Skin conditions have three main categories. The conditions are named oily, dry, and combination. They all affect us differently and it is best to know how to treat each one.

The Need to Know About Dry Skin

The cause of dry skin has to do with a lack of moisture in the outermost layer of one's skin. What consists of this skin layer are natural lipids, or fatty substances. They keep in moisture thereby leaving the skin soft and supple. If these substances are removed, dry skin results with symptoms such as a rough rather than smooth texture, skin tightness, fine lines or cracks, and in extreme cases deep fissures that have the potential to bleed.

Here are some tips to help prevent this from happening. Our best tip is to moisturize daily. After your shower pat yourself without rubbing too hard with the towel. When the skin is still a little damp, apply the moisturizer all over your neck and face using upward strokes. It is worth noting that short, lukewarm baths are much better for dry skin than long, hot ones that strip away the body's natural moisture barriers.

The Need to Know About Oily Skin

What causes oily skin are sebaceous glands producing an excessive amount of skin oils, or sebum. The neck, face, chest and back regions contain the most amount of these glands. The overproduction of these natural and healthy oils give way to the oily skin symptoms of pimples, shininess and blemishes.

The right balance in treating oily skin is removing the excess oil while not scrubbing off those fatty acids that are the natural protectors of our skin. In a nutshell this is accomplished through gentle cleansing. The key here is to avoid soap as it strips away the skin's natural oils. One should use a cleanser that has a low pH level and does not provoke any skin irritation. Overdoing it is not necessary. Two times a day is enough to wash oily skin effectively.

The Need to Know About Combination Skin

The third type of skin condition is called combination skin. As the name proclaims, this condition affects people who have a mixture of dry and oily skin on different parts of their body. Mainly this condition causes oily areas to be found along what's called the T-zone. This zone covers the forehead running down through the nose, mouth, and chin. What is mainly found along this area is the presence of skin that is overly shiny, a greasy appearance, and the abundance of pimples and/or blackheads. The other sections of the face are known to have a feeling of tightness after washing your skin. They will appear flaky and have a rough texture.

What is the way to treat this tricky skin condition? To begin with use a gentle, water-soluble cleanser that does not leave you with feelings of skin tightness or dryness. Mildly foaming or gel-based cleansers are known to work the best for combination skin. Most importantly avoid bar soaps. They overly dry your skin while also clogging the skin's pores. One should apply a sunscreen that has UVA-protecting ingredients daily. Using a skin treatment product like a moisturizer full of antioxidants and containing ingredients that resemble the function of normal skin is the advised route to tackle the dry sections. Oily skin products that are irritant-free and are pH-correct are advised to be applied at least once daily. Facial skin products that have benzoyl peroxide are encouraged to be applied topically if one is prone to blemishes as part of their combination condition.