We always want to present our best face to the world. However, it can be difficult to feel confident when you are dealing with skin issues on your face. Makeup can cover many imperfections, but many of us feel more beautiful when our natural skin looks good.
There are many different things that can cause skin problems. These causes can range from hormonal changes, acne, allergies, and chronic health conditions, among many others. You will need to try different tips and treatments depending on what is causing your skin problems.
Depending on the severity of the skin issues that you are experiencing, solutions could range from simple home remedies to professional treatment. However, there are certain tips and habits that are universal and cal to improve all types of skin.
Before you purchase any new products or make changes to your skincare routine, you need to determine the type of skin that you have. Everyone has different skin and reacts to products differently, so it is extremely important to understand which type of skin you have to achieve healthy, smooth, glowing skin. Even two people with similar skin types could react to certain ingredients or products very differently.
It’s also important to understand how the skin on your face differs from the skin on other parts of your body. Have you noticed how many products are marketed to be used specifically on your facial skin? There is a good reason for this, and it has to do with the characteristics of this area.
Is The Skin On Your Face Really Different From The Skin On Rest Of Your Body?
All parts of your skin from the same organ and have many similarities, but that doesn’t mean that your skin is identical all over your body. And as a result, you need to take care of the skin on different areas of your body differently to achieve great results.
The first big difference is that your facial skin is much thinner than the skin on other parts of your body. The epidermis, which is the topmost layer of your skin, is usually 0.1 mm thick. But the epidermis on your face is much thinner than that; around your eyes, it is only 0-0.5 mm thick.
There are also more cells on your facial skin compared to the rest of your body, but these cells are smaller. This fact, combined with the thinness of your facial skin, make the skin on your face much more delicate. These factors explain why the skin on our face gets damaged and becomes irritated more often than other parts of our body.
Additionally, the skin on your face is exposed to much more damage than the skin on other body parts. Unlike the rest of our body, which is usually covered in clothing, our facial skin is exposed to harmful UV rays, pollution, and climate conditions. These factors are responsible for most of the extrinsic damage that our skin and lead to premature aging, which is why protecting your skin is so important.
Another important difference between our facial skin and the rest of our skin comes from the fact that we use our face to emote. Every time you make a facial expression, you are contracting certain muscles; as a result, the skin over those muscles wrinkles momentarily. After repeating the same expressions over and over for many years, your facial skin becomes much more susceptible to developing lines and wrinkles.
And last but not least: the skin on your face is more sensitive to hormonal changes. This occurs because your face contains more sebaceous glands than any other part of your body. Sebaceous glands produce oil or sebum, and they are stimulated by the hormone androgen.
Understanding What Each Skin Type Needs
Skin type can vary greatly from one person to the next, but four general skin types are usually described:
- Normal
- Oily
- Dry
- Combination
In addition to these types, your skin can be more or less sensitive. Determining your skin type is one of the first steps you need to take to develop a skincare routine and achieve clear, smooth skin.
Normal Skin
Scientifically known as “eudermic”, this term refers to skin that has a healthy balance between oily and dry. If you have normal skin, it means that your skin produces enough sebum to stay hydrated, but its production isn’t excessive – which is what leads to oily skin.
Normal skin is more common in younger individuals. It is less likely to develop skin conditions, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take good care of it. Even those with normal skin need to follow a skincare routine and stay protected from the elements; however, this routine is usually much more simple than the one needed by individuals with other types of skin.
Normal skin also tends to be less sensitive than other types of skin, and it has small pores.
Oily Skin
Oily skin, as its name suggests, is characterized by excessive sebum production. Oily skin is more prone to acne, blackheads, pimples, enlarged pores, and blemishes. It’s important to use non-comedogenic products on oily skin; this means that these products won’t clog your pores.
Although many people believe that they need to wash their oily skin frequently to control sebum, this isn’t true. On the contrary, washing your face excessively can dry out your skin, leading to greater sebum production to overcompensate for this.
Dry Skin
Dry skin produces less sebum than normal. As a result, dry skin can become dehydrated and irritated easily, since it lacks the lipids that normally protect the skin and help retain moisture inside your skin cells.
This type of skin tends to be sensitive, and it can develop redness, lines, wrinkles, uneven texture, and roughness. Those with dry skin should use mild cleansers and rich moisturizers. It’s also very important to keep dry skin protected from the sun, chemicals, pollution, and extreme temperatures.
Combination Skin
Combination skin is very common, and it is defined as having different skin types in different areas of your face. Many people have an oily T-zone (the area of your face that comprises your forehead, nose, and chin) and dry or normal areas on the rest of their face.
If you have combination skin, you might need to use different products in different parts of your face. For example, you might need to use non-comedogenic products for an oily T-zone while cleansing your dry skin areas with a milder product.
The Most Common Causes Of Facial Skin Problems
There are many factors that can cause skin disorders, from the weather to pollution and even your diet. These are some of the most common causes of skin issues:
- Acne
- Allergies (to foods, skincare products, or environmental factors)
- Rosacea
- Psoriasis
- Sunspots
- Actinic keratosis
- Eczema
- Blackheads
- Chronic health conditions (such as lupus, for example)
- Melasma
- Dermatitis
In many cases, you can improve your facial skin problems by following simple healthy habits and home remedies. But if you don’t know what is causing your skin problems and experience severe or prolonged symptoms, you might need to go to a dermatologist to get a diagnosis and medical treatment.
The Best Tips To Achieve Healthy Facial Skin
Even though you will need to develop a skincare routine based on your skin type and personal characteristics, there are still certain tips to achieve healthy facial skin which are universal. These are some of the most effective tips for healthy, glowing facial skin.
Follow healthy lifestyle habits
One of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your facial skin is to lead a healthy lifestyle. These healthy habits include protecting your skin with sunscreen each day – go for SPF 30 or higher -, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet, sleeping well, avoiding tobacco, and exercising regularly.
Use the right type of products for your face
Like we said before, it is very important to determine your skin type. You need to choose your skincare products based on the characteristics of your facial skin to achieve great results.
If you have oily skin with acne or pimples, a cleanser with salicylic acid could do wonders for your face. Kaolin or bentonite clay masks are also great for controlling sebum production. Look for products that are labeled as “non-comedogenic”. For your pimples, try to spot treatments that contain benzoyl peroxide. Dimethicone can also help control oily skin; however, you should avoid products that contain mineral oil, petroleum, and petrolatum.
Those with dry skin should stay away from strong cleansers. Instead, use mild makeup removers and cleansers, and go for rich moisturizers. Thanks to its healing properties, lactic acid is great for dry skin. Urea, ceramides, and glycerin can also soften and hydrate dry skin.
Some skincare ingredients work great for all skin types. These ingredients include vitamin C, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, aloe vera, retinoids, and niacinamide. If you have combination skin, use the appropriate products for each area of your face.
Drink green tea
Green tea has been shown to have many benefits for your skin. It’s full of beneficial antioxidants, which reduce inflammation throughout your entire body. It can also improve your complexion, even out your skin tone, and combat acne.
Scientific research has found that green tea even has anticarcinogenic properties. It can also help unclog your pores and works as a powerful antibacterial agent. It can help maintain collagen production to give your skin a firm and youthful appearance, and its caffeine content works wonders on dark circles and puffy eyes.
You can include a couple of cups of green tea in your daily routine to harness these benefits. In addition to improving your skin, green tea can also improve your overall health, mood, and make you feel more energized. There are also many skincare products that contain green tea extract as one of its ingredients.
Don’t wash your face excessively
It is commonly believed that you should wash your face several times each day if you want to achieve a radiant complexion, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. If your skin feels tight or dry after washing your face, you are probably over-cleansing your facial skin.
Your facial skin has its own microbiome, which simply refers to the healthy microorganisms that live on your face. If you wash your face too often, you will damage your microbiome and strip your face of its natural lipid protective barrier. As a result, your skin could become more likely to suffer from breakouts, pimples, irritation, blemishes, and lines.
Wash your face once a day, or twice if your skin tolerates it well.
Choose natural cosmetics (and don’t forget to remove them at the end of the day!)
Nowadays, you can find more makeup products that are labeled as natural or organic. These products usually contain ingredients that are not only safer but also beneficial to your skin. And unlike regular makeup products, they usually refrain from potentially harmful or comedogenic ingredients such as petroleum.
There are other reasons why you should choose natural makeup. Since they don’t contain artificial fragrances, they are less likely to cause allergic reactions, dermatitis, or breakouts in people with sensitive skin. Many of them also contain nutrient-rich ingredients such as herbal extracts and antioxidants.
Mineral products can also help protect your skin from UV radiation – although you still need to use sunscreen every day, regardless of the type of makeup you use.
Final Thoughts On Facial Skin Tips
Most of us have battled facial skin problems at some point in our lives. Whether that means acne, blemishes, dark circles, uneven texture, or dryness, it’s no secret that we would all love to have naturally beautiful facial skin.
Improving your facial skin isn’t impossible, but it does require consistency. You need to develop healthy habits and a good skincare routine that is adapted to your skin type and particular issues.
It is very important to keep your skin type in mind when you are choosing your skincare products. Determine your skin type, choose products accordingly, and develop healthier habits, and you will see your facial skin improve in no time.
Andrea, M.D is from Valencia, Venezuela. She is passionate about sexual health and education, and public health and global health. Additionally, she enjoys researching and learning about beauty, skincare, and cosmetic innovations. She has also volunteered in several NGOs in Venezuela. In her free time, Andrea enjoys reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, making desserts for her family, going to the beach, and spending time with her dog, Dorito.