Dry skin can be understood as both a 'skin type' and a 'skin condition.'
Your skin type is what you are born with and largely determined by your genetics.
However, skin type can also change with age, stage of life (i.e. pregnancy), and health status. For instance, someone with oily skin type may develop dry skin type as they get older, or undergo treatment for cancer. Or someone with dry skin type may develop sensitive skin type during pregnancy.
'Skin type' includes:
- normal skin
- dry skin
- oily skin
- combination skin
- sensitive skin
Normal Skin
Dry Skin
Oily Skin
Combination Skin
Sensitive Skin
Skin Types and Helena Rubinstein
Skin Condition
Your 'skin condition' is different from your skin type. Your skin condition is what your skin is experiencing depending on the various internal and external factors you are exposed to.
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dehydrated skin - lack of moisture (water)
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dry skin - lack of sebum (fat)
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aging skin
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sun damaged skin
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acne
Skin conditions can happen to anyone - for instance, someone with dry skin type can develop dehydrated skin, acne or sun damaged skin. Someone with an oily skin type may experience dry skin condition from time to time when they are exposed to harsh climates that are cold, dry and windy, or they use too many harsh cleansers, stripping away too many fats from the skin layer. Another example is someone with a dry skin type may have good skincare and lifestyle habits, and as a result have no symptoms of dry skin condition.
Skin conditions can be temporary or lifelong.
Skin condition can vary greatly depending on the various internal and external factors:
Internal Influences:
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genetic predisposition
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hormonal changes
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menopause, pregnancy and menstrual cycles can cause the skin to fluctuate from oily to breakouts, and dryness.
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skin disorders (rosacea, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis)
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diabetes
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medications
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diet and supplements
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hydration level
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activity level/exercise
External Influences:
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climate/weather (cold, warm, moist, dry, wind)
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sun exposure
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pollution
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skincare products (using irritating/drying products can create skin issues).
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skin care routine (over-cleansing, not removing makeup, etc may create skin issues).
Summary
Dry skin can be understood as both a “skin type” and a “skin condition.”
References
Bennett, James. 2021. Helena Rubinstein (1915-1930). Cosmetics and Skin (blog). Accessed September 10, 2021. https://www.cosmeticsandskin.com/companies/helena-rubinstein-1915.php.
Youn, Sang Woong. 2016. "Cosmetic Facial Skin Type." In Measuring the Skin, edited by Philippe Humbert, Howard Maibach, Ferial Fanian, and Pierre Agache, 1–6. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Author Information
Dr. Natasha Ryz is a scientist, skin care expert and an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Dry Skin Love Skincare, and she creates skincare products for beauty, dry skin and pain relief.
Dr. Ryz has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and she is a Vanier scholar. She also holds a Master of Science degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
Natasha is the former Chief Science Officer of Zenabis Global, and she oversaw cannabis extraction, analytics, and product development. Her team brought 20 products to market including oils, sprays, vapes and softgels.
Why I Started A Skincare Company
