A guest sits down and says, "My skin is really dry at the moment." Ten minutes later you realise she is not dry at all — she is dehydrated, oily underneath, and stripped by a hotel face wash and two weeks of sun. Knowing the difference between what skin is and what skin is doing is the whole foundation of facial work.
Skin Structure
| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Epidermis | Outer barrier; cells form at the base and migrate up over roughly 28 days to be shed as the stratum corneum |
| Dermis | Collagen and elastin, blood supply, nerves, sweat and sebaceous glands — the layer that gives strength and bounce |
| Subcutaneous (hypodermis) | Fat and insulation, cushioning and contour |
You work on the epidermis. Anything that claims to remodel the dermis is either a medical procedure or marketing.
What Skin Does
- Barrier — keeps water in and pathogens out (the acid mantle, around pH 4.7–5.75)
- Protection — from UV, via melanin
- Thermoregulation — sweating and blood flow
- Sensation — touch, pressure, pain, temperature
- Synthesis — vitamin D
Every aggressive treatment you consider — a strong acid, hard scrubbing, hot wax on compromised skin — is a decision to damage that barrier. Sometimes controlled damage is the point. Usually it is just damage.
Skin Type vs Skin Condition
This distinction is the professional one:
- Skin type is largely genetic and stable: how much sebum the skin produces.
- Skin condition is temporary and changeable: what is happening to the skin right now.
Dry is a type (lacks oil). Dehydrated is a condition (lacks water) and can occur on oily skin. Treating dehydrated oily skin as if it were dry — heavy occlusive creams — makes it worse.
| Type | Signs | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Normal / balanced | Even, comfortable, small pores | Maintain |
| Dry | Tight, flaky, fine pores, dull | Lipids, gentle cleanse, no stripping |
| Oily | Shine, visible pores, congestion | Balance, do not strip; stripping increases oil |
| Combination | Oily T-zone, drier cheeks | Zone the treatment |
| Sensitive | Reactive, stinging, flushing — often a condition, not a type | Minimal actives, patch test, calm |
Consulting Honestly
Ask what they wash with, what actives they are already using (retinoid? acid? prescription?), whether they have had recent sun, and whether anything has changed. A guest on a prescription retinoid who has just had five days of tropical sun is not a candidate for an exfoliating facial, no matter how much they ask.
Onboard Notes
- You treat the epidermis. Respect the barrier.
- Type is genetic; condition is current. Diagnose the condition.
- Dry lacks oil; dehydrated lacks water — they are not the same treatment.
- If the skin is broken, inflamed or infected, you do not treat it. You refer.
- Preparatory study only. Nothing here qualifies you to treat a guest. Beauty and nail work requires an accredited vocational qualification and professional insurance.