Just what type of skin do you have? While many people will say oily or dry, others will say fair or dark. There are just so many classifications, right? And you need to know your skin type to get the right foundation, moisturizer, and cleansing products.

Well, your skin color is determined by a scale. This scale is known as the Fitzpatrick skin scale. Here’s all you need to know about it to fully understand it. It’s time to use it to help protect your skin and know everything you need when going out.

What Is the Fitzpatrick Skin Scale?

Let’s start with understanding exactly what the skin scale is. It also commonly referred to as the Fitzpatrick skin typing test and the prototyping scale.

It’s a numerical classification scheme for the coloring of your skin. It gained its name from the man who developed it in 1975, Thomas B. Fitzpatrick. The aim was to estimate how the skin would react to UV light, which is naturally given off by the sun.

However, it does more than using the coloring of the skin (or the eyes) as an estimate on how the UV rays will affect the skin. Well, it does now! Originally, the scale only used eye and skin color to determine the reaction of the skin in the sun, but researchers soon found that this wasn’t accurate. There were other elements that affected reactions.

This led to the full Fitzpatrick scale, which has six categories. This is a much smaller version that the earlier von Luschan scale, which had 36 different categories to work through!

Based on the scale, it’s possible for an individual to work out just how their skin will react in the sun. There are specific hair and eye colors that tend to work with the skin colors to determine the exact type.

It shouldn’t be that surprising to hear that those with darker skin will have high concentrations of melanin. This protects the skin against the UV ray damage naturally. Those on the lower end of the scale will need to wear more sunscreen because the sun will do more damage in a shorter space of time.

However, having a higher skin type isn’t necessarily a good thing. There are downsides to making it harder for the sun to penetrate the skin’s layers!

Influencing the Fitzpatrick Scale

There are three factors that influence the skin types and affect the positioning on the scales. The main element is in the genes. If a person is born to parents who both sit on the lower end of the scale, there are higher chances of that person also having skin coloring on the lower end.

However, this is just one factor. Those who have more sun exposure will find their skin starts to develop more melanin. The skin doesn’t react as harshly in a short period. So, those growing up in hotter countries will have better protection and reactions than those who are on holiday in the same countries.

You can affect where you are on the scale through your tanning habits. Those who have a habit of indoor tanning will find their skin develops extra protection against the UV rays compared to someone who never exposes themselves to the tanning beds or sun at all!

Fitzpatrick and Your Genetic Disposition. When it comes to your genes, there are a few ways that you can determine your positioning on the scale. You need to consider your eye, hair, and natural coloring of your skin. For the skin coloring, you want to look at the areas that aren’t usually exposed to the sun. Work with the stomach, upper legs, or butt for the best idea.

A fourth element is the freckles that you have on any unexposed areas of your skin. This is the part of the body that very rarely (if ever) is exposed to UV rays or tanning beds.

How Your Skin Reacts to the Sun. The next part will look at how your skin reacts within the sun. There are four elements to this.

The first is looking at what happens if you’re in the sun for too long. Do you burn or blister? You’ll also need to determine how quickly your skin turns brown and how deep that tan is.

As the fourth part of the section, you’ll need to consider how your face tans. This usually reacts very differently to the rest of your body because of the extra fragile nature of the skin on your face.

Assessing Your Tanning Habits. There is only one section of this part of the table. You’ll need to think about when you last exposed your body to UV rays (natural and unnatural). Those who live in hard winter climates will likely find their score is low for this unless they regularly hit the tanning beds. Those in all-year hot climates will find they expose their skin regularly.

Once you’ve worked out a score for each of the elements, you will get your Fitzpatrick skin type. You’ll have a score between 0 and 36, setting you within the six separate categories.

It is possible to straddle two different types of skin depending on the time of year. It’s worth doing this test regularly, especially if you are going from a hard winter to a hot summer—you’ll need to protect your skin throughout the summer months.

Understanding the Six Types on the Fitzpatrick Skin Scale

Now that you know how to determine your skin type, it’s time to look at the different types of skin. Here are the six types of the 36 categories from the older scale.

• Type I(scores 0–6) always burns, never tans (pale white; blond or red hair; blue eyes; freckles).
• Type II(scores 7–13) Usually burns, tans minimally (white; fair; blond or red hair; blue, green, or hazel eyes)
• Type III(scores 14–20) Sometimes mild burn, tans uniformly (Cream white; fair with any hair or eye color)
• Type IV(scores 21–27) burns minimally, always tans well (light brown)
• Type V(scores 28–34) very rarely burns, tans very easily (brown)
• Type VI(scores 35–36) never burns, always tans (deeply pigmented dark brown to darkest brown)

We’ll break these types down with the pros and cons and any recommendations from the health professionals.

Skin Type I

You won’t get a tan if you have this skin type, especially without burning first. Around 5% of people are in this category in the United States alone, but this is more common in some other Northern hemisphere countries where the sun is lacking throughout the year. Scotland is one of the worst locations for this skin type.

You will need to make sure you look after your skin and avoid burning. When you do burn, you will likely blister and peel deep within the layers. This is extremely dangerous as you get right into the deeper cells. Use a sunscreen with at least SPF 50. As your sun gets used to some sun (especially if you move countries), you may find that your skin changes into a different category.

If you want to tan, then you’ll need to go for something cosmetic. Fake tan is much healthier and will give you an even coloring when you apply it properly. This fake tan doesn’t give you a base tan to get started.

You could try some indoor tanning beds, but keep exposure to a minimum. The good news is you can soak in a lot of vitamin D due to the paler complexion.

Skin Type II

The second coloring is one of the most popular in the likes of the United States, Canada, and Britain. People with this skin coloring will develop a tan, but the skin is still a risk of burning. With good protection, it is possible to skip the burning part.

You will need to avoid too much exposure to the sun. Opt for a good sunscreen to use throughout the day and keep applying it regularly. Over exposure will not give you a deeper tan!

If you want to get your skin prepared for a vacation, opt for a tanning bed. The people who work there will be able to help you with your goals based on your skin type. This type of exposure will also help you get plenty of vitamin D throughout the year.

Due to the lack of melanin in the skin, this is one of the best skin types for soaking in all the vitamin D from the UV rays! There is one positive to take from this skin type.

Skin Type III

The third type of skin coloring on the list will find that their skin burns at times, but tanning is much more likely. It all depends on the amount of sunscreen applied and the exposure to the sun. You won’t usually need longer than 10 minutes on a sun bed regularly for an overall tan to help get you ready for the summer.

Most of the time, your skin won’t have a problem in absorbing the UV rays from the sun or your tanning bed. The problem comes from the amount of exposure you get throughout the year.

You can still use some fake tan to help get an even layer across your body. A tinted moisturizer is also good for your face.

Skin Type IV

This is often considered the best type of skin to have. You get the balance of little burning risk with some good UV absorption. However, some sun rays in Northern hemisphere countries may just be too low to help get the most. You’ll want to consider indoor tanning beds to help.

While there is still a risk of overexposure, those with Skin Type IV rarely burn. They tan easily and deeply, giving them an even coloring across their body. There’s a golden glow to this type of skin. There’s usually no need for any fake tan. In fact, applying some fake tan can make your skin look orange.

Skin Type V

Rather than getting a golden coloring, you’ll end up with a brownish coloring to your skin when tanning. Your skin may be naturally browner. Tanning is extremely easy, and you’ll rarely suffer from sunburn.

That doesn’t mean your overexposure risk is nil. Anyone is at risk of developing skin cancer, but the melanin in those with Skin Type V is at a relatively high level. This melanin causes a problem. You don’t get the UV absorption, which means not as much in the way of vitamin D getting through into your body. You will need to find other ways to keep on top of this vitamin.

You may still want to use sun beds if you’ve gone a few months without sun exposure. Try just 15-20 minutes on the beds.

Skin Type VI

The final skin type is the darkest. Most people will have black or very dark brown skin. That skin coloring gets darker the more they’re exposed to sunlight.

Burning is extremely uncommon, and the skin has a natural protective layer against some UV damage. Of course, this does mean that you are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. Even if you use sun beds, you’ll find it difficult to get the right levels of vitamin D. You’ll want to discuss your options with your doctor.

The Fitzpatrick Scale and Emojis

You’ve likely heard that emojis now come in a variety of skin tones. Did you know that the Fitzpatrick scale has been used to help set the emoji skin colors? There are now 83 different human emojis across the different devices. They all have a variety of colors to suit your own when you share something with friends.

By understanding the Fitzpatrick scale and what the different types of colorings mean, you can protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Just because your skin is dark doesn’t mean you have no negatives when it comes to the sun, vitamin D, and damage.

There are so many skin care products available in stores. While some countries have regulations, not all have the same regulations. And then there are only minimal regulations. The governments and authorities haven’t put a halt on all toxins that affect us negatively.

We don’t all have time to create natural skin care products. Sometimes we just want something quick to grab and use daily, especially if we’re traveling.

However, you still want something good for the skin. It’s not enough to look at the marketing material. You can just take a quick look at the list of ingredients to see if there are certain ones that help the skin. You need to look out for the harmful toxins.

Here is your ultimate list of all the toxins to look out for and just what they’re going to your body.

Watch Out for Parabens

One of the most commonly used preservatives is a paraben. Parabens stop bacteria from growing and prevent yeast and mold forming in the skin care products.

That’s a good thing, right?

Well, not quite. Parabens also produce properties that mimic estrogen. That means they put extra hormones into your body that can lead to cancer, specifically breast or ovarian cancer. Researchers have found that the chemicals are absorbed directly through the skin and do lead to tumors in the breasts.

Surprisingly, parabens are found in shampoos, cleansers, body washes, makeup, and so much more. Make a habit of avoiding anything that includes them for the sake of your health—not just your skin.

Avoid the Synthetic Cancers

Those skin care products that are bright blue or luminous green aren’t good for you. Honestly, the colors should be a good indication of that, but many of us are drawn in by the pretty products, right?

The problem is in the synthetic colors. You’ll know if your products have them because you’ll see D&C [colour] [number] in the list of ingredients.

These colorsare created through chemical and tar-like sources. They’re carcinogenic, which means they are linked to causing cancer. They are also linked to children suffering from ADHD or people dealing with skin irritations.

Synthetic colors are so bad that the European Union has banned it. Why hasn’t the rest of the world?

Consider “Fragrance” Carefully

The whole point of some skin care products is the scent they give. These scents are created a category called “fragrance,” and that isn’t a good thing.

Honestly, it’s difficult to tell what is added to a “fragrance.” The companies like to keep their formulas secret, so they can’t be copied by competitors. Most of the concoctions are full of chemicals that will be bad for you. They’re linked to respiratory problems and skin irritations.

Make sure you know the exact ingredients added to any product that you buy. If you can’t be certain, you don’t want to buy it.

Stay Clear of Phthalates and Triclosan

Have you noticed that most of, many of these chemicals are hard to say? Some of them come up as incorrect words for spell checkers because they are so out-of-the-ordinary. Any word that you can’t pronounce on skin care products needs to be avoided. This includes the likes of phthalates and triclosan.

The first is a set of chemicals used in many types of products. The chemicals help to keep plastics soft and flexible. You’ll likely see “dibutyl phthalate” or “diethyl phthalate” depending on the type of skin care product you’re buying.

All types of phthalates have been linked to breast cancer or distorted breast development in young girls. They’re also linked to congenital disabilities in all babies.

Many products won’t include phthalate on their ingredients list. It’s going to be one of those things added to “fragrances,” so you may not even know you’re adding the toxins to your body.

As for triclosan, this is a chemical that disrupts everything about the body. It has been linked to preventing antibacterial products from working and disrupts the reproductive and thyroid hormones. Unfortunately, it’s added to antibacterial soaps, making the soaps completely ineffective. It’s also widely used in deodorants and toothpaste.

Find Out if Formaldehyde Is Added

This is a toxin that you’ve likely heard of. You know that it’s bad for you, but did you also know that it’s included in a variety of skin care products? It’s one of the most common used options around the world, despite being a carcinogen. It’s highly linked to nasal cancers, as well as allergic reactions on the skin.

It’s meant to prevent bacteria from growing within the skin care products. That would be great if it weren’t extremely damaging to the body. It directly affects the immune system, stopping it from working as effectively as possible.

You’ll find it in body washes, eye shadows, cleansers, and hair products.

What Out for Sunscreen Chemicals

You need to wear sunscreen to protect against the sun’s harmful rays. But you need to watch out for harmful chemicals in the sunscreens. I know how annoying and frustrating reading this is going to be—I remember finding out the same thing.

Sunscreens use the likes of methoxycinnamate, avobenzone, benzophenone, and PABA. They’re linked to disrupting various elements in the body and are among the easiest to absorb directly into the areas that are most affected.

The products work on a cellular level. Rather than protecting your cells from the damage from the sun, the toxins make the damage more likely!

The good news is you can make your sunscreen without all the chemicals. It will take a little extra work, but at least you’re aiding the health of the skin cells!

Avoid DEA, MEA, TEA, and Other Initial Words

All those words that are initials should be avoided. This is especially the case for DEA, MEA, and TEA. They act as emulsifiers within the products, but they also cause harm to the body. They also help to make products foam.

Like many of the other toxins already mentioned, all these initial ingredients have been linked to causing cancer. You’re putting something in the body that will affect the repair and growth of cells, making it easier for free radicals to do more damage.

Of course, you’re putting the products directly onto your skin. They’re found in the likes of body washes and shampoos, where we all want a foamy texture to feel like we’re washing clean.

Know the Products that Have Ethoxylated Surfactants or 1.4-Dioxane

You will never see these toxins listed on ingredients. They’re a by-product rather than an actual ingredient added to your skin care products. You’ll likely find that ethylene oxide is added to the list of ingredients, if it’s not part of the legal loophole of “secret ingredients.”

The idea of the chemicals is that they make all the other chemicals in your products less harsh! To make matters worse, 57% of baby products include 1.4-dioxane, according to the Environmental Working Group.

If you can’t find ethylene oxide on the list of ingredients, look out for anything that includes the letters “eth” within the names. They will create the harmful by-products.

Avoid Anything with Coal Tar

Coal tar sources need to be avoided completely. Of course, they’re not always mentioned on your products. You may see something called toluene, which is a coal tar/petroleum source. This can also be listed as toluol, benzene, and methylbenzene, among others.

All coal tar ingredients are completely banned in the EU. However, the rest of the world still allows them. To give you an idea of why they’re so bad, they’re included in paint thinners to dissolve the actual paint! If the chemicals are needed for that, of course, they’re going to be damaging to your skin.

Coal tar sources and substances have been linked to skin irritations, nausea, immune system damage, congenital disabilities, and so much more.

The sources are most commonly found in nail treatments and polishes and hair bleaching/colouring products. Some others are found in anti-dandruff and anti-lice shampoos and some dry skin treatments.

You may overlook the coal tar substances. They can be included as a synthetic coloring. Of course, you need to avoid the synthetic colorings, anyway, so you should avoid them all!

Check for Any Added Metals

Something that is surprising is that some skin care products use metals. Throughout history, mercury and lead were used in makeup. People suffered from poisoning because the metals were absorbing straight into the blood stream.

Now that we know these metals are bad for us, you would think that they’d be banned from makeup and skin care products, right? Well, unfortunately not. Despite being linked to poor brain development, causing cancer, and death, lead, and mercury are still found in various types of makeup.

More commonly, they’re in lipstick, mascara, hair dye, and even eye drops! You won’t usually see them on the ingredient list since they’re classed as a contaminant. Check for the comprehensive research on your favorite items and make sure there are no traces of the metals found.

Drop the Mineral Oil

I know seeing the word oil will make you think that this is good for you. Unfortunately, it one oil that you want to keep away from your skin.

It’s not technically a toxin within itself, but it does cause a major problem for your health. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most common ingredients found in moisturizers, styling products, and baby oils. After all, it’s an oil and moisturizing right?

Well, the oil leaves a film behind on your skin. This film blocks the pores and makes it impossible for the skin to release toxins within your body. Your kidneys must do more work to get all the harmful stuff out of your body.

Check Your Body Washes for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

You wash your body to remove the dirt and grime, right? You want to keep it clear so that you can reduce the acne on your body and face. Well, you want to make sure that your washes and cleansers don’t include sodium lauryl sulfate.

This toxin is known for making cystic acne worse. In fact, it’s a contributing factor for all types of acne, but you’ll find it appears more around the chin and the mouth.

And that’s not all. This toxin has been linked to other skin irritations, disruption within the oil production, and an increase in canker sores. Some studies have shown that the toxin can damage the eyes. Sure, the products will tell you to avoid the eyes and rinse thoroughly if that happens, but it’s not always easy to avoid the eyes completely, right?

Maybe the companies just shouldn’t put the harmful chemical in!

You will find the sulfate in the likes of toothpaste, body wash, face wash, shampoo, and even foundation. The whole point of it is to create the foamy liquid when you wash. Do you need it though to know you’re cleaning your body?

Get Rid of All Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is used for conditioning the skin. Because it’s an organic alcohol, there is the misconception that it isn’t that bad. That may be why manufacturers put it in shampoos and conditions, makeup, sunscreen, and many other skin care products.

The problem is that it’s been linked to the cause of dermatitis. It’s also linked to the increase in breaking out in hives and suffering from more skin irritation.

Some manufacturers have tried to overcome this by putting low concentrations of it in. You only need 2% concentration levels to suffer from the side effects. It’s just better to scrap it completely.

It’s time to get rid of all the harmful toxins from your skin care products. I know that making your natural options is time-consuming, but it is one of the healthiest things that you can do. If you want to buy options in the store, look out for products that contain any of the above toxins. They’re just not worth it.