How to determine your skin type?
How to determine your skin type?
You've probably heard of skin types before, but what exactly are they? In this blog post, we'll look at how to determine your skin type and what ingredients and products you should prioritize. Let's get started!
The bare skin method
One easy way to determine your skin type is to closely examine your bare skin. To start, you can wash your face with a cleanser. Then, gently pat it dry with a soft towel and don't apply any skincare products. After 30 minutes, observe your skin.
How does it look? Does it appear shiny on your cheeks and T-zone? You might have oily skin. Or does your skin feel tight and have flaky areas? Your skin is probably dry. If you notice an uneven mix of oily and dry areas, you likely have combination skin. If you don't notice any particular signs of oiliness or dryness, you most likely have normal skin.
The blotting paper method
Another way to determine your skin type at home is to press a clean blotting paper on different parts of your face. Then, hold the paper up to a light source to see how much oil has been absorbed.
Your skin type usually depends on the amount of visible oil, meaning the more oil on the paper, the more likely you have oily skin. If there's little to no visible oil, you most likely have dry skin. If the blotting paper reveals minimal oil on your forehead and nose, your skin is likely normal or combination.
1. Oily skin
This skin type is problematic because chances are you feel like every product you try causes breakouts. Oily skin is more prone to acne because the excess sebum created by our skin clogs our pores, leading to more breakouts. This overproduction even has a scientific name in dermatology: "seborrhea." Very sophisticated, isn't it?
What to prioritize: There are a plethora of products you can use to treat acne and/or excessive oil production. AHAs, BHAs, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, zinc, and my favorite ingredient, retinoids. Ingredients like niacinamide also work wonders for controlling "seborrhea."
Many people with oily skin believe they cannot use oils, but short-chain oils like squalane or linoleic acid-rich oils (a type of fatty acid that people with oily skin lack) like rosehip seed oil can work wonders to decrease sebum production.
What to avoid: In general, oily skin is less sensitive, so it can handle more aggressive treatments. However, this doesn't mean you should constantly exfoliate your skin; use anything like AHAs/BHAs, etc., in moderation.
Treating acne and excess sebum is not an easy task; it requires a lot of patience. Many studies indicate that, in the long term, low-dose acne treatments used less frequently yield excessively similar results to high-dose anti-acne ingredients used more frequently. So it's better to be patient. There's no need to rush things, as you risk ending up with a damaged skin barrier.
Regarding ingredients, it's impossible to generalize, as every skin is different. Many people will bring up comedogenicity; however, tests that evaluate product comedogenicity were performed on rabbit ears, so my suggestion would be not to pay too much attention to it. But some ingredients like coconut oil and its derivatives (e.g., caprylic/capric/coco glycerides), vitamin E (tocopherol), and lubricants like isocetyl stearate, etc., can be important to consider. As mentioned before, this is certainly not an exhaustive list, as it will be different for everyone.
2. Normal skin
In dermatology, this skin type is called euphoric. No, just kidding, it's actually called "eudermic." This means balanced skin, with no excessive oil production or dryness. People with normal skin generally don't have many acne problems, and they tend to have smoother, less sensitive skin. However, as a person with normal skin ages, their skin may become drier.
What to prioritize: Honestly, you can continue with your usual routine. A simple routine with a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen is more than enough. You can also introduce a serum to spice things up a bit.
3. Combination skin
Combination skin is generally defined by an oily T-zone and normal to dry cheek area. This skin type is typically challenging to manage, as the products you want to use for your T-zone are usually not suitable for your drier cheeks, and vice versa.
What to prioritize: There's no shame in being a bit excessive and applying different types of skincare to different parts of your face. You can use a lightweight moisturizer for your T-zone and a richer, more occlusive formula for the central parts of your face. Similarly, instead of applying your acne treatments all over your face, use them as spot treatments, otherwise, the drier areas of your skin might hate you.
4. Dry skin
The adjective "dry" is used to describe a skin type that produces less sebum than normal skin. Due to its lack of sebum, dry skin lacks the lipids it needs to retain moisture and build a protective shield against external aggressors. Dry skin can feel tight, rough, and appear dull. It can be caused by many factors such as genetics, environmental factors, and acne treatments. It lacks natural moisturizing factors, particularly urea, amino acids, and lactic acid – which help retain water. A lack of epidermal lipids such as ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol can also cause dry skin.
What to prioritize: What to look for: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin, urea, amino acids, vegetable oils, and salicylic acid are amazing ingredients for combating dryness.
What to avoid: Harsh exfoliation, whether chemical or physical, can exacerbate dry skin symptoms. That's why AHAs, BHAs, and scrubs should be used with caution. Exfoliating once a week is usually more than enough for people with dry skin. But here's an interesting fact: when used correctly, exfoliants and retinoids can actually thicken the deeper layers of your skin. So they can help address problems caused by dry skin.
Cleansing twice a day can also make your skin drier. You only need to wash your face in the evening to remove sunscreen and any other dirt that may have accumulated on your skin. In the morning, you can simply rinse your face with water to avoid drying out your skin. Instead of a foaming or gel cleanser, you can use cleansing oils as your primary cleanser.
Assessing skin type and condition
Unlike skin type, skin condition can vary significantly throughout life. Many internal and external factors can determine its condition: climate and pollution, medication, stress, hereditary factors that influence the levels of sebum, sweat, and natural moisturizing factors your skin produces, as well as the products you use and the choices you make in skincare.
For example, oily skin and skin that has become oilier due to a lack of hydration can show similar symptoms, but dehydrated skin problems can be resolved in a few months, whereas oily skin is generally persistent (unless you are undergoing aggressive acne treatments such as Accutane).
As explained earlier, hormonal changes and environmental factors can also influence your skin. Skincare products should be chosen based on skin type and skin condition. That's why it's so important to determine your skin type before buying products.
The Rosalina Boutique team