Buying Body Lotion For Your Skin Type
No matter what body lotion you select it will help alleviate dry skin. Some body lotions however are better designed to alleviate severely dry and cracked skin than others. Other body lotion is formulated to treat sensitive or oily skin. It is important you understand what your skin type is before investing in a body lotion. This will help you select the lotion best suited to meet your body's unique requirements.
Here is a break down of the more common skin types:
- Normal Skin - If you have normal skin consider yourself lucky. Normal skin is not too oily and has no dry areas. Your skin is probably smooth and silky most days.
- Dry - Dry skin is quite common. People with dry skin tend to have patches of dry, flaky skin that itch either all the time or occasionally. Dry skin usually does not have oily patches.
- Oily - Oily skin or shiny skin usually has too much moisture. You may find you need to pat your skin dry several times every day. People with oily skin usually have a fine shine to their skin.
- Combination Skin - Many people fall into this category. You may notice your forehead and chin are oily but your cheeks are dry and flaky. This means you have combination skin.
- Sensitive Skin - Many people also have sensitive skin. If you are prone to allergies or sensitivities you may find your skin easily breaks out or turns red when you use certain products. This is usually an indication that you have sensitive skin.
Factors That Contribute To Skin Type
There are many internal and external factors that can affect how your skin looks and feels. For example, hormonal changes such as those that occur during pregnancy, menopause or during your menstrual cycle can affect your skins appearance, making it more oily at times and drier at others. Health problems including psoriasis or thyroid disorders can also affect your skin's appearance. Likewise you may have a genetic tendency toward oily or sensitive skin.
There are also external factors that can affect your skin type, including the weather, your skin care regimen, exposure to the sun, your habits (such as smoking or consuming too much alcohol). Medication you take can also affect your skin's appearance.
Healing Your Skin With Body Lotion
The good news is by selecting the right body lotion you can help even out your complexion and improve your skin's appearance. If you have normal skin you can use almost any type of lotion available. You may opt for a lighter lotion during the day and a heavier moisturizer at night.
If your skin is oily you'll want to avoid excessively oily skin care products. Heavy creams and moisturizers with thick ingredients can contribute to oily skin and make your skin appear worse. Stay away from products that are loaded with cocoa butter and other rich ingredients. Look for a light moisturizer specially formulated for oily skin.
Have combination skin? No problem. Fortunately there are also a variety of body lotions and moisturizers that are specially formulated for combination skin. The same goes for sensitive skin. Most of these products contain ingredients that help balance out your skins tone and texture, helping reduce oil in high moisture areas and helping restore moisture in more dry areas. Sensitive skin products usually contain only the mildest ingredients and few chemicals, and are often also ideal for almost all skin types.
Remember, the key to great looking skin is selecting a moisturizer specially formulated to match your skin type. Whether selecting a body lotion, facial moisturizer, sunscreen or other product be sure you buy something that will meet your individual needs.
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