Welcome to SKINventory, your guide to help you know your skin.
One of the most important things when looking at your skincare routine or treatments is understanding what specific concerns or issues you want to address.
The 9 steps take you through assessing your skin in 8 areas of the face and finish with a list of the concerns that you want to address. This process is designed to help you make decisions about products and treatments for your skin whether that is researching yourself online or discussing with a skincare therapist or aesthetics practitioner.
Download your own printable SKINventory here – SKINVENTORY PDF
Undertake your SKINventory in a well-lit area and using a mirror and ensure that your skin is clean and dry without any makeup on.
Step 1 – General
Look at your skin and note anything that immediately stands out. What is it about your skin that bothers you or concerns you?
Step 2 – Colour
Note any colours in the skin e.g. redness, pigmented areas, blood vessels, areas with lack of pigment.
Step 3 – Lustre/Texture
How does your skin appear/feel? e.g. dry, dull, oily, waxy, luminescent, sallow, flaky, rough
Step 4 – Wrinkles
There are several different kinds of lines on the skin – we talk about hydration below that gives dehydration lines and then you have dynamic and static lines –
Dynamic lines are the lines that appear on your face when you make expressions typical areas of concern are the forehead, between the brows, around the eye area and around the mouth.
Static lines appear usually where dynamic lines are most active. These lines are still evident even when the muscles of the face are at rest.
Step 5 – Hydration
This is a really important step in analysing your skin and there is a difference between dry and dehydrated skin. To test hydration, look first around the eye area and note the appearance of the skin here – if there are very fine lines here likely the skin is dehydrated. To check elsewhere on the skin gently pinch the skin between the index finger and thumb – if very fine lines appear the skin is dehydrated.
Step 6 – Lumps, bumps and pores
In this step it’s important to note the range of blemishes on the skin. Note any acne, open pores, blackheads or whiteheads, scars, moles, skin tags or nodules.
If you are worried about any lesions on the skin or moles that are large or have changed colour, then you should consult your doctor and get them checked out.
Repeat steps 2-6 for each area
Step 7 – Eye area
The eye area is frequently an area of concern and is given special mention. Think about dark circles, bags, small spots (xanthelasma), loose skin or crepe like skin as well as the previous considerations.
Use steps 2-6 for these areas to guide your assessment also.
Step 8 – Lips
Assess the lip area. Are your lips well hydrated, plump? Are there any lumps or bumps of concern around the lip area? Are they dry and chapped?
Step 9 – Conclusions
Make a list of your priorities that you wish to address with either your home treatments/products or your professional treatments.
When you meet with your skincare therapist/ practitioner or when looking for skincare products you will have a much more focused approach with your requirements and as a result your treatment plan will be tailored to your specific needs.
What Next……
Visit TK Aesthetics (www.tkaesthetics.com) to find out what Juliette Armand Products and Treatments address the concerns you have identified in your SKINventory or review you favourite skincare range and see if what you are using is actually addressing your concerns.