Are you stuck with your skin type the way your are with, say, your height, or can you change it? We asked dermatologist New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Marnie Nussbaum to break it down for us.
The answer? "You can't intrinsically change your skin type." Rats. You knew that was coming, right? However, here's the thing: "You can transform it by feeding what it needs, i.e., moisture for dry skin, astringents for oily skin, and such." In other words, by being smart about how you treat your skin, you can compensate. More on that later.
That doesn't mean your skin will never ever budge from its current path. "A patient's skin type can change over time depending upon numerous factors such as water content, oil content, and sensitivity. Factors that affect these changes include hormones, aging, changes in seasons, and medications."
How to tackle your skin type? Dr. Nussbaum says, "Dry skin should be prescribed a more hydrating cleanser versus oily skin, which should be treated with a less emollient vehicle. If your skin is overly dry or you're consistently having lingering breakouts, your current regimen may be upsetting your skin's pH balance. To rebalance your skin to its healthy state, she says to look for the magic words pH-balanced, which you can find on products like Eucerin and Sebamed.
And as for whether what you eat is having an impact on your skin, the jury is still out. "Diet is controversial [meaning its not proved], though some people do note differences when staying hydrated or eating lots of fruits and vegetables." I personally found one dietary change had a huge impact on my skin. You can read all about it here.
