How to recognize natural skin

Video: How To Know Your Skin Type - Types of Skin - Glamrs

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 2: How to distinguish real leather from fake
Method 2 of 2: Distinguish between natural leather types
Tips
Warnings

Products made from natural leather, due to their natural and elegant appearance, differ significantly from any synthetic fibers. There are many similar synthetic materials on the market today at a much lower cost. You can also find products that are only partially made from natural leather, but the tag says "natural leather" or "made from natural leather". Marketers use these ambiguous terms to mislead buyers. If you are planning to purchase an expensive genuine leather product, you need to know how to distinguish an authentic product from a synthetic material.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: How to distinguish real leather from fake

1 Beware of buying products that do not have a "genuine leather" tag. If it is labeled "artificial material" then it is definitely synthetic leather. If nothing is specified, then, most likely, the manufacturer wants to keep silent about the fact that the leather is not real. Of course, used items may not have tags at all. However, most manufacturers take pride in using natural leather, so they make the appropriate marks:
- Leather
- Real skin
- Coarse-grain genuine leather
- Made from animal products
2 Examine the surface of the garment for graininess, small bumps and pores, imperfections and unique textures that indicate natural leather. Defects on the surface of the skin actually characterize its quality on the positive side. Do not forget that genuine leather is made from animal skins, so each piece of it is unique, just like the animal from which it was taken. A frequently repeated, even and uniform pattern indicates the production of this material by machine.
- There are scratches, folds and wrinkles on the surface of genuine leather, and this is how it should be!
- It should be remembered that manufacturers are constantly improving production technology, and designers are learning to better imitate natural leather. Therefore, shopping on the Internet using a picture carries certain risks.
3 Squeeze the skin in your hands and look for folds and wrinkles. Real skin is wrinkled to the touch. Synthetic materials tend to retain their rigidity and shape under pressure.
4 Smell the product. The smell should be natural and slightly musty, not plastic and chemical.If you don't know what leather should smell like, head to a store that sells genuine leather goods and check out a few bags and pairs of shoes. Ask if there are synthetic products on sale and compare both products. After such an experiment, you will be able to unmistakably distinguish the smell of natural leather.
- It should be remembered that genuine leather is made from animal skin. Artificial leather is made from plastic. Obviously, natural material smells like leather, while artificial material smells like plastic.
5 Carry out a fire test. In this case, there is a possibility of partially damaging the product. In some cases, it is better not to use this method, but you can check the product in a small and hard-to-reach area that is not visible, for example, at the bottom of the sofa. Keep the flame close to the surface of the material for 5-10 seconds:
- Real skin will only slightly char and smell like burnt hair.
- Faux leather is flammable and smells like burnt plastic.
6 Pay attention to the edge of the product. Real leather has uneven edges, while the faux leather edge is even, and even perfect. The machine-made leather has a clean cut. Genuine leather along the edges consists of a large number of threads that crumble. The artificial leather is made of plastic, so it does not have such fibers, and the cut line is clean.
7 Crumple the leather product to slightly alter its natural color. Natural leather has good elasticity and, when bent, changes color and wrinkles. Artificial leather is much tougher and better retains its shape, and in comparison with natural it bends worse.
8 Apply a small amount of water to the product. At the same time, natural leather will absorb moisture. If you keep a high-quality fake, then a small puddle will form on the surface. Natural leather absorbs a drop of water within a few seconds, and thereby confirms its authenticity.
9 Real leather goods cannot be cheap. The price of a product completely made of genuine leather is quite high. These things are usually sold at fixed prices. Shop around to learn the prices of leather, combination and faux leather products to help you understand the difference between the two. Among all types of genuine leather, cow is the most expensive, as it has high strength and is easily dyed. Split leather, which is obtained by lamination of leather, is cheaper than coarse grain leather or belt.
- If the price seems too low to be true, it probably is. Genuine leather cannot be cheap.
- Genuine leather is much more expensive than artificial leather, but there are several types of genuine leather with different pricing policy.
10 Never mind the color, as even colored leather can be natural. The bright blue color of leather furniture may not look natural, but that does not mean that it is not. Various colors and dyes are used both on synthetics and natural leather, so first of all, you should pay attention to the smell and texture of the product.

Method 2 of 2: Distinguish between natural leather types

1 "Genuine leather" is just one of the real leathers on the market. Most people find it difficult to distinguish genuine leather from substitute or artificial leather. Connoisseurs know that there are several types of natural leather, of which "natural leather" is almost the lowest class. Starting from the most expensive type, there is such a classification:
- Coarse grain leather
- Face skin
- Leather
- Synthetic leather
2 Buy coarse grain leather only in the highest quality products. In such products, only the uppermost (in contact with air) layer of leather is used, which is the most durable, hard and valuable. The leather is not processed, so it retains its unique characteristics, folds and coloration.The price of such a product is justifiably high due to the small amount of such skin on the body of the animal and the difficulties in working with it.
- Keep in mind that some manufacturers state “made from coarse grain leather” even if only part of the chair or sofa is covered with this leather. This is another reason why you shouldn't buy quality leather from the picture.
3 Look for the 'full grain leather' tag to get high quality items at a much more reasonable price. The most common "elite" leather is front leather. This smooth layer of skin is just below the coarse-grained; it is easier to work with, which makes the price more attractive.
- Full grain leather is not as durable as coarse grain, but it also has a quality finish.
4 "Genuine leather" can feel like suede. It is made from softer lower layers of leather that are easier to process. It is not as strong as the front or coarse grain, but it can be easily made from different layers.
- It should be remembered that genuine leather is considered a separate species, and not a definition for the concept of genuine leather as a whole. If you want to buy genuine leather in a store selling raw materials, then you will be offered a certain type of it.
5 Try to stay away from "synthetic leather" which is made from shavings of leather that has been crushed and glued together. Despite the fact that synthetic leather is made up of shredded and glued pieces of leather, it is not a whole piece of animal skin. The price is quite low, but the quality of the product suffers.
- Due to its poor quality, synthetic leather is often used in the production of book covers and other small items that do not undergo heavy wear and tear.