SKIN TYPES AND SKIN COMBINATIONS

Do you really know what 'Skin Type' Means?

When it comes to knowing your skin type, the first thing you need to do is forget everything you've heard before! What you've been taught by cosmetics salespeople, aestheticians, fashion magazines, and even some dermatologists, is likely incorrect, confusing, or designed to simply keep you buying more and more products—it all ends here!
While the typical categories of oily, dry, and combination skin are good basics, they don't address the wide variety of other problems or nuances that can affect skin type. If you have rosacea, acne, sun damage, or eczema, then these categories don't strictly apply. Plus, your skin type can change with everything from the weather to your stress levels (even your period). Why is recognizing all these factors so important? Because different skin types require different product formulations. Even more important is to realize that you can have more than one skin type: sensitive and dry, oily and blemish-prone, sun damaged with acne. The more you know about everything that affects skin type, the more you'll be able to help your skin finally look and feel as normal as possible!

What Influences Your Skin Type

Almost everything can influence skin type—both external and internal elements can and do impact the way your skin looks and feels. To effectively evaluate your skin type here are some of the factors that need to be considered, because it's possible that your skin is simply reacting to influences that are easily isolated or are within your control.

• Hormones
• Skin Disorders
• Genetic Predisposition
• Smoking & Secondhand Smoke
• Medications
• Diet
• Your Skin-Care Routine
• Stress
• Unprotected/Prolonged Sun Exposure
• Pollution
• Climate

Problem Ingredients Can Make Skin Worse

What many people don't know is that the products they use can be worsening or even creating the very skin issue they are trying to resolve. For example, many products for treating acne contain high amounts of alcohol or other irritating ingredients (peppermint, menthol, citrus) which dry and irritate your skin, triggering more oil production!
You can never know your real skin type if you are using products containing ingredients that create problems. For example, if you are using products that contain irritants you can create dry skin and still make your oily skin worse (think dry skin on top, oily underneath). If you use overly-emollient or thick-textured products you can clog pores, potentially cause or worsen milia, and prevent skin cells from exfoliating, which makes your skin look dull. If you overly scrub your skin you can damage the barrier of skin causing more wrinkles and dry skin...and on and on. In order to know for sure how your skin really behaves, you have to figure out if your products are to blame. Here are some frequent offenders found in all types of skin-care products:

• Alcohol
• Menthol
• Thick Emollients
• Pore-Clogging Waxes
• Fragrance (even those derived from essential oils)
• Abrasive Scrubbing Agents
• Harsh/Drying Cleansing Agents
• Irritants (organic & synthetic)

How to Identify Your Real Skin Type

Once you have ruled out controllable factors and rid your routine of problematic ingredients, you're getting closer to being able to determine your actual skin type. A good thing to keep in mind is that almost everyone at some time or another has combination skin. That's because the center area of your face naturally has more oil glands, so you are more likely to be oily or have clogged pores in the "T-Zone." Likewise, it is typical for some areas of your face (the eye area, around the nose) to be more sensitive.
Before you get out your mirror and have a close look, it's best to wash your face with a gentle cleanser, apply a state-of-the-art toner (loaded with antioxidants and skin-repairing ingredients), then wait two hours to see what your skin does without additional products or makeup. The chart below is a general guide to how skin behaves for that skin type—you may see any combination of the descriptions below happening on your face. It bears repeating that anyone's skin can have multiple "types," and that these types can change due to hormonal cycle, season, stress levels, etc.

Skin Behavior	Skin Type
	Oily	Combination	Acne or Blemish- Prone	Dry to Very Dry	Sensitive/ Rosacea	Eczema	Sun-Damaged	Aging/ Wrinkles	Normal
Some areas are oily & some areas are dry		✔
Most areas appear dry, flaky, matte or feel tight				✔
Redness w/ or w/o bumps (but not pimples)					✔
Moderate breakouts around hormone cycles			✔
Lines evident around eyes, mouth, and/or cheeks								✔
Persistent breakouts (some scarring)			✔
Some fine lines and/or skin discolorations							✔
Some areas have red, dry, flaky patches that swell, burn or itch						✔
4 hours after cleansing, skin has excess oil	✔
No signs of oiliness or dryness, can be sensitive.									✔

How to Choose the Right Formula

When you finally discover what your skin type(s) really is/are, you can make better decisions about the products in your skin-care routine. While all skin types can benefit from ingredients such as broad-spectrum sunscreens and antioxidants, there are skin type-specific ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide for acne, or medications for rosacea that also come in a range of textures. The base that these (or any) products are formulated in (lotion, cream, gel, serum, or liquid) should match the needs of your skin type in the area that has that concern.
As a general rule, traditional lotions or creams are best for dry to very dry skin, gels and liquids for oily or blemish-prone skin, and lighter lotions and serums are best for combination or normal skin. You may need separate products to deal with the different skin types on your face because you can't treat all skin types with the same products.

Product Texture/Base	Skin Type
	Oily	Combination	Acne or Blemish- Prone	Dry	Sensitive/ Rosacea	Eczema	Sun-Damaged	Aging/ Wrinkles	Normal
Lotion		✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Cream				✔	✔		✔	✔	✔
Gel	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Serum	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Liquid	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔			✔
Powder	✔		✔						✔

What Type of Breakout Do I Have? Pimple, Blackhead,

Whitehead, or Something Else?

Any breakout on your face is unwanted. Whether your skin erupts in some kind of bump or is dotted with blackheads, the objective is to get rid of them, and fast! The key to doing this is to figure out exactly what you're dealing with, because different breakouts require different treatments. Once you know, you can start using the best over-the-counter and/or prescription options to improve your skin.

What's Behind Common Types of Breakouts

Every pore on your skin has its own pathway that allows oil (sebum) from your oil glands to flow to the surface of your skin. When oil is being produced at a normal rate, it keeps your skin protected, smooth, and hydrated. But, when hormones cause too much oil to be produced, things can go wrong.
For some people, the excess oil gets backed up and stuck inside the pore. To make matters worse, dead skin cells on the surface cause even more blockage. From there, depending on what else happens inside the pore, you can develop a pimple, whitehead (milia), blackhead, cyst, papule, or pustule.

Blackheads

• Blackheads form when oil and dead skin cells trapped in the pore lining make their way to the pore opening.
• When this oil plug makes it to the skin's surface and is exposed to air, it oxidizes, creating black dots, most commonly seen on the nose, chin, or center of the forehead.
• Blackheads are not related to dirt or general hygiene!
• Blackheads are not caused by bacteria, so they don't respond to topical disinfectants. such as benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or topical antibiotics.
• Treating blackheads involves ongoing use of a well-formulated BHA product to improve the shape of the pore and to exfoliate built-up layers of dead skin cells.
• Stubborn blackheads that don't respond well to over-the-counter BHA products may benefit from a series of BHA peels from a dermatologist.
• Scrubs and pore strips are of little use because the problem is not just on the surface.
• Prescription-only medications such as Retin-A, Renova, or skin-care products with retinol can help improve cell function so the pore can function more normally.

Whiteheads (also called Milia)

• Whiteheads are small, hard, white bumps that look similar to pimples but without the redness or swelling, and the contents can't be squeezed out.
• Whiteheads occur most often on the forehead, cheeks, and in the undereye area, but can occur anywhere.
• Whiteheads can be stubborn and are difficult to treat. The best skin-care treatment is to use a well-formulated BHA product once or twice a day.
• In many instances, whiteheads need to be physically removed by an aesthetician or physician.

Regular Pimples (Papules)

• This is the mildest type of acne lesion. Papules are pink to slightly red bumps with a soft white surface filled with fluid and oil. They can be sore to the touch.
• Papules occur when a clogged pore ruptures, bacterial growth causes inflammation, and white fluid pushes to the surface.
• This is the easiest form of acne to manage. Research has shown that over-the-counter products containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are the absolute best way to treat these kinds of breakouts.
• Paula's Choice Clear systems work brilliantly for pimples, or you can check out other options on Beautypedia

Large Pimples (Pustules)

• When pimples become large, engorged, and swollen, a papule has become a pustule.
• Most teens dealing with acne have a combination of papules and pustules.
• Managing this type of breakout almost always requires a combination of over-the-counter and prescription-only products.

Deep, Painful Pimples (Cysts and Nodules)

• Cysts and nodules are the largest, most painful, and most difficult type of acne to treat.
• A cyst does not always look like a pimple; it can be just a large red swollen lump.
• Cysts reach deep into the sebaceous gland (the gland responsible for producing oil) and the deeper layers of the skin. If left untreated, they almost always lead to scarring.
• Scarring occurs because the cyst is so large and deep it damages the skin's surrounding support structure.
• For cysts and nodules, it is critical for you to see a dermatologist because there are no over-the-counter products that can treat this type of acne.
  

  How to Exfoliate Skin

  Naturally skin sheds billions of skin cells each day. When this natural shedding slows or stops due to sun damage, dry skin, oily skin, genetics, or different skin disorders, the results are unmistakable: dull, dry, or flaky skin; clogged pores; blemishes; white bumps; and uneven skin tone. Using an exfoliant steps in to help put everything in balance again. When you gently get rid of built-up skin cells you can undo clogged pores, stop breakouts, smooth out wrinkles, even make dry skin become a thing of the past!
  

  Exfoliating Can Make You Look Instantly Younger

  How is that possible? Think about it in comparison to the skin on your heels before you get a pedicure. The built-up, dead layers of skin on your heels usually looks dry, rough, discolored, scaly, and lines are really obvious. Once that layer is removed, your heels immediately look smooth and unwrinkled! Of course, what causes calluses on your feet is different than what causes skin cells to build up on your face, but the same benefit of exfoliating heels holds true for your face; you just have to be far gentler. With well formulated AHA or BHA exfoliants, that's easy to do!
  

  What's The Difference Between AHA and BHA Exfoliants?

  Great question! When properly formulated, both AHAs and BHA are brilliant options for exfoliating the surface of skin. Both AHA and BHA work to reduce wrinkles, stimulate collagen, and firm skin but each has its special qualities you'll want to consider when deciding which one to use:
  
• AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content.
• BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps because BHA can get through the oil that's clogging your pores, normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne.
• BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. Those are two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin.
• BHA is preferred for those struggling with rosacea. Not everyone with rosacea can tolerate an exfoliant, but it is wise to experiment with a BHA product to see how your rosacea responds. It is quite likely you'll see less redness and a smoother, more even skin with fewer breakouts.

If your skin is sun-damaged and you're also struggling with acne or clogged pores, add a BHA product to your routine. If you'd like to use an AHA and BHA at the same time, that is an option, though not really necessary. Some people find they work well when they're applied at the same time, but if you want to give this a try it is best to apply them separately, one during the day and one in the evening.

How Do I Use an AHA or BHA Exfoliant?

• You can apply an AHA or BHA product once or twice a day.
• You can also apply either of these around the eye area but not on the eyelid or directly under the eye.
• Apply the AHA or BHA product after your face is cleansed and after your toner has dried.
• Once the AHA or BHA has been absorbed, you can apply any other product in your routine, such as moisturizer, serum, eye cream, sunscreen, and/or foundation.
• If you're using a topical prescription product such as Renova, other retinoids, or any of the topical prescription products for rosacea, apply the BHA or AHA first.
• The Paula's Choice Research Team's complete list of the best AHA and BHA products is available on Beautypedia.

Should I Use a Scrub to Exfoliate?

Scrubs are certainly an option for exfoliating your skin, but they have limitations you don't have to worry about with an AHA or BHA exfoliant. Scrubs only deal with the very top, superficial layer of skin while most of the unhealthy, built-up skin cells are beyond the reach of a scrub. What is most problematic is that many scrubs have a rough, coarse, uneven texture that can cause skin damage by tearing into the skin as it abrades away the surface, causing tiny tears that damage the skin's barrier. Scrubs often cause more problems than they could possibly solve.
If you do want to use a manual scrub, you can simply use a gentle washcloth with your daily cleanser, which works just as well to exfoliate the surface of skin as any cosmetic scrub you can buy. As a bonus, washcloths are softer (thus gentler) and of course they don't contain pore-clogging ingredients that oily, acne-prone skin doesn't need.

Is it Possible to Exfoliate Too Often?

Exfoliating your skin is great, but how often to use one that works best for your skin type takes experimenting. It is possible to overdo it, and your skin will tell you if you've gone too far. For some people once a day works best, for others every other day, or once a week. However, exfoliating does not negatively affect how healthy skin cells are generated in the lower layers of skin. If anything, exfoliating unhealthy dead skin cells on the surface of skin can improve collagen production, increase skin's ability to hold moisture, and allow pores to function normally!

Solutions for Sebaceous Hyperplasia

If you have struggled with oily or combination skin for most of your life and are now over the age of 40, you may have noticed a series of small, stubborn, crater-like bumps with a whitish rim popping up randomly on various parts of your face. While these bumps may appear to be a type of blackhead or breakout, you've probably found that they just don’t go away, no matter what you do. These irksome mounds are most likely a disorder called sebaceous hyperplasia, and they aren’t just any old blemish or clogged pore. Once one shows up, it is extremely difficult to get rid of—that is, until now.

What is Sebaceous Hyperplasia?

Sebaceous hyperplasia is the technical name for a benign bump on the skin that forms over time as a result of damage, leading to an ongoing problem with over-productive oil glands. These damaged oil glands can become enlarged and clogged in a very specific manner, displaying a soft or firm white or yellowish outer rim with a depressed center. The depressed center of these bumps is one of the primary ways you can tell you're dealing with sebaceous hyperplasia, and not with something else such as a whitehead (milia).
It's not uncommon to have several of these bumps at once, sometimes spaced apart, but they can be clustered, too. Sebaceous hyperplasia is most often seen on the forehead and central part of the face, but can appear anywhere on the body, especially in areas where the skin has more oil glands.
Cumulative sun damage is considered to be a co-factor of this condition because sunlight further damages skin and oil glands—one more reason to make sure you're protecting your skin every day with a well-formulated sunscreen!

How to Get Rid of Sebaceous Hyperplasia

Treating sebaceous hyperplasia usually requires a visit to the dermatologist, but now there are also products you can use at home to get these unsightly bumps under control—and have the smooth, even-tone skin you want!
A dermatologist has several options for treating sebaceous hyperplasia. Before you consider any of these, you need to know that, like acne, sebaceous hyperplasia cannot be cured, only controlled. The bump can be reduced or eliminated, but the affected oil gland likely will produce a new bump if treatment isn't maintained. Therefore, even if you decide to see a dermatologist for treatment, you'll want to ensure your at-home skin-care routine includes products to keep these bumps at bay.
When you visit a dermatologist for sebaceous hyperplasia, he or she may offer the following treatments, alone or in combination:

• Facial peels—This involves using salicylic acid or trichloroacetic acid.
• Electric needle—This causes the bump to break down and ooze, forming a scab that falls off in a week or so.
• Photodynamic therapy—This is a light-emitting treatment where the skin is pre-treated with a special gel that reacts with the light. This often requires several office visits.
• Liquid nitrogen—This option is risky because if it penetrates too deeply, you may be left with a scar or loss of skin pigment.
• Prescription retinoid or azelaic acid—This treatment is intended to reduce the appearance of the lesions, but it won't eliminate the problem.
• Surgical excision of the bump—This may lead to scarring, but the bump won't recur in the excised area. This is considered a last-resort option.
• Antiandrogen medication—This reduces the hormone testosterone, which may be stimulating enlargement of the oil glands. Examples of these medications are spironolactone or flutamide. This, like surgical excision, is a last resort.

NOTE: Some sebaceous hyperplasia bumps can resemble a type of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma. Your dermatologist will need to examine the area to make an accurate diagnosis.

The Best Products for Sebaceous Hyperplasia

What about options outside the dermatologist's office? Although treating sebaceous hyperplasia yourself can be frustrating, there are a few key products to consider. Chief among them is a product we're very proud of, and that's our Resist BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections. This clear, liquid-like solution contains a potent concentration of salicylic acid. Despite its strength, it's still extremely gentle due to its time-release formula. Salicylic acid penetrates the oil buildup, increases cell turnover by exfoliating the surface of the skin as well as inside the pore to unclog these bumps, and reduces inflammation, all of which diminish these bumps.
You also can consider products that contain lower amounts of salicylic acid, but most cases of sebaceous hyperplasia won't respond as well to these lower strengths; however, for daily maintenance all over the face they can be extremely beneficial.
Other products to consider are those containing retinol. Research has shown that retinol, which is another name for vitamin A, in either skin-care products or in prescription medications such as Renova or Retin-A, can also be effective in reducing sebaceous hyperplasia. Retinol works to control the growth of skin cells that can clog the pore lining, plus it encourages normal oil production.
These factors plus retinol's anti-inflammatory action make it a powerful option to combine with salicylic acid for treating sebaceous hyperplasia. Pairing Paula's Choice Resist BHA 9 with Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum can be just the 1-2 punch these stubborn imperfections need! You can also check out the other retinol serums we recommend on Beautypedia.
Another skin-care ingredient that may help improve sebaceous hyperplasia is the B vitamin niacinamide. This cell-communicating ingredient offers multiple benefits to skin, such as reducing the inflammation and oil proliferation that accompanies sebaceous hyperplasia. Before applying Paula's Choice Resist BHA 9 and Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum, apply a niacinamide-rich toner such as Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner. This trio, which can be used once or twice daily after cleansing, should significantly reduce sebaceous hyperplasia!
What about scrubs? No scrub in the world, regardless of claim or price, can remove these bumps. Sebaceous hyperplasia forms deep within the skin right at the base of the oil gland itself, and scrubs simply can't reach the source of the problem. Warning: If you zealously try to scrub away these bumps, over-scrubbing the skin can lead to other skin issues, such as dryness and irritation.

How to Whiten Your Skin Naturally.-

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                                Combination Skin

 Combination skin seems to be a mystery for lots of people. It can be hard to identify and even trickier to treat. But The Paula's Choice Research Team can help you unlock the mystery to achieving clearer, more balanced skin. 

What is Combination Skin?

Combination skin occurs when two or more different skin types occur on your face at the same time. Typically, combination skin is when some parts of your face are dry or flaky, while the center part of your face, nose, chin, and forehead (called the T-zone) is oily. Combination skin can also describe conditions where wrinkles and breakouts or rosacea and dry skin are present at the same time.

What Causes Combination Skin?

A variety of factors contribute to combination skin—sometimes it is just genetics. When it comes to combination skin, the causes and combinations are a little bit different for everyone.
Generally, the areas around the nose, chin, and forehead have more active oil glands than other parts of the face. Some people have rosacea and dry skin and others have blemish-prone, flaky, inflamed skin. Another common cause of combination skin can be a result of the very skin-care products you are using. For example, if you are using products that contain irritating ingredients, they can stimulate oil production in the T-zone area and at the same time create more dry skin and redness on the rest of the face. Voila: You have taken your relatively normal skin and made it combination!
You may also be using moisturizers that are too emollient, making your skin feel oilier and clogging up pores. All the products you use have to be appropriate for the different skin types you are experiencing—even if that means using different products on different parts of your face.

Which Products Work for Combination Skin?

Basically, those with combination skin need products that don’t make matters worse. It is critical to only use well-formulated products designed for the mix of skin types you’re dealing with.
In some cases that can mean using different products on different parts of your face. For example, you may need lighter-weight gels, liquids, or oil-absorbing products for your T-zone and lotions or creams for the drier parts of your face. Or it could mean using an acne treatment over areas where you breakout and moisturizers only over drier areas, including around the eyes.
Many people will find that their combination skin becomes more balanced when they stop using products that are either wrong for their skin type (too emollient for the T-zone or too absorbent for the dry areas) or contain problem ingredients that are causing their skin more harm than good.

How to Take Care of Your Combination Skin

   Start with a gentle cleanser:

• Always wash your face with a gentle, water-soluble cleanser to prevent irritation and dryness. If you have oily and dry combination skin, a gel-based or mild foaming cleanser will be perfect. If you have dry skin and rosacea with sun damage, a lightweight lotion cleanser is ideal. Regardless of the texture it must always be gentle! A good cleanser never contains any irritants or fragrance and is the first step towards controlling combination skin.
• Avoid bar soaps or bar cleansers of any kind, regardless of their claims. The ingredients that put bar cleansers in their bar form can clog pores and are always too drying and irritating for any skin type.

   Use a toner to repair skin:

• If you use a toner, it must not contain any irritants whatsoever that includes alcohol, witch hazel, menthol, fragrance (synthetic or natural), or citrus oils—all of which frequently show up in toner formulas!
• Only use toners that are filled with a healthy dose of skin-repairing ingredients such as skin-identical ingredients, antioxidants, and cell-communicating ingredients.

   Protect from sun damage:

• Sunscreen must be used every day, year-round if you want to prevent and stop wrinkles and other signs of aging skin! If you have oily skin prone to breakouts, your foundation and pressed powder can provide the sun protection you need. If you have sensitive skin and rosacea, choose sunscreens with only titanium dioxide or/and zinc oxide as the active ingredients.

   Exfoliate to remove built-up skin cells:

• With regular use of a beta hydroxy acid (BHA/salicylic acid) product or an alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs, such as glycolic acid) product in a texture appropriate for your skin type (gel or liquid for oily, blemish-prone skin, or lotion for normal or dry skin), you will uncover the normal, healthy skin hiding underneath.
• BHA is especially helpful for normal, oily or blemish-prone skin because it not only exfoliates the surface of skin, it also exfoliates inside the pore to reduce pore size, unclog pores, and kill acne-causing bacteria. BHA is also a must for anyone struggling with blackheads and enlarged pores!

   Special concerns require special products:

• If you are prone to blemishes, besides using a BHA exfoliant, applying a product with benzoyl peroxide will target and kill acne-causing bacteria. For mild to moderate acne begin with a 2% strength and then depending on how your skin does, you can increase to a 5% strength.

   Spot-treat the different skin types on your face:

• Apply moisturizers in lotion or cream form to dry areas.
• If you have oily and dry skin apply a matte finish foundation, but apply a hydrating primer/serum to the dry areas first.
• If your eye area is the driest part of your face, then you can use a rich, creamy moisturizer or serum around that area of your face. For the less-dry areas of your face, you can use a lotion-textured moisturizer, and for the oily areas your toner will be enough to keep skin healthy in those areas.
• Be sure to avoid getting lotion and cream moisturizers on the oily parts of your face because it will absolutely make them look and feel greasier.

   Choose only the best products:

• Purchase products loaded with antioxidants, cell-communicating ingredients, emollients, and ingredients that mimic the structure and function of healthy skin.
• Make sure products are packaged in an opaque, airtight container (no jars) to keep the antioxidants and other air-sensitive ingredients stable and bacteria-free.
• For many skin types, if the products you use are well formulated you may find lighter-weight serums, lotions, or gels may be all your skin needs to look and feel radiant, smooth, and younger.
• If you have very dry skin in some areas and dry skin in others, then an antioxidant-rich serum paired with an emollient moisturizer will work great.
• 

                                                               Stay Smart; Stay Beautiful!