Are you confusing your skin condition with your skin type?

Over the years I have found that the biggest confusion most people have with their skin is if what they're experiencing can be treated vs maintained. This is largely determined by the cause of the skin concern. The two main factors, as a skin therapist, that we consider is your skin type vs your skin condition.

The condition of your skin is influenced by external factors, and your skin type is influenced by internal facts. This will determine whether we can treat your concern with products and treatment protocols. Or, weather we can help to maintain/balance your skin.

We are all born with a skin type and this does not change. It is possible that at different times in your life, or during different times of the year, that the severity of your skin type can fluctuate. However, your skin type will always remain the same. This is because your skin type is determined by your genetic.

The four different skin types are, normal, dry, oily or a combination of these- the most common combination is an oily t-zone and a normal lower face.

Characteristics of each skin type are:

Oily - excessive oil/sebum, shiny, large pores

Dry - lack of oil/sebum, dull lack luster skin

Normal a perfect balance of oil/sebum

Combination of the above - the most common combination is oily t-zone and normal cheeks

However, the condition of your skin is determined by external influences and can change on a daily basis. Things such as the weather, pollution, stress and medication can affect your skin greatly. The good thing about the condition of your skin is that it is treatable. Ideally we would remove the trigger and then use targeted treatments and products to improve your skin or even eradicate the skin condition.

Characteristics of each skin condition:

Dehydration - lack of moisture/water can appear as fine lines Breakouts - inflamed spots, congested follicles, blackheads Sentivity - redness, broken capillaries

Ageing - loss of elasticity, sallow skin

Pigmentation - darker or lighter patches of skin

Unlike a skin type you could potentially have multiple skin conditions all at once. As a skin therapist your skin condition will be a maintain force for our treatment protocol and home care routine.

When working with your skin type the main focus is on maintaining a balance. We would target your skin type with a cleanser and moisture. For example if you have an oily skin type we would select a clay or foaming cleanser to remove excess oil. We would also select a light weight moisturiser that is oil free but will still hydrates the skin.

For treating your skin conditions we would choose more targeted treatments such as serums and masques. For example if you have a pigmentation we would choose a serum that has ingredients that are melamine inhibitors and a masque that exfoliates and brightens. As mentioned before, with a skin condition we would need to remove the trigger, commonly with pigmentation the sun is a big factor, so we would recommend that an SPF is used daily. And, that the sun is avoided. Then our more advanced products can target your specific skin condition. The main takeaways are:-

1, Your only have one skin type and your skin type can be maintained/balanced.

2, You can have multiple skin conditions that are treatable, but may need some investigation to work out what the cause is. We can then treat this with more targeted treatments/ products.

If you’d like to deep dive into your skin you can visit our clinic and have a personalised skin scan and skin care regime tailored individually towards your concerns.