Enfnts Terribles

Unfortunately, beautiful skin requires commitment, not a miracle. But remember to have fun and use your morning and evening routine as a little me-time.

Different skin types

A first big misunderstanding in the world of skincare is not knowing your skin type. The main thing you have to figure out is whether you have dry or oily skin. The second one is figuring out if your skin lacks hydration. These two are often confused because the symptoms are very similar.

Other vital information is whether or not you suffer from sensitive skin. Sensitive skin reacts differently to certain ingredients than normal skin, so it’s important to be aware of that. Figuring out your skin type is important for your products to work properly. Some products will be perfect for more oily skin, while it doesn’t work at all for dry skin, and vice versa.

Dehydrated skin vs. dry skin

OK, so what is the difference? The problem of dehydrated skin is that it can’t retain moisture, probably because your skin was damaged by too aggressive cleansing, dry air, or just a general lack of water. Dehydrated skin typically looks dull and can show premature signs of aging, like surface wrinkles and loss of elasticity. It can occur to literally everyone and has nothing to do with your skin type (dry or oily). Your skin will still be able to produce sebum which is the oily, waxy substance produced by your body’s sebaceous glands. More about that later.

Now we know what dehydrated skin is, we still need to know how to take care of it. Dehydrated skin needs moisture. Ingredients you have to look for are hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Drinking a lot of water or moistening your environment can also help (certain plants and water on your heater, for example).

Dehydrated skin is often confused with dry skin. However, it is not the same. Dry skin lacks oil. Dry skin is also something you have probably struggled with your whole life. Typical symptoms are a tight and rough feeling, especially after a shower. Your skin appears dry and it can be flaky. But a lack of oil is easily fixed with a thick layer of products with ceramides, shea butter or jojoba oil. More about the treatment in the upcoming weeks.

Normal or combination

Now if you feel like you neither have a dry, oily, dehydrated nor sensitive skin, congratulations, you are God’s favorite. You have normal skin. But even for you, it is still important to maintain a proper routine. Although it is sometimes tempting to not care too much about your skin, I promise you, you’re 50-year-old self will be very happy you did. On a daily basis, we are getting exposed to damaging goods for your skin, like UV-light, pollution, or just make-up. And a big part of skin care is cleansing and protecting your skin from all that.

Another option might be you recognize both types, and then I’m very sorry my dear, but you are not God’s favorite. You suffer from combined skin. And that can be very confusing, but no worries, I’m here to explain how to treat this type as well. Most people that suffer from this skin type, have an oily T-zone (your forehead, nose, and chin) while the rest of your skin is normal to dry.

If I may recommend, even if you don’t really recognize any signs of dehydrated skin, it is still a good thing to include hydrating steps in your routine. A little hydration never hurt anybody. Most of the time products will say what skin type they were made for, but during this series, I will give you some more information about different ingredients and formulas and which ones you should choose according to your skin type.

So basically, you can have normal, oily, or dry skin or a combination of these three. And on top of that, you can have dehydrated and/or sensitive skin. Now that you have this information, it will be easier to pick out the right products for your skin. Something I will discuss in the upcoming weeks.