Normal and combination skin

Skin types according to sebaceous gland activity.

The classification of skin types according to the sebaceous gland activity is the most general and the easiest way to distinguish skin types. One then speaks of dry, oily, normal and combination skin.

The sebaceous gland function can be larger or smaller than normal. If the function of the sebaceous glands is too great, we speak of oily skin or seborrhoe. If the sebaceous gland function is too low, we speak of dry skin or sebostasis.

A seborrhoe distinguishes two types:

• a. seborrhoe oleosa-oily skin with an oily sebum secretion
• b. seborrhoe sicca-oily skin accompanied by flaking horns.

Normal skin is sometimes incorrectly referred to as combined skin. It is normal for the middle part of the face to be slightly greasier than the sides near the cheeks and around the eyes, because there are naturally more and larger sebaceous glands in the middle part of the face. One speaks of a combined skin if the differences between the fatter and drier areas are so great that treatment must be taken into account and different products are used for the drier and fatter areas, among other things.