A skincare routine has benefits that extend beyond the positive effects on your skin. A daily or nightly skin refresh can be very uplifting. Some steps are obvious: remove your makeup, apply moisturizer to your face and your body, use an SPF. But there can be many more.
But what happens when you notice that your skin’s texture has taken a turn? It can be caused by many factors, and it is often necessary to call in reinforcements. Let’s talk about texture and the treatment of different types with dermatologist Jeriel Witz, D.O. from Schweiger Dermatology Group, New York City.
What exactly is skin texture, then?
Before we dive into managing the most common types of skin texture, it’s helpful to identify exactly what that means and how it’s different from skin type. “Skin type is determined by the amount of oil or sebum someone’s skin produces. Thus, skin type can be broken down into five different categories: normal, oily, dry, combination and sensitive skin,” explains Dr. Weitz. “Skin texture refers to how the surface of your skin feels to touch. Ideally, skin is soft and supple but certain conditions can cause it to feel rough and bumpy.” And while it’s unrealistic and near-impossible to achieve the hyper-smooth complexion of an Instagram filter, there are steps to help soften and smooth skin.
How to identify your skin type
The easiest way to start the right routine for your texture is to zero in on exactly what kind of changes you’re experiencing. According to Dr. Weitz, some of her patients’ textural concerns are due to acne, rosacea, and eczema. If you’re confused with what’s transpiring and not sure how to define it, the best bet is to visit a board-certified dermatologist who can get to the bottom of what’s happening and help develop a personalized treatment plan. Texture issues can be classified into three main categories:
Small congested pore (also known as: Small congested pores (also known as blackheads or Whiteheads)
What is it? Comedonal acne is the blackheads or whiteheads you get when your pores on your back, chest and face become clogged up with bacteria, dead skin, and oil. Dr. Weitz says that blackheads are actually open comedones, which oxidize their contents when they’re exposed to air. Whiteheads, on the other hand, are closed comedones, meaning that they’re plugged and under the surface.
What to do: Derms recommend a method to treat comedonal acne that promotes cell turnover. This helps smooth out the skin texture. Dr. Weitz recommends keeping an eye on ingredients like retinol or azelaic acids, as well as salicylic and glycolic acids. These ingredients reset your skin by removing dead skin cells and clearing out your pores. It’s also key to look for products that are non-comedogenic, which helps to avoid reclogging your pores.
Enter: Strawberry Smooth BHA+AHA SerumOur most powerful (yet soothing), solution for clear and hydrated skin. It’s a daily clarifying serum that gently smooths texture, clears breakouts and refines pores… all while providing hydrating powers. Because it’s made with salicylic acid (as well as natural salicylic acid derived from strawberries), antioxidants, mandelic acid, and vitamin C, it exfoliates dead skin, minimizes breakouts, and helps even skin tone. Hyaluronic Acid makes it extra moisturizing and plumping.
Visible large pores
What is it? Large pores can be a sign of oily skin. (Why? Because the oil glands on your skin are very productive, pores are usually larger to accommodate the increased flow of sebum. And if you’re prone to breakouts, it’s even more likely. “If pores are clogged enough to stretch them out, then ultimately this will lead to larger pores that will look worse as the skin ages,” NYC-based dermatologist Hadley King, MD previously shared with us.
What to do: You can’t actually shrink the size of your pores, but it’s entirely possible to make them less noticeable. That’s because large or sagging pores look that way when they’re stretched out, which can happen as a result of debris — think of a clogged pore that has yet to turn into a blemish. A pore-blurring cream may be a good addition to your normal plan of attack against clogged pores. For example, our silicone-free Strawberry BHA pore-smooth BHA blur drops use a combination of strawberry enzymes with BHA to keep your pores clear, and therefore less visible. And, for instant smoothing, its blend of tapioca and rice blot oil and create a seamless canvas for makeup application — allowing it to work double-duty as a makeup primer, too.
Breakouts & Blemishes
What is it: What sets breakouts apart from whitehead and blackheads is that they’re usually inflamed and filled with pus (contrary to popular belief, whiteheads aren’t filled with pus, but rather plugged with dead skin.). You want to know the difference between whiteheads and blackheads? We’ve got you covered.
What you can do to treat it The salicylic acids can also help with these deeper clogs. Consistency and our gentle formulation are the keys. Strawberry Smooth BHA+AHA Serum It is easy to use regularly. A word to the wise: While you may be tempted to pop it, resist the temptation — as doing so can increase your risk of scarring. Apply a hot compress with your fingertips to help remove the infection.
The bumps are small and rough. Keratosis pilaris)
What is it? Keratosis Pilaris is a type of eczema that can cause bumpy, reddish-brown skin. It most commonly occurs on upper arms, cheeks and thighs. The condition occurs when dead skin cells block hair follicles.
What to do: Mayo Clinic reports that while some cases of Keratosis Pilaris will clear on their own, other cases require creams containing ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), lactic acid (LA), salicylic acid (SAC), or urea to remove dead skin cells and moisturize at the same time. To increase cell turnover, and to combat hair follicle congested, it can be helpful to use products derived vitamin A (also known as retinoids).
Rough or flaky patches
What is it? You may have dry skin if flakiness and rough patches are a problem in your beauty regime. Dr. Weitz explains that dry skin is caused by a lack proper moisturization of the skin or skin problems which prevent it from retaining moisture. Dry, rough skin can be due insufficient hydration, changes in weather, or aging, which causes the skin to retain less moisture,” she says. This type of skin texture can sometimes be linked to a variety of dermatological disorders, including rosacea and eczema.
What to do: The first step towards resolving rough or dry patches is to moisturize. “Use lukewarm water when bathing and try to keep baths or showers under five minutes,” says Dr. Weitz. After you get out of the bath, use a gentle cleanser. Apply moisturizer immediately. A thicker lotion or ointment can be better than a lighter lotion. She also says that ingredients like petrolatum (mineral oil), shea butter (dimethicone), glycerin (glycerine), hyaluronic acids, and ceramides will help you on your way to smoothness. Plum Plump Cream and Plum Plump Serum are great places to start.
The fine lines and wrinkles
What is it? These literal lines in the skin result from one of two things: Either they’re been etched in from repeated facial expressions (like smiling for your nasolabial folds or laughing for your crows feet) or from sun damage, which can break down the collagen, forming forehead lines. These grooves are completely normal and just occur over time.
What to do: You can also target wrinkles with alpha-hydroxy acids. These simultaneously slough off dead skin cells while hydrating skin — as in the case with the glycolic and mandelic acids in our Strawberry Smooth BHA+AHA Serum — to smooth the overall appearance of skin. It’s worth layering it with the Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum, as vitamin C is able to both defend against sun damage and stimulate collagen production. And don’t sleep on the Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Cream, which has retinol, an MVP skin ingredient that both boosts skin cell turnover and kickstarts the formation of brand-spanking-new collagen.
Bottom line? There are many different types of skin texture: scars, wrinkles, sun damage, big cystic bumps and more. Although each requires a slightly different approach, it is important to develop a regular routine.
Improve your skin texture by reading this article: