It is vital to understand the basic traits and needs of your skin in order to properly care for it. Depending on your genetic characteristics, you may fall within these 5 common skin types: Normal, Oily, Dry, Sensitive or Combination.

Many of today’s skin care products are developed for and classified by skin type. As you can imagine, using products that are not formulated for your skin type is not ideal because the products might be ineffective or even harm your skin.

At The Center for Advanced Dermatology, we understand that your skin is unique. To help you identify your skin type, here is a general overview of the five common types:

Normal Skin: Skin that is considered normal is soft, smooth and has an even tone. This skin is radiant, has good circulation, and does not have any traces of excess sebum (natural oils). Additionally, normal skin types have small to medium sized pores, retain a normal level of moisture and rarely experience blemishes or breakouts.

Most individuals with a normal skin type can follow a basic skincare regimen.

Oily Skin: An oily skin type is usually easy to identify; the skin often appears moist and shiny (especially at midday, when oil is at its peak). These traits stem from an overproduction of sebum oils from the skin’s sebaceous glands. Individuals with oily skin tend to have clogged and relatively large pores. Oily skin is prone to both noninflammatory acne (blackheads and whiteheads) and inflammatory acne (pimples and cystic zits).

It is vital for people with oily skin type to cleanse their skin regularly and use products that are not oil-based. Toners, exfoliators and spot treatments are also great products for those with oily skin.

Knowing Your Skin Part Two to be continued.