Types Of Skin

The skin type quiz has allowed you to effectively identify your skin type. As different skin types have different textures and characteristics, skin care regimes and also the choice of cosmetics should also differ. The different skin types are mainly:

1. Normal Skin
2. Oily Skin.
3. Dry Skin.
4. Combination Skin.
5. Sensitive Skin
6. Couperose Skin
7. Mature Skin.

However, today’s urban living conditions have also enabled us to segregate skin types further more into a Sun-damaged skin, Dehydrated skin, and Couperose skin. Genes, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all determine how much oil your skin produces which furthermore determine your akin type to a large extent. We can also have another skin type which is Mature Skin type relating to the above 40 age group.

1.Normal Skin: 
This is the perfect, balanced skin type! It has a healthy glow with a fine texture and no open pores. It rarely develops spots or shiny areas. It is soft, smooth, pimple-free, clean and without flaky areas. In fact, it’s quite rare to find a normal skin, especially as all skins tend to become slightly drier as you get older. The skin has a rosy color because the blood circulation is good and the skin is well moisturized. The pH of healthy normal skin is between 5.6 and 6; that is, it is slightly acidic. This acidic pH is due to the presence of acids in the sebum, sweat and keratin. It is therefore necessary to maintain the acidity of the skin. Thus, curds and lemon juice when applied on normal skins do wonders for this type of skin. The main concern of a normal skin is to maintain it and keep it functioning well. Although normal skin is definitely the easiest skin to take care of it does require the basic skin care. Just like any other skin type, normal skin still should be washed and moisturized daily in order to prevent dry skin or acne.

Tips For Normal Skin: 
1. Do wash your face twice a day; once in the morning and again before you go to bed. Regularly clean your skin with a good cleanser. Remove all your makeup before going to sleep. Makeup will clog the pores if left on for too long, which can cause acne to develop. 
2. For normal skin, cleansing, toning, nourishing should be done regularly.
3. Use light make up. If using heavy make up, avoid make up and let your skin breathe at least once a week. 
4. Always Moisturize your skin. This will prevent dehydration and wrinkles.
5. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which in turn promotes the growth of new, healthy skin cells, and leaves your skin looking smoother.
6.Always use a sunscreen before going out in the sun. Use a moisturizer that has an SPF of at least 15 or use a sun screen in conjunction with your moisturizer.
7. Drink 8 glasses of water daily.
8. Use a face mask once a week.
9. Exercise regularly.
10. Follow a healthy diet as it also plays an important part, along with adequate sleep.

Don’ts For Normal Skin: 
1. Don’t Tan or allow over exposure to sun and harsh conditions.
2. Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
3. Don’t wash your face with hard soaps. Use a good mild cleanser instead.
4. Avoid experimenting with too many cosmetics. Stick to the products which suit you best.
5. Avoid touching your face too often with dirty fingers. This will clog pores and cause acne and skin infections.

Home Face Packs For Normal Skin: 
Face packs rejuvenate a skin and help to increase circulation as well as tauten and cleanse the complete face. Face packs are also beneficial to remove impurities, dead skin cells and wastes from the skin. One can easily make face packs at home in a few minutes. The juice of fresh fruits and vegetables tone and provide enzymes that help balance and cleanse the skin. Smash or pulp the fresh fruit and vegetables, then add fruit pectin, agar agar, clay or oat flour to firm the mixture so it does not slide off the face. The face pack has property similar to toner. A pack should always be applied after applying a scrubber which opens the pore due to scrubbing effect. Therefore it is important to close down the pores with the help of face pack. Adding Honey underneath a mask treatment is delicious for normal skin, as it smoothens and nourishes the skin by regulating the skins moisture.

1.Papaya Mask: Mix Papaya pulp with half a teaspoon of raw milk and honey, rose water and apply all over face and neck, leaving on for 10 to 15 minutes. This is a great mask for dry dull skin. Papaya provides the necessary nourishment while milk and honey provide moisture to the skin making it soft and supple. 
2.For Skin Rejuvenation: Mix in Sandalwood powder, turmeric powder and milk in equal proportions, apply over face and neck avoiding the eye area and eyebrows, wash with cold water after 15 minutes. This pack is best for skin rejuvenation and fairness. Turmeric helps get the skin fairer, sandalwood for coolness and milk for skin miniaturization.
3.Oatmeal And Rosewater Face Pack: 2 tablespoons fine oatmeal; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon rose water. Blend the oatmeal with the honey and then stir in the rose water. Apply to the face and leave for 10 minutes. Remove with lukewarm water.
4.Instant Glow Pack: 2 spoons chickpea flour, half lemon, 1 spoon curd, 1i spoon honey mixed and applied on face and washed when dry will give an instant glow.
5.Cool Face Pack: Make sandalwood paste, add rosewater and apply it on your face. It has cooling effect.
6.Mud Face Mask: Take a spoonful of finely ground Fuller’s Earth, a spoonful of rose water or cleansing-milk and prepare a thick paste. Apply a thick coat on the oily part of your face and a light coat on the dry part. Let it remain for ten minutes before washing it off with lukewarm water.
7.Herbal Cleanser: Mix together equal quantities of ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fenugreek, ground liquorice and chickpea flour and store in air tight containers. When apply take a small quantity and mix with water or rose water. Make a smooth paste and gently rub it onto your skin with small circular movements. Massage off with warm followed by cold water.
8.Simplest Facial: Milk and sugar make the simplest facial. Moisten face with water and massage gently. Clean with a teaspoon of sugar. Tone with a splash of water. Moisturize the skin from the top of boiled milk that’s been left to cool. Leave this on for 2 minutes, then massage off with water.
9.Egg Mask: Mix an unbeaten egg, a few pinches of camphor and a teaspoon milk powder to make a paste and wash off after 20 minutes.
10.Apple Mask: 1 apple quartered, cored; 2 Tbsp honey and 1/2 tsp. ground sage. Chop apple in food processor. Add honey and sage to apple. Mix well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat mixture onto face with a light tapping motion, tapping until honey feels tacky. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse. 
11. Moisturizing Pack: Mash or liquidize half an avocado pear with 1 tsp of sunflower oil. Apply the mixture to face and neck avoiding the eye and lip area. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.
12.Toner For Normal Skin: Chop up a small sized fresh cucumber and liquidize it with half a cup of yoghurt. Apply the mixture for 5-10 minutes, and wash off. The remainder can be stored in the fridge for future use.

Maintaining Normal Skin: Normal skin naturally has a good balance of oil and moisture levels. Your routine should include gently cleansing your skin to ensure surface grime and stale make up are removed, and to prevent a build-up of sebum. Then you should boost moisture levels with moisturizer to protect and pamper your skin.
1. Always remove eye-makeup carefully. Going to bed with your mascara still on can lead to sore, puffy eyes. Applying new makeup on top of old, stale makeup is unhygienic, too! Choose your cleanser according to whether you are wearing ordinary or waterproof mascara. 
2. Splash your face with water, then massage in a gentle facial wash and work it up to a lather for about 30 seconds. It is a good idea to massage your skin lightly, because this will boost the supply of blood to the surface of your skin – which means a rosier complexion.
3. Rinse with clear water until every soapy trace has been removed from your face. Then pat your face with a soft towel to absorb residual water from the surface of your skin. Don’t rub your skin, especially around the eyes, as this can encourage wrinkling.
4. Cool your skin with a freshening toner. Again, avoid the delicate eye area as this can become more prone to dryness.
5. Smooth your skin with moisturizing lotion. Dot on your face, then massage in with your fingertips using light upward strokes. This leaves a protective film on the skin, so make up can be easily applied and the moisture content is balanced.

Normal Skin Problems: May experience minor breakouts related to a “big night out”, hormones, or stress. Watch for any premature aging under eyes, as this area tends to need more moisture due to lack of sebaceous (oil) activity; may experience minor breakouts relating to hormonal cycle. People with normal skin start showing signs of age and wrinkling sooner than others. Drink lots of pure water, eat a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh air and exercise are always beneficial, and always apply sunscreen, especially in the hotter months, as this is the best approach to prevent premature aging!