Perfect skin is uncommon, almost everyone has some skin problems but with the right information and a combination of a healthy lifestyle you can improve the overall condition of your skin, no matter what skin type you are. There are many factors that affect our skins condition and with the right skin care treatment you can learn how to combat the outside influences that affect our skin, causing skin care problems.

Some of the common influences on our skin are; hormonal changes, pregnancy, medication, the weather, travel (sudden changes in climate conditions can have a negative effect on skin) a poor diet and smoking.

The skin has three layers, the surface of our skin is called the epidermis, the middle layer is called the dermis and the inner layer (the deepest layer) is called the hypodermis.  The epidermis is the visual part of our skin and we can gain clues as to the overall health of our skin simply by looking at its condition.  The dermis is composed of collagen and elastin, the proteins that affect our skins strength and structure.  As we get older our skin produces less of these proteins, which results in wrinkles and sagging.  The dermis is also the part of our skin that produces sebum, through the sebaceous glands.  Sebum helps to protect our skin by making a protective layer that covers the epidermis.  Over production of sebum is what causes oily skin conditions.  The inner layer (hypodermis) contains a layer of fat, blood vessels and nerves.

Moisturizers work by creating a barrier to help our skin retain moisture and protect the skin from the air, which can cause dryness.  Choosing the right moisturizer for your skin type can make a huge difference to your skins appearance and health.  Keeping your skin hydrated is one of the biggest factors in keeping your skin healthy and a suitable moisturizer can help to achieve this.

There are five main types of skin, these are dry skin, normal skin, oily skin, sensitive skin and combination skin. The following checklist should help you to find out which skin type applies to you.

Dry skin – dry skin feels tight after you have washed it and may appear flaky looking, it feels rough to touch and can at times be sensitive.  Dry skin is most prone to premature fine lines. 

Dry skin care treatment – A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables helps to keep dry skin hydrated.  You should also try to drink at least eight glasses of water every day.  Limit caffeine intake as this can cause dehydration.  You should use two different moisturizers for dry skin, a light cream as a base cream topped with a second thicker moisturizer.  Dry skin also benefits from the use of night creams.

Normal skin – if your skin feels comfortable after washing, appears smooth and has small pores you most likely have normal skin, normal skin types still need to use skin care treatment to maintain the water and oil balance of the skin.

Normal skin care treatment – normal skin needs to be kept clean to maintain a healthy balance, you should cleanse your skin daily and exfoliate weekly while also keeping a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water.

Oily skin – oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum, the skins natural protective layer of oil, this skin type can suffer from regular breakouts and has large, visible pores.  Oily skin however shows few signs of fine lines and rarely is affected by premature wrinkles.

Oily skin care treatment – oily skin needs to be cleansed twice daily and only light moisturizer should be used.  Oily skin benefits most from a regular skincare routine combined with a healthy diet.

Sensitive skin – this skin type can be oily or dry and is easily irritated by skin care products and cleansing lotions.

Sensitive skin care treatment – this skin type should only use skincare products that are specifically for sensitive skin, while also paying attention to the hydration of the skin, if it is too dry or too oily.

Combination skin – This skin type tends to have both oily and dry skin at the same time, usually this occurs as an oily t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) and dry cheeks.

Combination skin care treatment – this skin type should use the combined skincare treatments for both oily skin and dry skin on the appropriate areas, for example you should treat the oily skin area as is recommended for oily skin and separately treat the dry areas with the treatments advised for dry skin.  Although this can take more time to achieve than other skin types it is possible to balance the skin and have a healthy clear complexion.