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Skin Types
"Oil and Water 101"
or understanding how your skin works.
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Facial skin type is mostly determined by
the relative balance between oil and water in and on your skin.
To be able to purchase the correct products for your skin and
to get the most out of this site , you need to understand how
the balance of oil and water in and on your skin "works."
Your facial skin has water glands that make water, and oil glands
that make oil. They are different from each other. When the oil
and water they make for your skin are in balance, you then have
normal skin.
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Based on this balance between oil and water, and also on how sensitive
your skin is, there are 6 facial skin types : They are Normal Skin,
Oily/Acne Prone Skin, Dry Skin , Combination Skin , Mature Skin
and Sensitive Skin and are listed in the top box to the right.
If you know your skin type, you can find the correct products for
your skin type by clicking on it. If you, like most of my patients,
are not sure of your skin type, click here
and we will easily help you figure it out. We also have described
each of the 6 facial skin types if you are curious.
Under-active water glands cause dry skin. Dry skin
needs its water (moisture) replenished. This is what moisturizers
are supposed to do. Remember - your oil glands can't compensate
for the lack of moisture. Oil is not a substitute for water. In
fact, many of the moisturizers sold in stores are actually "oil-izers."
They add oil, not water, which further aggravates the imbalance
in your skin. To restore your skin's normal balance, you must replenish
the water with an oil free (water-based) moisturizer.
Overactive oil glands cause oily skin. To restore
your skin's normal balance, you need to remove the excess oil, without
removing the water. If in the process of removing the excess oil
with cleanser and toner (astringent) you in fact remove necessary
water, then the removed water must again be restored with an oil
free, or water-based moisturizer.
Under-active oil glands result from an age-related
normal diminution in oil gland activity as we emerge from our 40's.
Normally, oil helps protect, lubricate, soften and add a sheen to
your skin, as well as helping to hold in the normal internal moisture
(water) in your skin. Therefore, facial skin without enough oil
is dull, rough, dry, even leathery (mature skin).
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