Finding your skin type

Any skin should be cleansed and moisturized daily, but different skin types have different characteristics in terms of hydration, oiliness and sensitivity to external factors, therefore each of them has different needs than the rest. That’s why understanding your skin type is the first step to have a healthy skin. In this article we will go through all different skin types and how to take care of your skin according to its needs.

The five primary types of skin:

there are five primary types of skin:

1. Oily skin

Oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum from the sebaceous glands that makes your skin look shiny or feel greasy. Oily skin may be triggered stress, humidity, genetics or hormones. People with oily skin are less likely to have wrinkles but they may be more prone to blackheads, whiteheads, acne blemishes and enlarged pores.

How to take care of your oily skin:

To take good care of your oily skin you have to choose the right products that hydrate your skin without clogging your pores. Just because your skin is oily and produces natural oil it doesn’t mean that your skin doesn’t need to be moisturized. The perfect oily skin routine should include a gentle, foaming cleanser that keeps your skin clean from all dirt or excess oil, it should also include an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer that keeps your skin hydrated as needed.

2. Dry skin

Dry skin produces fewer natural oils than normal. This causes it to appear dehydrated and dull. Dry skin is more prone to showing wrinkles and it may become itchy or irritated. Dry skin may be caused by harsh products or bad habits such as long hot showers that will leave your skin feeling dehydrated.

How to take care of your dry skin?

For dry skin, you can cleanse up to two times a day, but the most important thing is to moisturize after every time you wash your skin to help your skin restore the moisture that the cleansing may have removed. To keep your skin moisturized you should find a moisturizer that includes ceramides that helps maintain the skin barrier and hyaluronic acid that helps keep the skin moist. In addition to ceramides and hyaluronic acid, thicker moisturizers such as creams are better for your skin as they help retain water

or more in the skin. For cleansers, find a fragrance-free cleanser to avoid itchiness and irritation. 

3. Combination skin

Combination skin means that some areas of your face are dry while other areas are oily. For example, some people will notice their skin is oilier on the forehead, nose, and chin which is known as the T-zone, and they tend to be drier on their cheeks. This skin type may differ depending on the different seasons of the year.

How to take care of your combination skin?

The key to have a healthy combination skin is found in effective cleansing and hydration. For hydration you need moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid but keep in mind that while hydrating your skin you focus more on the dry areas of your skin, another tip is to treat your skin as if you have two faces, which means you will use heavy cream-based moisturizer for those areas which are dry, and light gel moisturizer for the areas which are oily.

4. Normal skin

Normal skin means that your skin is hydrated and comfortable all over, but not oily or dry.                      

How to take care of your normal skin?

Even a normal skin still needs to moisturize, so dermatologists would recommend moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid. It’s also to choose non-comedogenic products to avoid acne because even with a normal skin you still can be prone to acne. For cleansing and moisturizing the ideal is to cleanse and moisturize twice a day and after exercise.    

5. Sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is referred to as a skin type when you can have an oily sensitive skin, dry sensitive skin, or

Normal sensitive skin. It may feel itchy and appear red, it means that your skin is more vulnerable and can be triggered by some products or environmental factors.

First of all, determine what triggers your sensitivity and avoid products that contain those ingredients, also buy products that are formulated with ceramides because it will help you restore your skin barrier to have more protection from environmental triggers.