Choosing Your Skin Type

The best way to get the most out of your natural skin care products is to choose them on the basis of your skin type.

There are four basic skin types: oily, normal, dry and sensitive. When it comes to the skin of the face and neck, most people have a combination of two or more of these, so when choosing your skin care products consider how each product is going to affect your skin.

Some fortunate people have a totally normal skin type - but these are rare! A normal skin type will not suffer from excessive oiliness or dryness, does not have blemishes or sensitivity rashes and tends not to form lines or wrinkle easily. Despite these advantages, normal skin types can still benefit from a good skin care regime to protect it from harmful environmental factors and to preserve normal skin function.

Products suitable for oily skin types are:

• Wildcrafted Skin Renewal Gel (Exfoliant)
• Wildcrafted Hydrating Cleanser
• Wildcrafted Milk of Roses Toner
• Wildcrafted Mandarin Toning Lotion
• Wildcrafted Rose Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Papaya Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Rejuvenating Night Crème (Night-time Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Age Defying Essence (Anti-aging Essence)
• Wildcrafted Ginseng Hydrator for Men (Normal Skin Blend) (Moisturiser for Men)
• Wildcrafted Yellow Earth Medicine Facial Clay (Facial Clay Mask)
• Wildcrafted's Recomended Natural Skin Care System for Normal Skin
  For Men: Use the same system, but change the moisturiser to the Ginseng Hydrator for Normal Skin.
  

Oily skin has an advantage over dry and sensitive skin types, in that it tends not to wrinkle as easily, but it does tend to develop clogged pores, blackheads, blemishes and acne problems. For these reasons people with oily skin should carefully cleanse the skin morning and night, taking care not to dry the skin out.

People with oily skin types often avoid moisturisers and use alcohol based toners as drying agents, thinking that moisturising makes the oiliness worse and a drying toner is needed to control the excessive oil secretion.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Most oily skins will be stimulated to produce more oil when they are excessively dried out and alcohol based toners are a no-no!. In addition, use of a moisturiser specially formulated for the oily skin type helps to control the excessive oil secretion.

Products suitable for oily skin types are:

• Wildcrafted Skin Renewal Gel (Exfoliant)
• Wildcrafted Lemon Cleanser
• Wildcrafted Wild Herb Toner
• Wildcrafted Avocado Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Moonglow Day Creme (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Mandarin Toning Lotion
• Wildcrafted Ginseng Hydrator for Men (Oily Skin Blend) (Moisturiser for Men)
• Wildcrafted Green Earth Medicine Facial Clay (Facial Clay Mask)
• Wildcrafted's Recomended Natural Skin Care System for Oily Skin
  For Men: Use the same system, but change the moisturiser to the Ginseng Hydrator for Oily Skin.

Dry skin types need a lot of hydrating and moisturising to protect them from damage, so the cleansers, toners and moisturisers used on dry skin should all be aimed at softening and hydrating. Night creams are also very beneficial for dry skins as they nourish and repair the skin while the body is resting.

Products suitable for dry skin types are:

• Wildcrafted Skin Renewal Gel (Exfoliant)
• Wildcrafted Hydrating Cleanser
• Wildcrafted Milk of Roses Toner
• Wildcrafted Mandarin Toning Lotion
• Wildcrafted Rose Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Papaya Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Rejuvenating Night Crème (Night-time Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Age Defying Essence (Anti aging Essence)
• Wildcrafted Ginseng Hydrator for Men (Dry Skin Blend) (Moisturiser for Men)
• Wildcrafted Red Earth Medicine Facial Clay (Facial Clay Mask)
• Wildcrafted's Recomended Natural Skin Care System for Dry Skin
  For Men: Use the same system, but change the moisturiser to the Ginseng Hydrator for Dry Skin.

Sensitive skins are often found in fair complexioned people and those who have a tendency to develop allergies. A sensitive skin needs extra care and should never be exposed to harsh or harmful chemicals. A gentle skin care regime, utilising products that calm and soothe the skin are recommended for this type of skin.

• Wildcrafted Skin Renewal Gel (Exfoliant)
• Wildcrafted Hydrating Cleanser
• Wildcrafted Milk of Roses Toner
• Wildcrafted Mandarin Toning Lotion
• Wildcrafted Rose Day Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Rejuvenating Night Crème (Moisturiser)
• Wildcrafted Ginseng Hydrator for Men (Dry Skin Blend) (Moisturiser for Men)
• Wildcrafted Red Earth Medicine Facial Clay (Facial Clay Mask)
• Wildcrafted's Recomended Natural Skin Care System for Sensitive Skin
  For Men: Use the same system, but change the moisturiser to the Ginseng Hydrator for Dry Skin / Sensitive Skin.

Some people have an oily and dry skin combination, where there is an area of oily skin across the forehead and down the nose and chin (the T-Zone) with dry cheeks. In this case, the skin type is a combination dry and oily skin and it would be advisable to use a dry skin moisturiser on the cheeks and an oily skin moisturiser on the T-Zone.

A common combination skin is normal and oily in which the oily T-Zone is present and the cheek area is normal or normal and dry in which the T-Zone is normal and the cheeks and neck areas are dry.

A combination dry and sensitive skin type is often found in people who suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. This skin type requires hydrating, softening, calming and moisturising products that are formulated to promote repair and restore normal skin function.

The skin changes, not only as we age, but also with the seasons and in response to the level of health you are experiencing at a given time. Natural events like pregnancy, breast-feeding and illness can change the way your skin responds and your basic skin type. It is good to become aware of your skin's health patterns and how it changes from season to season so you can re-evaluate your skin's needs and vary your skin care regime accordingly.