For your skincare to work as intended, it must match your skin type.
Have you ever bought a skincare product and felt like it didn’t make much difference, even after weeks of using it? Sure, not all beauty products live up to their marketing claims, but sometimes it could be because it was the wrong type of product for your skin type. No doubt you’ve seen various beauty products for “sensitive” or “combination” skin, but have you ever stopped to think about what skin type you are?
Why Your Skin Type Matters
It’s plain and simple – without understanding your skin type, you’ll struggle to establish an effective skincare routine that addresses your unique skin concerns. For example, if you have oily or combination skin, choosing oil-based skincare products might result in even more breakouts, no matter how many times you cleanse your face during the day.
Different Skin Types Explained
Normal Skin
You lucky duck. Out of all skin types, yours is the least likely to have breakouts, visible fine lines, or to become dehydrated or too oily, striking the perfect balance between the two. Now, that’s not to say the normal skin type is perfect, but out of all the others, the normal complexion appears to be the healthiest with minimal imperfections.
Oily skin
Oily skin is characterized by a greasy, shiny appearance with visible pores and breakouts that appear from nowhere, often overnight. Now, while causes for acne vary from factors like diet or lifestyle choices, this is generally caused by your sebaceous glands compensating for lack of moisture with overproduction of sebum.
Dry skin
Dry skin is the opposite of the oily skin type, where your sebaceous glands don’t produce enough sebum to lock the moisture in. You’ll notice dry skin when it starts to “pull” and itch, or worse, you have flakey patches in certain areas of your skin like around your nose – especially after a shower or a bath.
Combination skin
Combination skin is one of the most common skin types, and it needs a bit of everything to maintain your natural glow. It’s what it says on the tin – you have oily and acne-prone T-zone (forehead, nose, and cheeks) with normal or sensitive skin on the remaining areas of your face. Blackheads and breakouts are also common.
Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin is not easy to care for, as most mainstream skincare products tend to aggravate it and result in even more redness, itchiness, and irritation. Chances are, if you suffer from dryness, you also have sensitive skin.
