Discovering your skin type
Discovering your skin type
Skincare is not one-type-fits-all. It is important to listen to your skin. A product that works for someone with the same skin type as yours will not necessarily work for you too. And that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product either. It just isn’t for you. Still, knowing your skin type can help you choose more appropriate products for your routine.
Before assessing your skin type, we suggest that you simplify your skincare routine. Over-exfoliation, excessive use of active ingredients or products that are just not right for your skin type can damage your skin barrier and affect the way your skin behaves.
There is a very easy and quick way to find out your skin type. Just follow these simple steps:
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser.
Do not apply any kind of product.
After a couple of hours assess your skin in front of a mirror.
If your skin looks shiny and feels greasy then you probably have oily skin.
If your skin feels tight and parched, you probably have dry skin.
If some areas of skin are shiny while others feel tighter, you probably have combination skin.
If your skin feels comfortable and hydrated then you probably have normal skin.
Any irritation or redness might indicate that you also have sensitive skin.
You can follow the same procedure with the help of a blotting paper. This is a more visual way to assess the oil produced by your skin. If greasy spots appear on the paper then your skin type is probably oily. If minimal or no spots of grease appear, your skin type is probably combination or dry respectively.
It’s a good idea to examine different parts of your face (forehead, nose, cheeks, chin) separately. Combination skin, which means that different parts of your face might have different behaviors, is quite common.
Keep in mind that this is a very general categorization, as every skin has its particular features and needs. Do not forget that there are a lot of other factors that can affect your skin type either permanently or temporarily, such as hormonal changes, medical treatment, skin conditions, aging and the climate. It isn’t always easy, but we should focus more on treating our skin for all the amazing things it does for us, instead of trying to “correct” it.