Normal (balanced) skin:  Balanced skin feels comfortable with occasional imbalances toward oily in the T-Zone, dryness in the cheeks, or possible spot blemishes. It is moist to the touch, supple yet toned, usually evenly pigmented, and has a good oil and water balance. Balanced skin is characterized by medium sized pores in the T-Zone changing to smaller toward the edges of the face. The test for the perfect amount of moisture is to be able to put the palm of your clean hand flat to your cheek and lift off feeling “tackiness,” or slight sticking to the skin. This is what we call “dewy”. The goal of all skin is to feel dewy to the touch.

Oil-rich skin:  Oil-rich skin is shiny and can be blemish prone or slightly blemished. It is characterized by large pores and excessive oil over most of the face. You know who you are: by about 10 a.m. you feel greasy. Oil-rich skin is more prone to blemishes and blackheads because the pores get clogged with oil and dead skin build-up, harboring bacteria. This excess of oil and build-up can make the skin appear thicker and dull.

Combo skin:  Combo skin can be dry, oily and balanced all at the same time, in different areas. The cheeks feel comfortable with moistness to the touch but not excessively oily, or can be dry and flaky. In the T-Zone, however, there is usually noticeable oil. This can create an atmosphere conducive to blackheads and blemishes. Combo skin overall is supple with an evenness of pigmentation. It is characterized by larger pores in the T-Zone changing to medium sized toward the edges of the face.

Dry skin:  Dry skin is tight and can be flaky and rough to the touch with no noticeable moisture. It can also be easily irritated or inflamed. In cause, dry skin is different than dehydrated skin, but both may produce the same symptoms. Causally, dry skin is lacking sebum (oil), whereas dehydrated skin is lacking only hydration (water). Dry skin is characterized by small to invisible pores with minimal sebum. Dehydrated skin can be seen in all skin types, but is most commonly found with dry skin. One telltale sign of dehydrated skin is a noticeable pinching of the skin in the forehead next to the eyebrows. Temporarily dry and dehydrated skin can be caused by many circumstances both internal and external, such as, weather, topical agents, medications, caffeine, alcohol or not drinking enough water. Dry skin can also be caused by using products that are too harsh and strip the skin of its natural oils. This can happen even to naturally oily skin.