Beautiful skin is often attributed to healthy eating, a skincare regimen of layering the right products and staying hydrated. And while all those facts are true, the role of genetics in skin health is important in understanding your skin type and its unique needs. Genetics heavily influence the type of skin you have whether it is normal, oily, dry or combination. Genes are a basic unit of heredity that live within the DNA on long structures called chromosomes that communicate with your DNA to produce certain proteins. DNA then creates those proteins and additionally makes a copy called RNA that tells the proteins what to do. Because skin is made up of mostly proteins with different functions, genetics plays a major part in overall skin health. Knowing your skin type will help your inherited proteins resist environmental factors and skin cell death, more commonly known as signs of aging. 

Determining your skin type is the first step to achieving your most radiant complexion. While there are many skin conditions, including sensitivity, there are 4 main skin types: normal, oily, dry and combination skin. While everyone’s skin is different and takes on different guises based on age, stress, hormones and diet, your true skin type is determined by your genes. As the largest organ in the body, skin performs a variety of functions from regulating body temperature to protecting itself against germs, especially when it comes to the most visible and outermost layer of skin, also known as the skin barrier. Understanding your skin type and its unique needs will help the skin barrier to reach its full potential. 

After washing your face with a mild cleanser, pat it dry and leave it product and makeup free for at least an hour. With clean hands, feel your skin, notice the texture and feel. Normal skin will look the same as it did immediately after cleansing. Texture will be balanced with no shine, no dry patches and few visible pores. Oily skin will start to look shiny or greasy especially around the t-zone within this timeframe. You can also blot the skin to see if oil is left behind. Dry skin after cleansing without any moisturizer for an hour will begin to feel tight and itchy. Unlike oily skin with overactive sebaceous glands that produce too much sebum, dry skin produces less sebum, oils and lipids, which naturally moisturize and hydrate the skin. Combination skin is the most common skin type of all, leaving the skin with an unbalanced production of sebum. 

To achieve perfect skin and work with the pros and cons of the genetic skin you were given, make sure you hydrate the skin, eliminate inflammation, regulate pigmentation and block aging factors. For a comprehensive and effective skin care routine with the right treatments to remedy barriers to skin health, visit a board-certified dermatologist at THE CENTER for Advanced Dermatology. Book your appointment by calling 602-867-7546 or choosing a day and time at WEBSITE.