Identifying your skin type is a crucial step in developing a skincare routine. Understanding your skin type can help you target the changes you want to see in your skin by helping you make adjustments where necessary in the care and treatment of your skin. Overall, there are five main skin types: Dry, oily, combination, normal, and sensitive. Each of these exhibits tell-tale signs that help us determine skin type.

DRY

• Small or nearly invisible pores
• Tight feeling in the face
• Dull appearance
• Patches of red or flaky skin
• The visible appearance of fine lines
• Skin can become rough and scaly, particularly in Winter months

Dry skin produces less sebum than normal skin, that’s why it feels dryer and often tighter. Due to a lack of sebum, dry skin can’t retain enough moisture in the skin to build up a shield against external factors, such as soaps and pollutants.

OILY

• Prone to acne, pimples, and blackheads
• Shiny or glossy skin
• Enlarged pores
• Skin appears ‘thicker’, veins are not prominent

Oily skin, on the other hand, is the overproduction of sebum, otherwise known as seborrhea. Oily skin is prone to skin conditions that result from blocked pores. In severe cases, people may develop acne. Acne may appear on the neck, chest, and back, in addition to the face. There are several acne treatments available to the public, from medications to in-clinic facial treatments. We’ll share some of GC Skin’s most effective acne facial treatments below.

COMBINATION

• Dry in some areas
• Oily in some areas (predominantly the T-zone)
• Larger pores around the centre of the face

Combination skin, as the name suggests, is a mixture of these first two skin types. While the skin can be dry around the jaw and perimeters of the face, the centre of the face (particularly the forehead and down the nose—or the T-zone) can become quite oily. For this skin type, it is important to not overdo drying products.

NORMAL

• Skin feels comfortable
• Minimal irritations
• Minimal breakouts
• Radiant complexion
• Small pores

Sensitive skin is skin that is easily irritated by a number of different factors that are typically tolerated by normal skin types. Items such as skincare products and events such as extreme temperatures can make sensitive skin flare-up. Ultimately, skin becomes sensitive when the skin’s natural barrier function is compromised and irritants are able to pass through into the skin.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE SKIN TYPE

Though your skin type is largely determined by genetics, there are some internal and external factors that may exacerbate skin troubles, or completely change your skin type. When determining your skin type, consider whether these factors may be altering your skin. Often, making changes to diet and lifestyle can make significant adjustments to the skin (ever heard of the saying chocolate gives you pimples?), and other times, medication is needed to settle skin issues, such as acne. Overall, the following are common factors that influence skin type.

INTERNAL FACTORS

HORMONES

Hormonal changes may trigger acne in some people. Such changes like pregnancy, puberty, or menopause often contribute to skin becoming dryer, oilier, or more prone to breakouts.

Pregnancy may make the skin more dry and sensitive, or on the other hand, more acne-prone as more oil is produced—for some, this is a ‘glow’, for others, it’s more pimples. Other women develop melasma while pregnant, which is a condition where patches of skin darken after sun exposure.

Puberty increases oil production, leading to acne for many teenagers and adolescents. Acne can range from mild (consisting of whiteheads and blackheads) to severe (consisting of nodules and cysts).

Lastly, menopause leads to a decrease in oil production, which leads to the skin’s moisture levels depleting. This can cause the skin to age faster. In general, adult skin and ageing skin tends to be drier and more fragile. Thankfully, there is a range of treatments available to slow this process and care for the skin.

GENETICS

Like many other biological traits and characteristics, such as eye colour and hair colour, your skin type is often determined by your parents. If they experienced acne while going through puberty, it’s likely that may too—as with their skin type, whether it be normal, oily, dry, sensitive, or combination.

EXTERNAL FACTORS

THE SUN

The sun emits UVA, UVB, and HEV (High Energy Visible) lights that damage skin cells. Of course, a small degree sunlight is important for us to manufacture vitamin D; however, in Australia, it’s easy to be overexposed. According to data from the Medical Journal of Australia, 2–14 minutes of sunlight three times a week is enough to provide the recommended amount of vitamin D, depending on the season. In January, it’s easy for fair-skinned people to burn in just 8 minutes, so it’s important to take precautions. Only 15% of your skin needs to be exposed to sufficient absorption.

UVA and UVB rays are invisible to the human eye but do a lot of damage. UVA is responsible for premature ageing, and UVB burns us. While UVB rays affect the outer layers of skin, UVA and HEV rays penetrate deeper, reaching the dermis. UVA and HEV rays (which is the light we can see from the sun) typically cause premature ageing, melasma, sun spots, and hyperpigmentation.

The sun can cause a lot of unwanted changes in the skin. Sun-affected skin can become more sensitive, dry, or aged. That’s why it’s important to protect your skin from the sun, particularly during the summer months. To help you out, we’ve created a guide to help you maintain healthy glowing skin summer long.

TEMPERATURE
Extreme temperatures and changes between them can affect your skin type. Cold temperatures tend to dry out the skin, while hot temperatures cause the skin to appear oilier and shinier due to excessive production of sweat and oil on the face. Further, heat and humidity is a known trigger for rosacea and sensitivity, promoting red, flushed skin. It’s appropriate to adjust your skincare according to season and weather. After all, you adjust your clothing in Winter and Summer. Your skin needs the same adjustments. Heavier creams and oils may be too much for your face in Summer, whereas mattifying products and gels might not be enough for your skin in Winter.

AGGRESSIVE SKINCARE

Using products with harsh chemicals or abrasives can throw off the skin’s natural pH and cause dryness. Products containing ingredients like benzoyl peroxide may clear pimples; however, this is due to oil production being restricted. Essentially, your skin becomes dried out. When you stop using these cleansers, the pimples may return. Further, abrasive products damage the skin by causing microtears. As a result, the skin is left more sensitive and susceptible to infection.

Another factor to be cautious of is overwashing. Avoid washing your face more than twice a day. If you’re a makeup lover, you may want to consider double cleansing (sounds counterproductive to our last point, but it’s not what you think). To learn more about double cleansing and its benefits, read all about it in our recent blog post.

NUTRITION

What we put into our bodies, in regards to diet, can greatly affect our skin. Not getting enough water and eating too many sugary treats is not good for the skin. This can lead to premature ageing and textural problems in the skin. As Kourtney Kardashian says, sugar is the “ number one cause of ageing ”. This is because simple carbohydrates, like refined sugar, cause insulin spikes which produce an inflammatory response in the body, causing redness, breakouts, and wrinkles. On the other hand, a diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables is rich in vitamins and minerals, and as a result, antioxidants which prevent ageing. As much as good skincare is important, a healthy lifestyle can do wonders for the skin.

MEDICATION

Certain medications such as diuretics, laxatives, and heart medications can make the skin drier and more sensitive, particular to the sun. If you’ve noticed changes to your skin while on a new medication, it’s important to seek advice from your doctor to check if it’s a side effect of the drug or an allergy.

LIFESTYLE

While it’s sometimes hard to control, our lifestyle plays an important role in our skin. Factors such as stress, sleep, and exercise, affect your skin. High-stress levels can cause an inflammatory response in your body, causing the skin to become more sensitive. Lack of sleep can also impair your skin’s ability to renew and regenerate, and a lack of exercise may mean poor blood circulation, again impairing skin rejuvenation.

Lastly, where you smoke or don’t smoke largely impacts your skin. Smoking greatly accelerates ageing. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide and nicotine—these displace oxygen in the blood and reduce blood flow, leaving skin discoloured and dry. Smoking can also deplete your body’s supply of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps repair skin. Undeniably, for smokers, the easiest way to look younger is to just quit.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SKIN

So, how do you properly care for your skin type? Each skin type has different needs and preferences. Take some of our tips on board to help you plan a skincare routine catered to your skin type.

DRY

• Take shorter showers – water can dry the skin out as it destroys the skin’s natural barrier.
• Use mild, gentle soaps and face washes
• Avoid scrubs
• Use a rich moisturiser after showering or bathing
• Use a humidifier in rooms to avoid losing moisture in the skin
• Use gloves when working with detergents and cleaning agents

OILY

• Avoid washing the skin more than twice a day, unless to wash off sweat.
• Use a gentle cleanser
• Opt for chemical exfoliants over physical ones
• Avoid popping pimples – they take longer to heal and will more likely scar from popping.
• Use makeup and creams that are ‘noncomedogenic’ – they won’t clog pores.

NORMAL

• Use a gentle everyday cleanser
• Wear sunscreen daily to protect the skin
• Avoid using aggressive skincare as the skin is naturally balanced

SENSITIVE

• Use the most gentle cleanser possible
• Use fragrance-free and paraben-free products
• Take shorter showers and avoid hot water
• Use organic and natural ingredients where possible
• Pat dry skin rather than rubbing – to avoid irritation
• Always do a patch test with new products

THE BEST TREATMENT FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE

In combination with a skin type-appropriate skincare routine, facial treatments can undo some of the damage created by internal and external factors, helping your skin heal and recover and get back to it’s best. No matter your skin type, there is an appropriate treatment for you. At GC Skin Boutique, we’ve included a range of facial treatments to cater for everyone’s skin type. You can browse through our entire range on our Skin Health Treatments Menu. Otherwise, continue reading to see which treatment is best for your skin type.

DRY – HYDRATING FACIAL
The hydrating facial treatment uses a combination of enzymes and LED light technology to hydrate the skin. This treatment can improve skin appearance, texture, and tone.

OILY – LASER SKIN REJUVENATION
Laser rejuvenation is a gift from above to those with acne scarring or even those with active acne. This laser acne treatment stimulates the skin’s natural healing process and helps kill bacteria under the skin. The laser can also help boost collagen production, shrink pores, even skin tone, and promote skin cell turnover. The best part is there’s no downtime.

SENSITIVE – OXYGEN FACIAL
The Intraceuticals Oxygen Treatment uses the power of pure oxygen and anti-ageing serum to rejuvenate the skin. The oxygen in the treatment helps push skin-loving ingredients into the skin, helping them absorb deeper. Containing soothing ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin E, this facial treatment is suitable for sensitive skin types.

NORMAL – SPECIALTY FACIAL PEELS
For any concerns that may arise for those lucky normal skin types, there’s a GC Skin Boutique speciality peel that can help. GC Skin’s speciality peels target a range of issues such as sun damage, pigmentation, rosacea, congestion, pores, melasma, and poor skin condition.

COMBO – LED LIGHT THERAPY
Often combination skin can also become acne-prone during the more oily areas. LED light therapy is a facial treatment and acne treatment that works by using red and blue light to treat acne by killing bacteria in the deeper layers of skin, while also rejuvenating the skin and preventing future acne from forming. For the drier areas contained in combo skin, LED light therapy works to hydrate the skin. The best part of this treatment is painless, non-invasive, and extremely effective.

Whether you have dry, oily, combo, sensitive or normal skin, it’s important to properly care for your skin and seek the facial treatments most suitable for your skin type. But before you can get to this point, it’s a good idea to work out your skin type. Still not sure? A GC Skin Boutique specialist can evaluate your skin prior to treatment. Call to make an appointment today on (07) 5599 1528.

GC Skin Boutique is Coolangatta’s top skin, laser, and beauty clinic. Providing a range of services, from dermal filler to laser rejuvenation, GC Skin Boutique aims to improve the overall health of the skin to help you look your best. Book an appointment today or contact us for more information.