From your questions, messages and recent conversations, I’ve realised that many of you are unsure about your skin type. As we age and our lifestyle changes our skin type can change too. This is normal. So, let’s understand are skin type and not waste money on products that we do not need.
What skin type options are there?
In general, there are five skin types: normal, dry, combination, oily and sensitive. At times, due to age, diet and hormones we experience more than one. QVC’s Beauty Expert, Alison Young stresses that no matter what our skin type, when we have bouts of skin sensitivity, this can happen for any reason, we treat the sensitivity first and then bring the skin back into balance.
How do I know what skin type I am?
A good way to identify what skin type you have is to cleanse your skin gently and then leave it for 30 minutes without product. If in 30 minutes your skin feels tight then you are more than likely to be dry. If you notice some oil on the forehead and maybe a little on the nose, then you are more than likely to be combination. If you see oil on the cheeks in addition to forehead and nose, then you are likely to be oily. If you notice a lot of high colour and some irritation, then your skin is more than likely to be sensitive/reactive. If your skin looks and feels normal, then you are more than likely to have a normal skin type. This is not a scientific diagnosis but it will give you a good indication.
Another way of identifying your skin type is to examine your pores. My pores around the nose area are larger than on the rest of my face and this is because I have a combination skin. For an oily skin type, the pores will be larger all over and can easily become blocked. Dry skin tends to have very tight pores and small. And for those with normal skin, you can barely see the pores and in general there is uniformity all over.
How to take care of our skin based on our skin type?
Normal skin type – do not be tempted to overload the skin with thick textures. Think of layering products – thin layers and textures to give you maximum ingredients to keep skin looking and feeling balanced.
Dry skin type – the most important thing for a dry skin is moisture and getting as much moisture into the skin. Dry skin is a lack of oil so it is important to add a good quality face oil to your skin care routine.
An important distinction here to make is that a dry skin is a lack of oil. A dehydrated skin is a lack of water. All skin types can experience dehydration but only dry skin will experience a lack of oil.
Combination skin type – this is my skin type. I tend to use lighter textures and layer to get maximum ingredient results. In the winter if my cheeks get dry then I will zone and add something richer just to the cheeks as and when I need too. I also do this with my mask. I like to use something hydrating and plumping on my cheeks and then I will use something more clarifying on my t-zone to keep my pores clean. You only get one skin so mix and match to get the result you want!
Oily skin type – no heavy creams no matter what the marketing claims say. Use a specialist cleanser and toner for oily skin to make sure your skin is correctly prepared for your products. Keep the consistency of your skincare as light as possible and despite what you might think, the use of the right type of oil can really help balance an oily skin.
Sensitive skin type – everything needs to be as gentle and as natural as possible and keep your ingredients to a minimum. No scrubs either.
If you have any questions, please ask in the comments section below or message me directly.
Have a fabulous week!
