Skin texture is something we all want to make the most of but do we really give it the attention is deserves? asks skincare expert Pauline Grace
Everyone has a unique skin texture. Some skin textures are more elastic than others, some are palpable. Whatever your unique texture is, it needs to be protected. It also needs to be nourished and finally it needs to be celebrated!
It is obvious to us when something goes wrong with our skin, for instance, when we get a spot, we are always keen to quickly do something about it. It is the same if we get a small scar or scratch, we are quick to use something to try to remove it. However, we often overlook taking preventative steps to protect our skin texture and we often overlook taking our skin texture into account when assessing our beauty needs.
Protecting your natural skin texture
Protection has to be the number one priority when it comes to skin care. This means not putting strain or pressure on your skin that is not natural to it; for instance by not exposing it to harsh or extreme weather conditions. When it comes to cleansing, cleansing agents including water, should not be of extreme temperatures. Face washing should always be done with warm water – again avoiding too hot or too cold extremes. Water that is too hot for the skin will have the effect of blood rushing to the face resulting in enlarging the pores and water that is too cold will constrict the blood vessels and draw the blood away from the skin surface resulting in the skin texture becoming more taut.
Exfoliation
Another key to skin protection is exfoliation. Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. Exfoliation should be regular, as vigorous as the skin can comfortably handle, and thorough. This is so important to keep skin’s natural lustre and to prevent skin from becoming dull. It encourages good skin texture. This is also the number one way of protecting the skin from blemishes
Blemishes
Keeping skin blemish-free is not easy, as the wear and tear of each day does take its toll. This is why the night is a good time to replenish what the skin has lost and been exposed to during the day. With the right product or treatment, some blemishes that are treated overnight can be seen to disappear by the morning. When a blemish does occur (not including injuries to the skin which should be medically treated), it is important to exfoliate the area of skin. This ensures the blemish is deterred from making its way up into new layers of skin. After this, some form of correcting treatment should be applied. My experience is that skin that has an even-toned texture responds to blemish removal more quickly than others. If, like me, your skin texture has varying tones, you may find you have to reapply treatment several times to see the blemish disappear. After the area has been exfoliated, a spot or scar treatment should be applied which is compatible with your skin type – generally, the lighter the treatment the better.
While the blemish is still visible it is best concealed with a well matched concealer which blends very well into your natural skin tone – but again, a nightly exfoliation of the blemished area of skin should be carried out every night to prevent the pores being blocked. Blocked pores will only add to your beauty problems!
Moisturising
Keeping skin properly and suitably moisturised is also important to prevent blemishes. Here, it is important to know your skin well as the wrong moisturiser can have an undesired impact on your skin. An oily skin needs a light moisturiser and a dry skin needs something more emollient. If the moisturisers are used the other way around, the oily skin will be more oily and the dry skin will be dryer still!
Your skin texture and make-up products
We have such a huge choice in beauty products on the market that we are always looking for the right colour or beauty item, but, what I want to talk about here is the right make-up product for the right skin texture. Some skin products can be very drying on a dry skin and some can do the opposite – which is not good if you already have an oily skin. So, it is worth taking the time to consider what skin texture you have and what type of products suit your unique texture.
Generally, (and there are exceptions) skin can be divided into one of four “S” types of texture: Smooth – Supple – Soft – Sensitive.
Smooth, firm skin is the most versatile when it comes to makeup and tends to have a firmer texture to it. Makeup glides on to a smooth skin type, so gel makeup and liquid makeup does well with this skin type. Powder based products tend not to settle as well on a smooth, firm skin type. Gel and liquid based products tend to have a more lasting and stronger effect.
Supple skin tends to have more of an elastic quality than other skin types. The skin does not stay put when touched and is more palpable. Supple skin types do well with powder based products as the makeup stays put when the skin tends to move about. Primers worn under makeup can be a great asset to supple skin types as makeup is encouraged to stay in place and look fresher without topping up for longer. For those who find themselves always having to top-up their makeup, this can be a solution.
Soft skin textures tends to have less firmness than the smooth, firm skin type and less elasticity than the palpable supple skin type. It is, again, a very versatile skin type and tends to respond well to most makeup types. If anything, soft skin texture types tend to go well with softer textured makeup. Very intense strong matt types of makeup do not go well with this skin type. However, lighter and softer textures do seem to integrate well.
Sensitive skin is delicate. Sensitive skin types are best to use specialist brands of make-up specially formulated for sensitive skins. Natural products are also ideal for sensitive skins. Ideal natural products include pure organic coconut oil, made as a beauty product, light salt scrubs, organic almond oils and soft emollient natural moisturiser oils.
