acne Prone Skin

Acne can happen to dry, oily, and combination skin types. One of the best ways to treat and alleviate your acne is with a skincare regimen designed specifically to treat acne.

A good acne skincare system will have medical grade and active ingredients. A cleanser with salicylic acid, a glycolic gel, moisturizing serum, and an acne spot treatment should all be a part of your regimen.

The Best Acne Facials in Kansas City →

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin types can react negatively to certain skincare products. Your skin may have uneven surface texture, feel itchy after wearing certain fabrics, and is generally reactive to its environment. Try to find products that include calming ingredients or are specifically formulated for sensitive skin.

The thing to keep in mind with sensitive skin is that certain ingredients may cause you to react. It’s best to pay attention to what your skin likes and doesn’t like, and find your products with this in mind.

Ingredients like synthetic fragrance can cause sensitive skin to react. You can conduct a patch test with any new product, and try to keep your skincare routine as simple as possible.

Aging Skin

As our skin ages, it becomes different in terms of what it needs from skincare. There are many anti-aging techniques to keep in mind. First, be gentle with your skin. Tugging, pulling, harsh irritants and ingredients, and sun exposure can all cause premature aging.

Exfoliating can get help reduce dead skin cells and create a more youthful skin appearance. You may also want to add a medical grade eye cream to ward off fine lines and wrinkles in this sensitive area.

Retinol is also the most well known anti-aging ingredient that uses scientifically proven technology to encourage skin cell turnover. This helps to lessen fine lines and wrinkles and significantly improve the appearance of your skin.

Our List of the Best Anti-Aging Products in Kansas City →

Rosacea

Rosacea can make your skin feel more irritated, similar to sensitive skin. Being gentle with your skin, choosing rosacea-friendly products, and protecting your skin from the sun can all help!

Rosacea-friendly products contain skin soothing ingredients such as green tea. There are antioxidant serums, gentle cleaners, and calming serums. It’s best to patch test new skincare products before applying them to your whole face, and pay attention to any products that cause irritation.

Basic Skincare Routine for All Skin Types

No matter your skin type or concerns, there are basic skincare steps that everyone should follow.

Cleanse and Remove Makeup Before Bed

We should all cleanse our skin morning and night. cleanse in the morning. Before bed is very important to get rid of any dirt and debris your skin may have come into contact with throughout the day.

If you wear makeup, this step is essential since sleeping with makeup on is known to be bad for your skin. It can trap dirt and pollutants and cause premature aging.

Use a Moisturizer

Some cleansers (but not all of them) can leave your skin feeling tight and a little uncomfortable after use. One of the tenets of good skin care is keeping your skin moisturized to prevent signs of aging! A good moisturizer will combat any tightness and leave your skin feeling plump and hydrated.

Wear SPF

You saw this coming, right? The sun’s UV rays can cause major skin damage, so you must protect your skin! This is one of the BEST ways to fight signs of aging and ward off skin cancer. Many experts recommend daily sunscreen even if you don’t plan on being outside, since UV light can penetrate car and building windows.

woman outside wearing SPF

AesthetiCare carries all types of sunscreens to cater to everyone’s needs!

No matter your skin type, you can’t go wrong with these three skincare steps!

Skin Treatments for All Skin Tones and Types →

Consult With the Skincare Experts at AesthetiCare

Not sure which products and treatments will best suit your skin type? Schedule a free consultation with a skin expert at AesthetiCare! We love all things skin, and we’ll work with you to create a customized treatment plan tailored to your needs. Whether you just want to find the right products for you, or you want to have a professional skin resurfacing or rejuvenating treatment, we’ve got you covered!

Virtual Consultation Schedule a Free Consultation

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All About Skin Types: What They Are and How to Care for Yours