How to Customize Your Skin and Hair Care
Herbs can help all types of skin and hair stay healthy and attractive. But before you can begin any treatment, you need to know what type of skin and hair you have. Facial complexions are divided into eight basic types: normal, dry, oily, combination, problem, couperose (when the capillaries just under the skin are broken, resulting in small red lines on the face), mature and sun-damaged. Basic body skin types include normal, dry, oily, sun-damaged and problem skin. Hair types include normal, dry, oily and problem hair that is limp and lifeless.Do not expect to find much scientific research on herbs for complexion types in this chapter. Chemists have not yet investigated them, but these herbs have been successfully used for thousands of years and are now used by aestheticians and aromatherapists who specialize in skin care.
If you are blessed with a normal complexion, use the herbs and treatments suggested for either dry or oily complexions. Most complexions, however, fall into more than one category. A combination complexion—oily in the "T-zone" of chin, nose and forehead and dry around the eyes, cheeks and mouth—is the most common type. Using the information and recipes for both dry and oily skin, treat your face like two separate faces.
As your skin matures, gradually adjust the way you care for it. Remember that your skin changes with age, menstrual cycle and the seasons. The norm for skin is this: As children we have normal skin, during adolescence it becomes oily, and as we grow older, especially after age 40, our skin becomes increasingly dry.
You probably already have some idea of what type of complexion you have. If you are unsure, you can check how much oil your skin produces with a blotting test. Go to bed without applying any facial products. In the morning, before washing or putting anything on your face, pat a few strips torn from a clean brown paper bag on different areas of your face, especially in the T-zone. Normal skin areas will show a small amount of oil, dry skin won't leave any oil on the paper and oily skin will leave a definite oil stain. Unless you have exceptionally oily skin, your cheeks will not show any oiliness.