Knowing your skin type isn't easy, especially if you've been using products that have made your skin unbalanced.
Your skin may have become extra dry or shiny because you've used conventional products that your skin can't really tolerate.
The point of using products for your specific skin type is to make it feel balanced and soft and supple, rather than oily or tight, for example.
In this blog post, I will help you discover your skin type by going through the 4 skin types that have been defined.
I'll also share what type of products you should use to help your skin become balanced.
To find out what your skin type is, start by cleansing your face and then inspecting your skin.
How does it feel? If you look at your face in a mirror, do you have large or small pores? And how does it feel physically? Does your skin feel tight or soft?
Below I list our 4 skin types and a little more detail on what defines each skin type and what type of products you should use.
1. Normal skin/balanced skin
Those with a normal or, more accurately, balanced complexion have even pores that are neither diminished nor enlarged on any part of the face.
The skin has a balanced sebum production, which means that the skin has an even distribution of oil and moisture.
And what kind of products should you use if you have normal/balanced skin?
Use moisturising skincare products to maintain the high moisture content of your skin.
2. Dry skin
Those with dry skin (and here I raise my hand) have pores that are barely visible. It can be flaky, feel rough, tight and even itchy.
This is because the skin is lacking in both moisture and oil compared to a balanced skin that had an even distribution.
What kind of products should you use if you have dry skin?
Use products that are deeply moisturising and preferably nourishing.
From my own experience, I also recommend a facial oil such as jojoba oil, avocado oil or argan oil.
3. Oily skin
Those with an oily skin type have an overproduction of oil in the sebaceous glands which results in the skin becoming slightly shiny and glossy. Pores are often large and the appearance of pimples, blemishes and/or blackheads is common.
What kind of products should you use if you have oily/fatty skin?
Use skin care products that have balancing properties. Many products are in jelly form and are easily absorbed. 4. Combined/mixed skin
Combination skin is, as it sounds, a combination of skin types. This is one of our most common skin types.
If you have combination or mixed skin, your forehead, nose and chin, also known as the t-zone, are balanced/normal or oily and the rest of your face, especially your cheeks, is dry or balanced/normal.
What kind of products should you use if you have combination/combination skin?
Use products with a balancing effect. The foundation should be moisture and protection but then in the t-zone you can use products recommended for oily skin.
Finally, there is sensitive skin which is not a skin type but a condition that everyone can have whether their skin is dry, combination, oily or balanced.
Sensitive skin often reacts to perfumed products or different weather conditions such as sun or cold, but also to medications, hormones and stress.
How the skin shows that it is sensitive can be through redness, lumps, swelling or blisters.
The feeling of the skin may be tingling, tightness or even a burning sensation.
Looking at myself, my skin type is dry combined with sensitive, especially in winter. Then I need to resort to extra products to make my skin feel good and balanced.
Now that you have divided your skin into a skin type, I want to say one last thing before I end this post and that is that the important thing to remember is that no two skins are the same and your skin may need different products depending on what time of year it is and how old you are. So over the years you may oscillate between different skin types and that's perfectly normal.
Have a great day!
Julia