When we're under stress, the body gobbles up all available nutrients to keep our vital organs running efficiently, starving the skin, explains Rebecca Gadbury, health and beauty consultant and instructor of cosmetic sciences at the University of California in Los Angeles. If our overall well-being isn't optimal, our skin is the first to show it. The first step in designing your beauty regimen is to recognize whether you have normal, oily, dry or combination skin. To determine where your skin may be oily, wash your face and wait 30 minutes. A smudge of oil left on the tissue paper after it's removed indicates your oily areas.
Normal skin has an equal balance of water and oil, and medium-sized pores.
This type of skin looks similar to an orange peel, tending to be coarser or thicker in texture with larger hair follicles and a slight shine. It's more prone to blackheads and clogged pores because the oil holds onto dead skin cells and traps them in the hair follicles. Individuals with oily skin may also have a genetic predisposition to acne that could be triggered by a combination of other factors such as stress and poor diet. Dry skin tends to look dull. It may feel rough to the touch, and can also be flaky.