HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TYPE

Now that we understand the importance of identifying our skin type, let’s explore some simple methods to determine your specific skin type:

The Bare-Faced Method: Start with a clean face and observe your skin for about an hour. If your skin feels comfortable, and balanced, and shows no signs of excessive dryness or oiliness, you likely have a normal skin type. If your skin feels tight, and rough, or shows signs of flakiness, you may have dry skin. On the other hand, if your skin appears shiny and greasy you likely have oily skin.

The Blotting Paper Test: Take a few blotting papers and gently press them onto different areas of your face. If the paper picks up little to no oil, your skin is likely dry. If the paper becomes soaked with oil from your T-zone, you most likely have oily skin. If the paper picks up oil only from the T-zone, while other areas remain relatively oil-free, you may have combination skin.

Sensitivity Check: Pay attention to how your skin reacts to various products and environmental factors. If your skin often becomes red, irritated, or itchy, and is prone to reactions or allergies, you likely have sensitive skin.

Skin Types

The first step in finding your own daily routine is to properly determine your skin type. There are four main skin types - Normal, Dry, Oily and Combination. And there is a Sensitive skin.

Normal skin has a visually uniform appearance, with a natural glow and a smooth texture. It doesn’t have excessive shine or visible pores. When you touch normal skin, it feels fresh, smooth, well-hydrated, firm, and flexible. This skin type produces enough sebum to keep the skin evenly hydrated without becoming greasy.

Dry skin may appear visually clear but lacks luster due to a deficiency of sebum. It can sometimes appear dull, cracked, and flaky, with no visible pores. Dry skin may also have eczematous patches, reddish areas, or even rosacea. When you touch dry skin, it feels cold, thin, rough, and lacks flexibility. It often shows signs of dehydration with fine lines.

Oily skin has a distinct shiny appearance and an uneven texture with visibly large pores. It is prone to developing comedones, pimples, acne scars, and skin irritations. When you touch oily skin, it feels smooth, thick, and hyper-seborrheic due to excessive sebum production.

Combination skin means that some areas of the face, aroundthe forehead, nose, and chin, usually known as the T-zone, are oily, while other areas are normal or dry.