Facial Skin type test

Before you can use a facial skin care product you need to know your skin type.

Remember that there are many factors that affect your skin type, such as weather, emotions, hormones and stress, and this will cause your skin type to be in a constant state of fluctuation.

Step 1: Wash your face with Natalchemy Hypo-allergenic soap for   this test, then rinse and pat dry.

Step 2: Wait one hour.

Step 3: Note whether your skin feels "tight."

Step 4: Press a separate piece of tissue onto each area of your face: chin, center of cheeks, outer cheeks, center of forehead, outer forehead and nose.

Step 5: Examine each tissue and look for oily residue or flaky skin residue.

Step 6: Interpret the results.

Oily Skin: Oil on each tissue indicates an oily skin type

Combination Skin type:  oil on only some tissues (specifically those on the T-zone, which is the center of forehead, nose, chin and center of cheeks)

Dry Skin type: Flaky skin residue on all tissues - without oily residue - or a tight feeling in the skin indicates a dry skin type.

Normal Skin Type: No oil and no flaky residue on any parts of the tissue.

Skin Types Description

Normal
Normal skin is not too oily or dry and blemishes are uncommon. Normal skin is firm, with a healthy appearance. It is normally smooth with small pores.

Normal skin does not feel dry or oily. Pores are visible but not large or clogged.
After a wash it feels smooth and comfortable. At midday it still looks fresh and clean.
Only occasionally break out in spots.

Oily
Oily skin is often shiny and coarse in texture and may have recurring blackheads and enlarged pores. It may also have patches of flakiness around the nose where excess oils have dried.

Oily skin feels very greasy. The texture is often very thick and coarse.
There are large, visible pores. After a wash it feels fine.
By midday it looks shiny. Often break out in spots.

Sensitive
Broken capillaries, and vessels beneath the surface of the skin distinguish this skin type. Sensitive skin should not be over stimulated because it is extremely sensitive.

Sensitive skin can be easily irritated. Typical reactions are itching, burning, chafing and stinging. After a wash a wash it feels dry and itchy in places.
By midday there are flaky patches and some redness. Occasionally break out in spots

Dry
Due to sun exposure and aging, skin can lose its ability to produce moisture and natural oils. This results in dry skin. Though it may look smooth with fine pores and few blackheads or blemishes, it may also have a tight, leathery appearance.

Dry skin has a thin and papery texture. It feels dry to touch.
The pores are very fine. After a wash it feels tight, as though it is too small for the face.
By midday flaky patches appear. Hardly ever break out in spots

Combination
This skin type has an oily T-zone across the forehead, nose and chin, but a normal to dry area around the cheeks and throat. Another combination pattern is oily along the chin, jaw line and at the temples, but normal to dry skin everywhere else. Combination skin is normal with a few dry patches and a few oily patches.
Dryness is usually on the cheeks. Oiliness is usually on the T-zone.
After a wash some areas feel dry and some smooth. By the midday the T-zone is shiny.
Often break out in spots in the T-zone.

Mature Skin
As skin ages, collagen, and elastin, “the fibers that keep the skin firm”, weaken. The skin looks loose and lax, becomes thinner and loses fat, so that it looks less plump and smooth. While all these changes are taking place, gravity also is at work, pulling at the skin and causing it to sag.  Lines distinguish this skin type which develops due to biological changes, due to aging processes, a slow down of cell growth. Cells don't regenerate quickly and skin loses its elasticity.

Acne
Acne skin is usually oily and distinguished by blackheads and pimples. If neglected and uncared for these blemishes can advance to a worsened stage and leave you with scarred and pitted skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Pore size is another general indicator of skin type;
  • small pores generally indicate dry skin,
  • while large pores mean oily skin.
• Remember that there are many factors that affect your skin type, such as weather, emotions, hormones and stress, and this will cause your skin type to be in a constant state of fluctuation.