What’s your skin type? How to guide to identify what your skin needs

The skin is the body's largest organ, and it needs care beyond just your face.

Many people focus on facial skin care while plugging their ears, closing their eyes and yelling "la la la la". I can’t hear you as the skin on the rest of their body is begging for moisture. Not to worry though, Access is here to help you not only to learn your skin type, but to also help you give it what it is pleading for hydration, balance, and barrier health.

Let’s get into the most common skin types and how to recognize them across your entire body:

Normal skin

Normal skin is balanced, not overly dry not overly oily. It is characterized by a smooth texture, small pores, and a healthy, radiant or slightly mat appearance with no severe sensitivity. People with normal skin may notice your skin is comfortable after showering. You experience, minimal flaking, whether you have put some sort of moisturizer on your skin or not. You experience rare breakouts on your face, chest or back. Your skin has an even tone in texture.

People with normal skin should focus on maintaining balance and hydration and protection, using gentle lightweight products. A basic effective routine will include your favorite cleanser, a moisturizer that has hyaluronic acid in it and a daily broad-spectrum SPF. The key ingredients to look for include hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and vitamins like our Barrier Restoration Lotion.

Oily skin

Did you know that oily skin produces excess sebum? Sebum is a natural oily and waxy substance produced by sebaceous glands in the skin to moisturize waterproof and protect the skin and hair. While vital for skin health, excess sebum can lead to acne and clogged pores. People with oily skin may notice shininess on the face, chest and back frequently clogged pores, breakouts beyond just the t-zone and makeup or sunscreen, slipping. Oily skin still requires hydration stripping the skin can trigger increased oil production overtime.

The best skin care products for oily skin are oil-free, non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), and lightweight products, focusing on balancing sebum without stripping the skin. Recommended products include foaming or gel cleansers, alcohol-free toners, lightweight oil-free moisturizers, and matte finish sunscreens that contain salicylic acid, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.

Dry skin

Dry skin lacks adequate oil and often lacks water, which is key for hydration of the skin. This dryness can show itself as tightness after bathing or showering, flaking on arms or legs, rough patches on elbows or knees and overall dull appearance to the skin and or itching especially in colder months. Dry skin is caused by a lack of moisture in the skin outer layer due to a wide variety of contributing factors like environmental, habits, meaning, choosing not to moisturize your skin and or underlying health issues. Because of this, it might take a sometime and dedication to hunt down the root cause of the dryness and how to correct it. Below is a list of a few key causes of dry skin to help you start narrowing down why the skin may be dry and how to potentially correct it:

1. Environmental factors: Cold, windy, weather, and low humidity, as well as desert climate sap moisture from the skin.

2. Heating and cooling: Indoor heating (fireplaces and furnaces) and air-conditioning, reduce humidity and dry out the air leading to moisture loss.

3. Hot water and bathing: Long, hot showers or bath strip away natural oils (lipids).

4. Harsh products: Soaps detergent, and cleansers containing non-fatty alcohols or fragrance can damage the skin’s barrier.

5. Aging: As people grow older, skin becomes thinner and produces less natural oil.

6. Medical conditions: Eczema, psoriasis, thyroid issues, diabetes, and kidney disease can cause chronic dryness.

7. Medications: Diuretics, cholesterol, prescription drugs, and certain acne treatment like retinoids can cause dry skin.

8. Lifestyle: Dehydration, smoking, and jobs requiring frequent handwashing (example: healthcare workers) contribute to dryness.

To manage dry skin first try taking shorter warm, showers. Follow up with gentle fragrance, free cleaners and thick moisturizers or emollients like our Barrier Restore Lotion immediately after washing.

Sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is a non-medical term for skin that is easily irritated often reacting to environmental factors skin care products, stress, or weather changes with sensations like burning, itching or redness. It typically points to a weak protective barrier, allowing for faster, moisture loss, and easier penetration of irritants.

If your skin reacts quickly to factors that usually do not bother most people such as fragrances, soaps, or alcohol; or if you often experience, stinging burning, tingling heating or itching sensations when applying products, it is likely that you have sensitive skin. Common types of sensitive skin are acne prone, eczema prone, psoriasis, rosacea prone, or contact dermatitis. People with sensitive skin should use gentle hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free products with minimal ingredients to avoid irritation. Key products include hydrating cleansers ceramide rich moisturizers like our Barrier Restore Lotion, and mineral based sunscreens that have zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide. Avoid harsh soaps, alcohol dies, and intense exfoliate to prevent flareups.

If you’re unsure of your skin type, try this simple assessment:

Cleanse your skin gently then do not apply any products for about 30 to 60 minutes. Observe how your skin feels on different areas of your body. Ask yourself does your skin feel itchy or tight? Do certain areas become shiny quickly? Do your elbows, knees or hands feel rough? Does your skin flush or sting easily?

Keep in mind there is no wrong answer here, and it is perfectly normal for you to discover that all across your body you may have different skin types.