Skin Types

There are five basic skin types: Normal, Oily, Dry, Combination and Sensitive.

Normal Skin: The normal skin type is healthy skin that has a natural balance. This skin type is usually even-toned and the colour seems to be consistent.

Oily Skin: A person with an oily skin type will have a significant amount of oil on their skin surface. They will also have enlarged pores and small bumps. This type of skin can easily get clogged pores if excess skin care products are added to it.

Dry Skin: Dry skin usually feels tight and is flaky or scaly. Pores are almost invisible but the complexion is rough and dull. Dry skin is often less elastic accompanied by red patches and visible lines.

Combination Skin: The T-zone shines and is usually oily. The combination skin type has enlarged pores in this area along with some impurities like blackheads but the cheeks are dry.

Sensitive Skin: These people experience rashes on their skin when exposed to certain fabrics or chemicals. There is an increased chance of experiencing sunburn on the skin and may even show signs of aging like dryness and wrinkles at a young age.

Why Normal Skin is the Best Skin Type?

Normal skin is the best because there are no serious skin issues associated with this type of skin. But an average human being usually has oily, dry or combination skin type. So, it is important to know the basic differences between these skin types so as to take effective care of them.

Here are some of the main features of the normal skin type:

It's never too dry or oily
You have an all-year-round glow
It's not too sensitive
It's beautiful if aged well
It's the most common skin type
It suits any complexion or hair colour
It can exude a wide range of natural looks
It has fewer breakouts, fewer sunspots & fewer wrinkles
Your foundation stays longer on this skin type
Having normal skin gives you a lot of freedom to experiment with your style

Everyone's skin is unique and has its own needs and therefore there is no single skin type that would be ideal for everyone. We all can agree that the normal skin type is the best. Normal skin has a texture that makes it look healthy, glowing and vibrant.

When people have normal skin, they have good elasticity which means they have a supple and smooth texture with a balanced level of natural oils. Normal skin is a good combination of sebum which helps keep the natural moisture in the skin and oil which helps keep the moisture hydrated. The balanced level of sebum and oil helps to keep the moisture hydrated throughout the day without causing too much shine or oiliness.

Think of how your skin works: it's supposed to keep the outside world outside and keep you safe from infections and diseases. That's why it needs a solid barrier between you and the world out there. Normal skin is made of dead cells that have sloughed off regularly. Dead cells don't absorb much in the way of nutrients, so they pretty much just let water pass through them. This gives normal skin a healthy glow.

Normal skin type has the highest rate of skin turnover, which means it's always cleaning, repairing and refreshing itself. Normal skin can keep everything in check because it's well-moisturized and generally produces a good amount of oil. The downside of having a normal skin type is that you may suffer from acne or oily T-zones, but it's a small price to pay to have a clear, healthy complexion.

How do Skin Types determine Skin Conditions?

Both internal and external factors like climate, pollution, medication, hereditary factors, stress, levels of sebum, hormonal changes, etc play a major role in determining different skin conditions and the skincare choices that you make.

You need to choose skincare products according to your skin type and skin condition. Dermatologists and other skincare experts can also help you in measuring the degree of severity of your condition and suggest some products with active ingredients that will aid you with your skincare regimen.

Signs of Ageing: Our skin types keep evolving throughout our life and the time when we have an oily skin type is usually during the teenage years but can find their way post-puberty as well. As all skin types age someday or the other, the skin loses volume and density. Fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, hyperpigmentation start to occur and it is important to understand these signs in order to take proper care of the skin.

Skin Colour: Skin colour and ethnicity influences how our skin reacts to external factors such as sun, pollution, etc. Basic skin colour is determined by the density of the epidermis and the distribution of melanin. The redness of the skin is also a useful measure of skin colour because it indicates how successful our circulation is. This can eventually help in identifying conditions such as rosacea.

Skin Sensitivity: Sensitive skin gets easily irritated by different internal and external factors. For some people, sensitive skin is a permanent condition and for others, sensitivity is triggered by certain agents. It usually occurs when the skin’s natural barrier function is compromised. This leads to loss of water which then allows penetration of irritants into the skin.

Take Away

Normal skin is the skin that is neither dry nor moist. It is the best skin type for it is supple, shiny, and feels good on touch.

Dry skin, on the opposite side of the spectrum, lacks oil quantity and looks dull, rough and flaky. Moist skin, on the other hand, has excess oil and looks shiny and greasy.

Normal skin is usually genetically determined. Some of us are blessed with this skin type. Those who are not can undergo certain treatments to get it back. Mars by GHC has a special range that contains certain ingredients that are beneficial not just for normal skin but all skin types.