Three main categories encompass all the skin conditions. These conditions are comprised of oily, dry, and combination. They all affect us differently and it is best to know how to treat each one.

The Need to Know About Dry Skin

The cause of dry skin has to do with a lack of moisture in the outermost layer of one's skin. Natural lipids, or fatty substances, are what consist of this skin layer. They keep in moisture thereby leaving the skin soft and supple. If these substances are removed, dry skin results with symptoms such as a rough rather than smooth texture, skin tightness, fine lines or cracks, and in extreme cases deep fissures that have the potential to bleed.

Here are some tips to help prevent this from happening. Our best tip is to moisturize daily. After your shower pat yourself without rubbing too hard with the towel. When the skin is still a little damp, apply the moisturizer all over your neck and face using upward strokes. It is important to note that the body's natural moisture barriers are maintained when your baths are short and lukewarm. Long and hot baths remove these essential barriers that let out this essential moisture.

The Need to Know About Oily Skin

What causes oily skin are sebaceous glands producing an excessive amount of skin oils, or sebum. The neck, face, chest and back regions contain the most amount of these glands. These oils under normal levels are essential for healthy skin. It is when they are overproduced we get the oily skin symptoms of shininess, pimples and blemishes.

The best way to treat oily skin is to be able to remove the excess oil while leaving intact those fatty acids that help maintain the proper functioning and protection of our skin. How to do this is through gentle cleansing. What to do here is avoid soap because this is what effectively removes the skin's natural oils. The right product should be a cleanser that has a low pH level and does not provoke any skin irritation. Overwashing is not going to help. Two times a day should be plenty in effectively washing oily skin.

The Need to Know About Combination Skin

The third type of skin condition is called combination skin. As the name says, this condition involves a mixture of both oily and dry skin affecting different parts of the body. Generally, the oily parts of the face are found on what is called the T-zone area. This zone covers the forehead running down through the nose, mouth, and chin. These areas are most likely going to end up with characteristics of being shiny, feeling greasy, and consisting of pimples and blackheads. The other sections of the face are known to have a feeling of tightness after washing your skin. They will appear flaky and have a rough texture.

What is the way to treat this tricky skin condition? To begin with use a gentle, water-soluble cleanser that does not leave you with feelings of skin tightness or dryness. Mildly foaming or gel-based cleansers have been known to work the best for combination skin. Most importantly avoid bar soaps. They overly dry your skin while also clogging the skin's pores. One should apply a sunscreen that has UVA-protecting ingredients everyday. Using a skin treatment product such as a moisturizer loaded with antioxidants and containing ingredients that resemble the function of healthy skin is the best way to eliminate the dry sections. Oily skin products that are irritant-free and are pH-correct are advised to be applied at least once daily. Facial skin products that consist of benzoyl peroxide are encouraged to be applied topically if one is prone to blemishes as part of their combination condition.