Your friend recommended a product that worked great for her, but the same product gave you a breakout. Now you are wondering why? Or you wonder what is my skin type? Do you also get confused by the skin types mentioned on the products? Many of us, too. Dont worry and sit back, you have come to the right place. Today, we will understand different types of skin, their characteristics, and specific concerns. Above all, we will share a customised skin care routine for each skin type.
Our bodies are designed so that even though we all have the same organs and functions, every human is different from the other. This uniqueness is also true for our skin. Every humans skin behaves and works differently from others, but it can be broadly divided into five main skin types: oily, dry, combination, sensitive, and normal. All these types of skin have different characteristics and concerns, and need a different skincare regimen for maintenance.
You might wonder if knowing your skin type is imperative. The answer is yes. You need to know about your skin type to choose appropriate cosmetics, skincare products, and even general skin care. Knowing your skin type can save you from unnecessary problems that can arise from using inappropriate products for your skin type. This article discusses all details about skin types and how to know your skin type.
How Do I Know My Skin Type?
Now, you know there are different types of skin. So, how can you decide what my skin type is? There are various tests you can take to determine your skin type. You dont have to go to a lab to complete these tests. These are simple at-home tests that can evaluate types of skin. Some of these are discussed below.
Bare Face Method
Procedure
Wash your face with a mild cleanser and pat it dry with a soft towel. Do not apply any product for half an hour or one hour. After an hour, observe your face closely in the mirror.
Result
- Oily skin: overall oiliness on the face. Shine on the face due to oil production.
- Dry skin: face feels tight and dry.
- Normal skin: neither tight nor shiny. Face feels hydrated without the shine of oil.
- Combination skin: forehead, nose, and chin are shiny, with cheeks feeling tight.
The Blotting Paper Test
Procedure
After waking up, press blotting paper on different areas of your face. Do not wash your face before this test.
Result
- Oily Skin: Blotting paper will pick up a lot of oil quickly.
- Dry Skin: Blotting paper has very little or no oil.
- Combination Skin: blotting paper absorbs oil from the T-Zone of the face.
- Normal Skin: very minimal oil is seen on the paper, indicating a balanced oil and sebum production.
Visual Inspection
Procedure
Visual inspection involves closely looking at your skins appearance and texture in natural light.
Result
- Oily skin: The face looks shiny, mainly on the forehead, nose, and chin. Open pores may also be seen.
- Dry skin: skin appears dry, flaky, and tight. Skin also lacks natural glow.
- Combination skin: The T-zone appears shiny with dry cheeks.
- Normal skin: skin is not shiny or dry. It looks well hydrated and plump.
- Sensitive skin: shows signs of redness, inflammation, and dry patches.
5 Skin Types: From Normal to Sensitive
After determining your skin type, it is now time to understand the key characteristics, concerns, and specific skincare routine for each skin type.
Oily Skin
Oily skin type is characterised by sebum (oil) overproduction by the sebaceous glands. This excessive oil results in a greasy skin texture with open pores. Due to the trapping of sebum in the pores, oily skin is more prone to acne breakouts and closed comedones. Here is a skincare routine for oily skin.
- Cleanse: Cleanse with a gentle gel cleanser with salicylic acid.
- Treat: According to your skin concern, use a serum with actives like niacinamide, vitamin C, azelaic acid, or a retinoid.
- Moisturise: Add a gel-based, light-weight, and fast-absorbing moisturiser. Moisturiser should be oil-free and non-comedogenic.
- Sun Protection: Use a SPF 30 or higher sunscreen every day.
- Exfoliate: Exfoliate twice a week with chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid and mandelic acid.
Dry Skin
Dry skin has less than normal oil production, resulting in water loss and the skin feeling dry and tight. In severe cases, the skin might appear flaky and patchy as well. Causes of dry skin are genetics, environment, and a damaged skin barrier. Here is a simple routine for dry skin with recommended actives and ingredients.
- Cleanse: To remove the dead skin layer, use a mild, non-foaming, gentle cleanser with mandelic acid with ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or ceramides. Follow double cleansing at night with an oil cleanser and a hydrating non-foaming cleanser.
- Treat: Treat your skin according to your skin concern by adding serum with niacinamide, centella, hyaluronic acid, transmic acid, azelic acid, vitamin C, or retinoids. Use retinoids carefully, as they can further dry the skin.
- Moisturise: A good moisturiser with humectants and fatty acids like aloe vera, shea butter, squalene, or ceramides is the key to hydrated and plump skin.
- Protect: Use a sunscreen with broad-spectrum coverage, at least an SPF 30, packed with ingredients like centella, hyaluronic acid, etc.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is easily affected by internal or external factors. It gets red, inflamed, flaky, and itchy in response to even mild stressors. Here is a concise skincare regimen for sensitive skin.
Cleanse: Use a mild, fragrance-free, non-foaming cleanser.
- Treat: Add a serum according to your skin concern. Avoid harsh actives like acids, retinoids, etc.
- Moisturise: Use a mild, non-comedogenic, and non-irritating moisturiser for hydration.
- Protect: Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. For sensitive skin, Mineral sunscreen is preferred.
Combination Skin
A combination skin type is an amalgamation of dry and oily skin. Face is oily in the T-zone and dry on the cheeks. This imbalance in oil production causes the face to be greasy in some parts while other parts feel tight and dry. Here is a skincare routine designed for combination skin type.
- Cleanse: Gentle, sulphate-free cleanser.
- Treat: Use a serum with actives to treat your skin concern. Pair it with hyaluronic acid, centella, or peroxide serum to avoid drying the skin.
- Moisturize: Use a lightweight moisturiser with ceramides or hyaluronic acid.
- Protect: Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen.
Normal Skin
Normal skin type is balanced with optimal oil production. There are no dry patches or oily areas. The skin care routine for normal skin is given below.
- Cleanse: Mild cleanser. Sulphate and fragrance-free.
- Treat (optional): Only use actives if you have any skin concerns.
- Moisturise: Use a mild hydrating cleanser with hyaluronic acid, peptides, or ceramides.
- Protect: Protect your skin from the sun by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher.
Specific Skin Concerns for Skin Types
Different skin types have different skin concerns and problems because of how they function and behave against stressors. The table below summarises these specific skin concerns and their management.
|
Skin Type |
Concern |
Treatment |
|
Oily Skin |
Acne breakouts, enlarged pores, blackheads, and whiteheads. |
Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Retinol, and clay. |
|
Dry Skin |
Tightness, flakiness, compromised skin barrier. |
Hyaluronic acid, ceramide, glycerin, shea butter, and lactic acid. |
|
Combination Skin |
Oily T-zone with large pores and dry cheek areas. |
Ceramides, fatty acids, niacinamide, and salicylic acid. |
|
Normal Skin |
Temporary oiliness, acne, or dry skin due to environmental aggressors. |
Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, retinol, peptides, and glycolic acid. |
|
Sensitive Skin |
Damaged skin barrier, redness, flakiness, itching, and inflammation. |
Ceramides. Colloidal oatmeal, centella asiatica, green tea extracts, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera. |
General Skin Concerns for All Skin Types
Some skin concerns can be seen in any skin type, and these problems do not target any specific skin type. The table below details these particular skin concerns.
|
Concern |
|
Treatment |
|
Hyperpigmentation |
Dark spots or patches are due to sun exposure, post-inflammatory, and hormonal imbalance. |
Vitamin C, Kojic Acid, Alpha arbutin, Licorice Root Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Niacinamide, Retinoids, lactic acid, and glycolic acid. |
|
Acne |
Clogged pores, oil, and bacteria are trapped in pores. |
Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, Azelaic acid, niacinamide, tea tree oil, and retinoid. |
|
Dehydration |
Excess loss of water due to extreme weather or a compromised skin barrier. |
Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, glycerin, and petrolatum. |
|
Dullness |
Lack of glow on the skin due to dead cell buildup, lifestyle, stress, or hormonal imbalance. |
Exfoliants(AHAs and BHAs), niacinamide, and Vitamin C. |
|
Ageing |
Sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. |
Retinoids (Retinol, Tretinoin), peptides, Bakuchiol, and Vitamin C. |
Why Knowing Your Skin Type Matters
Knowing your skin is the key to healthy and glowing skin. It helps you select specific products suitable for your skin, avoid unnecessary products, and save money.
Knowing and understanding your skin type is crucial for curating a skincare routine. A skincare routine is a must to clean, protect, and treat your skin. Different skin types react differently, and choosing the wrong products can be ineffective. Sometimes, we buy specific things that dont work for us. The reason might be that most skincare products are designed for specific skin types; hence, understanding your skin type is vital.
Poor product selection cannot only be ineffective but also harm your skin. For example, if you have dry skin and start using retinols daily, your skin barrier will be damaged. That is why it is very important to thoroughly understand your skin type and have a basic knowledge of the ingredients to avoid damaging your skin.
Skincare Products to Avoid for Your Skin Type
As discussed earlier, not every skincare ingredient works on every skin type. For example, salicylic acid is great for oily skin, but it can cause dryness in people with dry skin. It is commonly seen that some ingredients and products work great for one skin type while breaking out on others. Therefore, you should know what not to use and what you should use according to your skin type.
The guidelines provided below are general recommendations. You should read the product labels carefully and consult your dermatologist if you have an allergy.
Oily skin
If you have oily skin, below are some ingredients and products that you should avoid. Whenever you buy a product, read the ingredients to check for their presence.
Avoid oil-based moisturizers and heavy oils like coconut oil and shea butter. These products are comedogenic and can clog pores, cause open pores, and cause breakouts.
You should also avoid occlusive ingredients like bees wax, petrolatum, and mineral oil.
Silicones are not toxic but can trap bacteria and oil in the skin, leading to acne.
Dry skin
Dry skin has diminished oil production. If not managed properly, this skin type can become sensitive, leading to acne and other skin conditions. Dry skin also tends to develop fine lines and wrinkles early(premature ageing). Here are some products that people with dry skin should avoid.
People with dry skin should avoid alcohol-based toners, harsh exfoliants, sulfate cleansers, and overcleaning. These products strip the skin of its natural oil, leading to dryness and irritation.
They should also avoid talc and powder products, which absorb the skins natural oil, leaving it dry.
Sensitive skin
Even mild environmental factors and aggressors can easily irritate sensitive skin. Therefore, you should be very diligent when choosing products for sensitive skin. Here are ingredients to avoid.
Fragrances, alcohols, sulphates, and harsh chemicals can irritate sensitive skin. Products for sensitive skin are designed to be mild and soothing. Many products on the market are made only for sensitive skin, helping with flare-ups and inflammation, and keeping the skin calm and hydrated.
Skincare Ingredients to Avoid for All Skin Types
Some ingredients are widely used in cosmetics and skincare products, but are known to irritate skin. It is to be noted here that formulations matter the most when using these ingredients in products. Some products and brands use a small amount of these that do not harm the skin. The ingredients that you should look for and avoid in the labels are listed below.
Fragrances
Fragrances have long been an integral part of cosmetic and skincare formulations, not only for adults but also for babies. We now know that fragrances, whether natural or synthetic, can irritate sensitive skin. However, it should be noted that fragrance tolerance varies from person to person.
Fragrances can cause allergies and inflammation and should be avoided or used cautiously. Do not fall for the unscented label when checking the products, as fragrance is just added to mask the original odor.
Always look for products labelled as fragrance-free.
Alcohol (Denatured Alcohol)
Although alcohols are traditionally used in skincare products, they are now being avoided because they dehydrate the skin. Alcohols strip skin of its natural oils, making it more prone to irritation and inflammation. When reading labels, avoid alcohols with names such as alcohol, ethanol, SD alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, or ending withol.
However, you must know that there are Fatty Alcohols as well, which are non-drying and irritating. The following are on drying fatty alcohols.
- Cetyl alcohol
- Stearyl alcohol
- Cetearyl alcohol
- Myristyl alcohol
Sulfates (SLS/SLES)
Sulphates are added to cleaners, soaps, washes, and shampoos because of their lathering properties. They cause skin tightness, dryness, and irritation because they strip skin of its oils.
To determine if the product contains sulphates, look for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate in the ingredients.
Parabens
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics and skincare products. They are linked with allergies and skin inflammation. On the labels, do not get confused by difficult names; look for methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben, or any ingredient ending in "-paraben."
Synthetic Dyes
Synthetic dyes can cause inflammation, irritation, and redness on sensitive skin.
Harsh Physical Exfoliants
Harsh physical exfoliants were a big hit just a decade ago. Women loved apricot scrubs. However, the advancement of the skincare industry has revealed that these exfoliants are harsh. They strip skin of its natural oils and cause mechanical trauma. These exfoliants can damage the skin barrier, thus leading to redness, irritation, and inflammation.
How to Choose the Best Skincare Products for Your Skin Type
As we conclude this detailed account of skin types and skincare, let me give you a road map of how to determine skin type and design a skincare routine for your skin type and concerns in simple steps. This complete guide is your holy grail to healthy, glowing glass skin.
Know your skin type
- Identify your skin type by performing one or two of the skin type tests described above.
- This is the imperative step in crafting your skincare routine.
- Perform the tests carefully. Any mistake or inconsistency at this step may lead to choosing products that will waste your time, effort, and money and harm your skin.
- Once you know your skin type, proceed to step 2.
Identify your Skin Concerns
- Inspect your face closely and note down your skin concerns.
- Make a list of problems you are facing, such as hyperpigmentation, dark spots, freckles, dryness, irritation, clogged pores, comedones, or acne.
- Make a list, prioritising the worst concern first. When it is ready, move to step 3.
Research Ingredients
- This article already takes care of this step. In the above section, we have listed the treatment ingredients for each concern and skin type.
- Choose ingredients from the table and make a list, prioritising the ingredients for the worst concern.
- Choose ingredients according to your skin type.
- Do not add too many skincare actives at once. Some actives can cause skin purging.
Choose Products
- After buying the products, do not start using them right away.
- Some products may irritate or inflame your skin even after you have done your due diligence while buying them. So, it is wise to perform a patch test first.
- Apply a small amount of the product to your neck or behind your ear, and check for any adverse effects before using it on your face.
Patch Test
- After buying the products, do not start using them right away.
- Some products may irritate or inflame your skin even after you have done your due diligence while buying them. So, it is wise to perform a patch test first.
- Apply a small amount of the product to your neck or behind your ear, and check for any adverse effects before using it on your face.
Conclusion
Human skin is precious; it not only protects our body from foreign aggressors but is also a symbol of our internal health and well-being. Everyone loves flawless, glowing, healthy skin, but you should always remember that glass skin is a marketing gimmick. Human skin is designed to have pores and texture, so setting realistic goals is very important when it comes to skincare.
Every skin type is different, and all skin types have some key features. All skin types have some pros and cons. To manage the cons, we need to first understand how our skin works. This article will help you know all the details about your skin type. Once you know your skin type, look for ingredients that help your skin type stay healthy and protected. Choose your skincare ingredients and products wisely and according to your skin type.
FAQs:
What is the rarest skin type?
The rarest skin type is Normal. It is well-balanced, with an even tone and no enlarged pores. This skin type is neither dry nor oily.
What is the healthiest skin type?
Normal Skin is the healthiest skin type because it has optimal oil production. No dry patches, and it also doesnt react easily to external factors.
What is the hardest skin type to treat?
The hardest skin type to treat is Sensitive Skin, as it can react to even mild products. The products suitable for sensitive skin are not easy to find as the formulation needs to be fragrance-free, alcohol, paraben-free, sulphate-free, and free. These products are also expensive compared to others.
