Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty #73

feature
Why you should
know your skin type
In a nutshell, if you don’t know your skin type, you may wind
up using the wrong skincare products for your skin. Caring
for the wrong skin type can aggravate existing conditions,
or even cause new ones.
‘Knowing one’s skin type is most important for
establishing and maintaining skin health,’ says Dr Baumann.
‘That’s really the first goal. From there, knowing your skin
type – and the ideal ingredients for it – helps prevent wasting
money on the wrong products, wasting time waiting for
results that won’t happen and, the worst-case scenario,
harming the skin.’
‘Most people are not equipped to self-diagnose their
skin type, particularly when it involves multiple concerns. In
this case, it is recommended to seek advice from a qualified
skin professional,’ says Vinson.
Determining your skin type can be confusing, and
most people misdiagnose themselves. Instead of trying
to pinpoint the traditional skin type categories, think of
your skin as a hybrid of categories. It is also important to
remember that your skin type can change due to variances
like environment, lifestyle and age.
‘Nowadays there are excellent diagnostic tools available
in clinics such as electronic facial scanners, which are
able to identify skin concerns that are not always visible to
the naked eye such as deep pigmentation, fine lines and
high blood flow close to the skin’s surface which can result
in redness,’ explains Vinson.
How to care for
your skin type
Today there is an abundance of beauty treatment options,
which can be as much a curse as a blessing. Using
the wrong products may trigger reactions such as
redness and flaking, causing people to incorrectly label
their skin as sensitive or dry. Dr Baumann highlights that
your skin type does more than affect the recommended
skincare and treatments; it dictates them.
‘For example, a “sensitive” skin type won’t be able to
tolerate a cleanser with glycolic acid but a “resistant” skin
type could use the same cleanser with a sonic cleansing
brush and apply a retinoid every night without a hint of
redness or irritation. Other examples would be that “tight”
skin types don’t need to waste money on anti-ageing
products, and “pigmented” skin types need to be careful
with in-office treatments such as lasers and peels,’ says
Dr Baumann.
‘In terms of treatments, sensitive skin types should
avoid chemical peels (although low-level salycylic acid
can be recommended for certain sensitive skin types),
skin needling and any aggressive clinical treatment,’
advises Vinson.
‘Pigmented skin should also be cautious of highly
irritating ingredients and strong chemical peels as this may
result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). This
risk can also be reduced by using tyrosinase inhibitors for
two weeks prior to treatment as this will reduce the risk of
PIH,’ she adds.
As for diet and lifestyle, Dr Baumann believes that if
you’re prone to acne you should minimise your intake of
dairy. ‘I also tell my patients to avoid sugar (as well as refined
carbohydrates), especially if they are concerned about
visible signs of ageing, since research has established that
high blood sugar levels may damage the skin’s supportive
collagen and elastin,’ she says.
Oily skin types should avoid ingredients containing
comedogenic oils and waxes such as coconut oil, as this
will cause blockage of the pores. It is also recommended
to avoid certain algae extracts as these can also
be comedogenic.
‘It is also not well publicised that SLS (sodium lauryl
sulfate), the most commonly used foaming agent in facial
cleansers, is highly comedogenic. Reach for cleansers
that use naturally derived foaming agents instead. It is
also wise for oily skins to avoid rich facial salon treatments
as this can also cause skin congestion,’ Vinson says.
To check for sensitivity and avoid skin reactions, always
perform a patch test on the side of your neck when
trying new products over a one-week period. ‘Anti-irritant
ingredients should be added to the skincare regimen such
as aloe vera, allantoin, Canadian willow herb and some
of the new anti-redness and anti-inflammatory peptides,’
says Vinson.
No matter what your skin type, it’s important to remember
that you should be religiously applying sunscreen, at
all times of the year. Protecting your skin from incidental
sun exposure is vital for helping to prevent skin cancer and
the effects of ageing that come from the sun’s powerful
UV rays.
‘There is one product that is essential to all skin types:
sunscreen. Opt for physical sunscreen in the form of zinc
oxide or apply mineral makeup containing high levels
of large-particle zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These
products will act as a physical barrier to UV light, and will
protect you throughout the day; sunscreen is truly your
defense against ageing!’ concludes Vinson. csbm
42 www.cosbeauty.com.au