How to identify different skin types: the complete guide from FILORGA Laboratories

Everyone has a unique skin type, which means using specific cosmetic products is essential. Knowing your skin type is therefore an essential step in adapting your beauty routine accordingly.

To help you determine whether you have oily, dry, combination, or normal skin, our experts have developed this comprehensive guide. In the following lines, we review the history of skin type classification and the innate and external factors that can influence it.

Finally, we'll explain how to identify yours and give you advice on the most suitable FILORGA skincare products.

What are the different skin types? The essentials in a few lines

• Skin types are generally classified into four categories: normal, dry, oily, and combination. This classification dates back to the 1900s and is still used today due to its simplicity and relevance.

• Genetics, hormones, and the skin microbiota primarily determine skin type.

• Although skin type is generally permanent, skin condition can fluctuate depending on external factors such as the environment (sun, pollution) and diet. These factors can dehydrate the skin, clog pores, or cause blemishes.

• Oily skin is shiny all over the face, while combination skin is shiny only in the T-zone.

• Dry skin feels tight, dull, and rough to the touch.

• Normal skin is supple, comfortable, and free of visible imperfections.

A brief history of the different Skin Types

Origins

It wasin the early 1900s that the terms "dry," "oily," "combination," and "sensitive" appeared to designate different skin types. According to cosmetic manufacturers of the time, these expressions were the best way to characterize what could be considered the four basic skin types.

For the next century, these categories were used with only minor modifications. At the time, this classification had (and still has) the advantage of beingeasy to understand, concise, and sufficiently preciseto be adopted by the greatest number of people, from the general public to the most specialized dermatologists.

A New Classification

In the early 2000s, considering traditional criteria to be incomplete or inadequate descriptions of skin, dermatologist Leslie Baumann developed her own classification system, the Baumann Skin Types Indicator (BSTI).

This classification was based on four dichotomous parameters that characterize skin: dry or oily skin, sensitive or resistant skin, pigmented or non-pigmented skin, and wrinkled or non-wrinkled. The assessment based on these parameters yielded 16 potential types. The " skin diagnosis" was established using a 64-item self-completed questionnaire.

While the idea was initially appealing, it quickly encountered a major problem:its complexity. A lengthy questionnaire and sometimes overly detailed results meant that it was not adopted by the cosmetics industry or consumers.

This is why the classic distinction from the 1900s is still used today.

Classification by disease risk

To be completely comprehensive on the subject, we must mention a third and final categorization, that of the Skin Cancer Foundation. Inspired by the scientific nomenclature known as Fitzpatrick Skin Type, it distinguishes six skin types, phototypes, ranging from very light (type 1) to very dark (type 6). This classification is based on the skin's reaction to the sun and is used to assess the risk of carcinomas and melanomas, skin cancers.

Why don't we all have the same skin type?

Variation in skin types among individuals is due to a complex combination of internal factors, including:

Genetics

Genetics plays a vital role in determining skin type. Just like our physical and physiological characteristics, the specific characteristics of our skin stem from the expression of our genes. Although the genes responsible for skin color or sebum production are the same for everyone, their expression differs from one person to another. It's a bit like blood types. We all share the same genes that determine our blood type, but their different expression leads to the existence of eight distinct blood types (A, B, AB, and O, with Rh positive and negative).

Hormonal Status

Hormones do not affect the structure of the skin. On the other hand, they have a significant impact on the production of certain skin substances, including sebum.
At puberty in particular, the secretion of hormones such as testosterone increases sharply, leading to increased sebum production. Which explains why many teenagers tend to have oily or acne-prone skin during this period.
In women, pregnancy is strongly marked by hormonal changes and an increase in sebum production. The latter is also greatly influenced by the menstrual cycle. Finally, menopause is another period of significant change. During this phase of a woman's life, the amount of hormones decreases and, unlike puberty and pregnancy, sebum production decreases, making mature skin drier.

The Skin Microbiota

Like the intestinal flora, which is unique to each individual,the composition of the skin's bacterial flora varies from one person to anotherand influences the quality and health of the skin.

Can skin type change over the course of a lifetime?

To answer this question, we must clearly distinguish between skin type and skin condition. As we have just seen, skin type is primarily determined by genetics, hormonal status, and individual skin microbiota. These are internal and unique characteristics over which we have little or no control throughout our lives. Conversely, the condition of our skin can vary under the influence of external factors. We can influence this condition because we have direct control over these factors. Here are the two most important:

The Environment

Sun exposure, air pollution, and other environmental factors all affect skin health. Thus:

• Too much exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV)will cause dehydrated and dry skin.
• External aggressions such asair pollution and fine particlespresent in the air can clog skin pores, At the same time, it increases sebum production and therefore the risk of blemishes and acne. Pollution can also lead to inflammation, hypersensitivity, and redness.
• Other environmental factors such as wind, extreme heat, cold, and humidity can impact skin health. Seasonal changes, for example, can make skin more or less dry or sensitive. In summer, sebum production is at its peak, while in winter, the amount of skin lipids, natural moisturizing factors, and pH decrease, dehydrating the skin. Furthermore, in fall and spring, significant temperature and humidity variations require the skin to adapt, which can cause redness or dryness.

Diet

Drinking enough water, eating quality protein, and regularly consuming foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals (such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) can improve and preserve the appearance of the skin.

• Antioxidantssuch as vitamins C and E help protect the skin from free radical damage, which can accelerate the aging process.

• Minerals such as manganese and zinc reduce skin inflammation to detoxify and strengthen the skin.

• Amino acids contained in proteins are part of the composition of collagen and elastin, the structural elements that give the skin its elasticity and firmness.

While skin type is permanent, skin conditions are generally transient and can be corrected with appropriate beauty products or precautions.

Normal, dry, oily, or combination skin: how to know your skin type to choose the right skincare products

Now that we know what influences skin type, let's see how to know yours and which skincare products FILORGA experts recommend depending on your situation.

How to determine your skin type

A quick and easy way to find out your skin type is tomonitor how it looks and feels throughout the day.

• Ifthe entire skin on your face shines throughout the day, you have oily skin.
• Ifonly the T-zone is affected, then your skin is combination.
• If your skin feels tight often or only after showering or cleansing, you probably have dry or normal skin.

Normal Skin

Normal skin has no irregularities.

Dry Skin

Ifyour skin feels tight often (or all the time) during the day, feels rough to the touch, and has a dull appearance, it is defined as dry. Dry skin is characterized by a reduced production of sebum, intercellular lipids, and natural moisturizing factors (NMFs). It therefore needs nourishment and comfort.

To do this, we recommend incorporating skincare products from the rangeGLOBAL-REPAIRinto your skincare routine.

Oily Skin

Oily skin has shine all over the face that worsens throughout the day. It is prone to imperfections such as pimples, blackheads, and visible pores. This is due to excessive sebum secretion and an imbalance in the hydrolipidic film on the surface of the epidermis.

Oily skin needs to be purified, mattified, and moisturized.

Our rangeAGE-PURIFY is particularly suitable for oily (as well as combination) and blemish-prone skin. In the other ranges, we can also recommend the lighter HYDRA-HYAL gel-cream versions, TIME-FILLER 5XP GEL CREAM and TIME-FILLER 5XP GEL CREAM. href="https://fr.filorga.com/products/ncef-reverse-mat">NCEF-REVERSE MAT.

Combination Skin

Finally, combination skin presentsshininess in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and normal to dry areas on the cheeks.
It therefore combines the characteristics of dry and oily skin. Combination skin needs to be rebalanced and hydrated.

Our experts recommend that our consumers use the same products as for oily skin.

To conclude this article, please note that all our products are clinically tested on different skin types or on all the skin types for which they were designed. FILORGA Laboratories offers a variety of textures to meet the needs of all our consumers.

Do you needmore details or additional information? Don't hesitate to contact us for a personalized skin diagnosis.