If you want to fight acne and take care of your skin, it is important to know and understand your skin type. Each skin type comes with its own characteristics and needs, and must be accordingly treated with the medication and products most suited to it. By knowing what kind of skin you have, you can take the right precautions and steps to treat acne and improve the overall health of your skin.

In all, there are five different skin types:
• Normal
• Oily
• Dry
• Combination
• Sensitive

Why are there different types of skin? What determines your skin type? Several factors can play a role in determining your individual skin type, including”
• Your genetic make-up
• Your hormonal make-up and balance
• Your habits, such as dietary and smoking
• Your medical history, such as any health problems or medications

In addition to these factors, external and environmental conditions also affect our skin. Your skin care routine, exposure to sun and the overall weather are some such factors.

Normal Skin

As the classification suggests, this is a normal type of skin, and is characterized primarily by the absence of unusual problems and features such as excessive oiliness or dryness. Normal skin is soft, smooth, supple and usually without blemishes. Normal skin types do not require excessive treatment or care, and only occasionally suffer from acne breakouts. Since the skin is healthy in other aspects, such breakouts can usually be attributed to external factors such as weather and sun exposure.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is characterized by an appearance of greasiness and wanness, and the coarseness of texture. Oily skin usually happens due to internal factors such as excess production of natural oils (sebum). People with oily skins commonly have large pores and are prone to blackheads, whiteheads and other acne-related skin problems, and thus most acne treatments are designed for this skin type.

DOs for oily skin:

1. Use oil-free, irritant-free products.
2. Keep your face and hands clean, and take special care when touching spotted or affected areas of the skin.
3. Use face-packs to rejuvenate the skin.
4. Exercise in order to restore the internal balance of the body.
5. Eat a balanced diet that is rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and fiber.
6. Take dietary supplements of vitamin A to combat acne.
7. Always take your make-up off before sleeping.

DON’Ts for oily skin:

1. Don’t eat greasy, fatty or junk food. Avoid excessive sugar, fats and simple carbohydrates.
2. Don’t squeeze your spots or scratch them with your fingers or nails.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is fine-textured, and can look and feel tight when not properly moisturized. Dry skin is especially dry after washing, and can have a stretched, drawn feeling. Natural oils are produced by sebaceous glands to keep our skin properly moisturized, but when these glands do not produce enough oil, skin can get dry and problematic. It is thus crucial to maintain skin’s moisture for its overall health and to maintain its youth. If you have dry skin, use moisturizer regularly and stay well-hydrated.

DOs for dry skin:

1. Use a moisturizer regularly, and take special care of the skin around the eyes.
2. When going out, use a moisturizer with sunscreen in it.
3. Use creams containing ultra-hydrating hylauronic acid, antioxidants and fatty acids.
4. Eat a healthy diet rich in fiber and vitamins.
5. Drink a lot of water.

DON’Ts for dry skin:

1. Don’t expose your skin to extreme temperatures, heat or dryness.
2. Don’t dry your skin after washing or applying or removing make-up.

Combination Skin

Combination skin is called thus because it is a combination of oily and dry skin. Characteristically, combination skin types have dry skin on the cheeks and oily skin on their T-zone (the T-zone is the area formed by the nose, forehead and chin). Combination skins can suffer from acne due to oiliness, and have other problems due to dryness. When looking for an acne cure, people with combination skin types may need to combine medication designed for different skin types, and apply and monitor each treatment carefully.

DOs for combination skin:

1. Use mild cleansers with deep-pore cleansing properties. The mildness of the cleanser protects dry skin while the deep-pore cleansing helps to combat acne and keep the oily part of the skin (the T-zone) free of irritants and pollutants.
2. Use a light moisturizer. While the moisturizer will help dry areas of your face absorb and maintain moisture levels, the gentleness of the moisturizer will allow your oily T-zone to breathe without feeling excessively oily. For better results, try moisturizing lotions that contain silicone oils, as such lotions are both nourishing and light.
3. Use an alcohol-free toner on the T-zone, to avoid greasiness on your nose and forehead.
4. Use sunscreen with a minimum SPF level of 15.
5. Exfoliate your skin with a gel mask, which would work for the whole face. You can also separately use a cream mask exfoliator for the dry parts and a clay mask exfoliator for the oily parts of your skin.

DON’Ts for combination skin:

1. Don’t eat excessively fatty, greasy or sugary foods.
2. Do not apply products designed for dry skin on the T-zone, or products designed for oily skin on the cheeks. For example, when you apply alcohol-free toner to your T-zone, make sure that you don’t use it on your cheeks.

Sensitive Skin

As the name suggests, sensitive skin can be quite fragile and needs great care and attention. People with sensitive skins must take a variety of precautions when choosing skin care products, as their skin can get easily irritated and affected. Sensitive skin is prone to itching, chafing and stinging, and must be protected from harsh products and conditions.

Acne treatment can be especially challenging for people with sensitive skin, as they have to be extra careful about the possible side-effects of strong treatments. When trying a new skin product of any kind, it is advisable for people with sensitive skin to test the product on a patch of skin and examine its reaction to the treatment, before applying it fully over affected areas.

It is also important to note that skin types do not remain the same throughout our lives. As the internal and external factors affecting skin types (such as habits, medical conditions and treatments, external influences etc) change, skin types also change accordingly. Thus it is important to understand not only your skin type but the correlation between your skin type and your conditions. This will enable you to make positive changes in your habits and take precautions corresponding to your particular skin type.