Understanding your skin type - our top tips to help you look and feel better

Looking after your skin has long been considered an art, especially by those in the beauty industry who’re constantly coming up with new ideas and theories behind the latest beauty treatments. Keeping up to speed with these can be hard, especially as celebrities from all walks of life, are always keen to share their ‘latest’ beauty discoveries, which whilst interesting, often only serve to confuse matters. Even the most ardent follower would find it difficult to argue that the market is increasingly saturated with beauty products, designed to improve your appearance, reduce your apparent age and ultimately make you feel better about yourself. At Bonnie Quines we like to help people feel comfortable about their own skin.

Be comfortable in your own skin and look after it

But can you really teach an old dog new tricks? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all. The truth is actually quite logical. Know your own skin, what’s good for it, and be happy with it. And you can be. It’s simply a matter of taking some additional time to understand your skin type so that you can find the right products that work for you and combat potential skin issues without causing more problems. Firstly, did you know that there are seven basic skin types? In the following paragraphs we’ll help you identify and care for your skin, whatever type you happen to have. 

Normal

Most of us would be tempted to say we’ve normal skin. What this technically means is you don’t experience many breakouts. Your skin tends not to react negatively to new products or weather changes. Nor do you feel the need to constantly moisturise. Your skin is firm, with minimal fine lines and wrinkles. With this skin type you’ll experience almost no sensitivity, dryness or oiliness. Which means you can try most beauty products, cleansers, moisturisers and masks until you find exactly what works for you.   

Oily

If your skin always seems to be glowing, it’s likely that you’re no stranger to blotting sheets or mattifying powders and makeup and skin care products don’t always work the way you’d like them to. Whilst you’ll have fewer wrinkles you do need to avoid products that clog up your pores. And don’t be tempted to keep washing your face, as this causes more oil to be produced. Your friends here are oil-free moisturisers, exfoliants and clay masks.

Dry/Dehydrated

By contrast, dryness is caused by a lack of oil in the skin. Symptoms include flakiness, sensitivity, itchiness and cracks. It can be influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors or a chronic condition (in case of eczema or related conditions). Dehydration is the result of your skin not retaining enough moisture. Your skin may constantly feel tight, have a papery appearance or feel like it’s pinching together. To care for dry skin, applying a rich moisturiser several times each day—especially after washing your hands or bathing, will help.  Avoid using harsh soaps or products containing citrus oils or lots of fragrance. Drinking enough or more water is also a factor in keeping skin free from dryness or dehydration.

Combination 

Combination skin (a mixture of the above) is most easily defined by an oily T-zone (the strip across the forehead and the line down the nose) and dry or normal skin on the rest of the face. The name of the game with combination skin is balance. Isolate problem areas with spot treatments and use toners or balancing cream to even out the skin.

Acne Prone 

This might sound obvious, but if you get frequent breakouts (or ones that just never seem to go away), you may have acne-prone skin. This means that your pores tend to clog up easily, making you more susceptible to whiteheads, blackheads or pustules than most other skin types. You can have oily or dry skin and still be prone to acne. In this case use cleansers and topical gels specifically formulated to treat acne, as well as exfoliants and moisturisers that will help minimise breakouts. 

Sensitive

Sensitive skin is not an exact science but is often caused by genetic, allergies or environmental factors. Signs of this skin type include, flushing, rashes and bumps, stinging or burning after application of product, an allergy to fragrance or general patches of dry, flaky or irritated skin. To successfully treat sensitive skin look for products with fewer additives, and seek out those with calming, healing or anti-inflammatory properties.

Mature

This doesn’t actually mean that everyone over a certain age has mature skin, although obviously it’s a factor. While not everyone’s skin ages at the same pace, the signs are fairly universal. An increase in wrinkles, dryness, sagging, dark spots, dullness and dehydration. Maybe even the full package! Mature skin requires enhanced skin care to tackle past and future damage. There’s no wrong time to create an anti-ageing routine with restorative treatments, which can boost collagen and elastin which renews the skin.

Bonnie Quines - for all your skin and beauty needs

From pedicures to waxing, tanning to nails and facials to eyelashes and more, we’ve every treatment available to meet your individual and specific needs. And if you’re not quite sure what treatment is best for you, our specialist team of skilled therapists will be happy to advise and guide you, before making you look and feel much better. Contact us today to book an appointment with our friendly team of Quines.