Have you ever walked into a skincare store or makeup counter, asked for some recommendations about some products and get asked: "what's your skin type?"?
You look at them like a deer in headlights and respond "erm… I don't know.", thinking to yourself "Why don't I know this? Aren't you supposed to tell me this information? How DO I find out what my skin type is?"
Today we will be looking at the different types of skin types there are and how you can figure out what you fit into.
Most people don't know their own skin type, but that's the first and most important step to finding effective skincare for you. It's crucial to know your skin type because products don't all work the same for each skin type and may worsen your skin conditions as well.
Your skin type is determined by how your skin reacts to a lack of hydration in your skin. Some skin types produce lots of oils to try and assist with the hydration and some skin does not produce oils at all.
You can opt to go to a dermatologist and have them tell you what your skin type is, however, most people would rather try to figure it out themselves at home.
The first step is to cleanse your skin, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and don't apply any lotion or facial product after. You will want to wait for about an hour to overnight.
When you wake up in the morning or after about an hour, examine your skin. Take a look in the mirror and determine what type of skin you have:
Normal Skin-
You don't notice much tightness around your face, no specific heavily oily spots, t-zone, and your chin is slightly oily and the rest of your face is dry, your skin looks and feels well-rested as well as smooth, your skin type is probably considered normal skin.
Oily Skin-
Your skin will look shiny and reflective, your T-zone (consists of your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, around your nose, just below your cheeks and chin area) is oily and if you find that your pores are larger in the center of your face, your skin type is probably considered oily skin.
Dry Skin-
Your skin is tight and feels like there's no hydration, you see possible flakiness around areas, dry all over and your pores look small, your skin type is probably considered dry skin.
If you splash water onto your skin and it burns or even if you applied a little skincare and it burns as well, you may have very dry, sensitive skin that needs extra hydration and skincare attention.
Combination skin-
You may look at your skin and see there are maybe a few dry patches but yet certain other spots are oily, your skin type might be considered combination skin.
Skin conditions and acne:
You can also learn about your skin visually too. If you look at your face in a mirror and you notice the center of your face has larger pores and looks tired, you are probably prone to acne.
If you visually see your skin is a little red, irritated or itchy or even flaky in areas, you may have sensitive dry skin.
Dehydrated/sensitive skin is a skin concern, not skin types. You can have dry and sensitive skin or even oily but dehydrated skin as well.
Just because you found out what your skin type is today does not mean it will be your skin type forever, it can change depending on many factors such as:
- Your diet - this is a key factor in having your best skin, what you eat will affect how your skin performs on the outside.
- Your overall health/stress levels - this will also depend on your diet.
- Climate - humidity or dry climates can also affect your skin type.
- The environment you spend most of your time in, e.g. in an air-conditioned office from 9-5 or out and about all day in the sun.
Let us know if this article helped you in understanding your skin type better, and let us know what your skin type is!