Important Aspects That Affect Skin Care
Part of your education in skin care is learning about different features of skin. Having a wide breadth of knowledge will help you care for a wide variety of clients with different skin care needs.
Fitzpatrick Skin Type
The Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST) is a system of determining a person's sensitivity to the sun based on their level of melanin. This scale is also used to estimate a client's risk of skin cancer. Unfortunately, the FST has many limitations and can give people a false sense of security about their risk of skin cancer. Part of skin care is protecting the skin from the sun. You can make recommendations for SPF based on the FST. Clients with deep skin tones will still need at least the minimum SPF and are at higher risk of more aggressive skin cancers, such as melanoma. The minimum for clients is a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30. It also needs to be water or sweat resistant.
Skin Type
The basic skin type is different from the FST. Skin can come in a range of types, such as oily, dry, and combination. Some people do not have any particular issues with their skin, so their skin is normal. The skin type a client has will affect the type of products that work for their needs. You will likely want to have a basic, fragrance-free face wash that does a good job of cleansing the skin without stripping the skin and making it feel dry or tight. This will work for a wide range of skin types. Generally, other face products are where you might need multiple products to cover every skin type. For example, different skin types will need different formulations of moisturizer. People with dry skin will need a thicker moisturizer, whereas those with oily skin will benefit from gel moisturizers.
Skin Issues
Many types of skin issues occur regardless of skin type, but they are more often associated with a specific skin type. For example, clients may have acne-prone skin, which typically occurs in people with oily skin, but since acne can be caused by a range of problems, it might also occur in people with dry, normal, or combination skin. A major concern is sensitive skin since this can drastically reduce the products you can safely use on a client's skin without causing irritation. Other concerns include rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis. Without a thorough understanding of these conditions, it can be easy to mistake them for other conditions or skin types. For example, seborrheic dermatitis makes the skin flaky, which can mimic dry skin.
To be successful, you will take many courses to better understand skin care. Becoming competent in skin care requires a foundation where you understand the wide variability in skin, including tone and issues that affect how you care for your client.
Contact a skin care school to learn more.
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