I wanted to touch on skin type skin care because I am feeling lately that my skin is going through a weird every 7 year change. I used to always be combination skin as a teenager and into my early 20s. Now that I’m almost 27, it almost seems as if my skin has it’s days where it is more dry than oily and vice-versa. I don’t really know what is happening, but it has made me rethink my facial products, who could be to blame, and has also made me re-evaluate my skin type.
But then I realized how many out there actually follow the whole skin type hype. I’ll bet there are many out there that just stare at the aisle of products in the drug store and go, ‘Eenie Meenie Miney Moe!’ And I’m jealous, but also a bit taken back at the same time. I don’t think those people know what they’re even doing to their skin in the long run. Just because you don’t have problems now, doesn’t mean poor skin care decisions won’t affect it in the future.
I’ve recently had really, really red cheeks. I wanted to immediately call it Rosacea, but I don’t have any blistering or bumps. It just looks like I constantly have gotten too much sun on my cheeks. I know now I’m a sensitive skin type, and likely just a fluctuating combination type. It’s just annoying because us combo skin types have to have SO MANY different products for the oily sections and dry sections of our face, and it’s double the work and double the price!
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Right now I’ve determined the best cleanser for me is Cetaphil Gentle Facial/Body Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin types. I used it when I was younger, and it never seemed to dry out my skin then. And a few months in, I haven’t noticed any negative side effects. Although, the redness is still there in my cheek so it’s a work in progress. I also am back and forth between an all natural coconut oil moisturizer and organic aloe oil moisturizer. Now, I don’t moisturize every area of my face (just the dry zones) but I do apply it morning and night (especially more at night to try and help the redness).
Taking care of the skin on your face is one of the most important external priorities for a healthier, younger you. It doesn’t get easier with age (as through me, my skin isn’t what it was even two years ago!), and it does take some trial and error to find the right products. But in order to do that, you need to know your skin type since your body changes fairly frequently.
Yeah, yeah, yeah – you’re thinking – I already knowwww this. But do you? When was the last time you sat down and actually analyzed your face close up, or under that makeup? Or maybe you continually are having the same issue with your face and you keep denying the inevitable because of ‘time’, ‘money’, and ‘effort’. Trust me, I’m there with you – it’s annoying, and a struggle every.single.day. But this is your FACE. You get ONE. And it’s time you ought to give it your all right now.
Skin Care Products
For Your Skin Type
Determine your natural skin type:
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, and clean hands!
- Pat dry (do not rub!) with a clean towel
- Wait about an hour (your skin will return to it’s natural, normal state) and refrain from touching or wiping your face
- Refer to the 4 Skin Types below
What can influence your skin type:
- Hormones
- Skin Disorders
- Medications (Vitamins, Birth Control, etc.)
- Genetics
- Smoking
- Your care-routine
- Diet
- Sun Exposure
- Stress
- Pollution/Climate
Normal Skin:
- No dryness or oiliness after cleansing and drying face
- Almost no sensitivities
- None to few imperfections
- Pores are the least visible
Recommended Use:
- Can use serums, powders, liquids, gels, lotions & creams on the face
Care Routine:
- Gentle cleanser morning and night
- Moisturize with SPF morning and night
Recommended Products For Normal Skin:
Combination Skin:
- Larger pores in certain areas (especially on the nose, chin and cheek bones)
- Shiny skin (especially on your T-zone)
- Prominent blackheads
- Sporadic imperfections
- Areas of both oil and dryness shortly after cleansing and drying face
Recommended Use:
- Can use serums, liquids, gels, & lotions on the face
- NOT recommended to use creams on T-zone
- Alcohol-free products (it just dries your skin out, check the ingredients!)
Care Routine:
- Gentle cleanser (once a day is sufficient unless you notice areas of your face become very oily)
- Use alcohol-free salicylic acid products, such as Stridex, on oily areas 2-3 times per week
- Use oil free moisturizer morning and night on oily areas of your face, and richer moisturizer on the dry areas
- Exfoliate with a gentle scrub once a week
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Recommended Products For Combination Skin:
Dry Skin:
- Invisible appearance in pores
- Dull, rough, scaly complexion (all over or in certain areas)
- red patches (especially forehead and cheeks)
- More visible lines/wrinkles
- Taut feeling when face is dry or after cleansing and drying face
- Visible flakes on skin surface
- Tends to already be very sensitive
Recommended Use:
- Can use lotions, creams & serum on the face
- NOT recommended to use powder, gels, & liquids
- Moisturizers with fatty acids, & cholesterol
- Fragrance free products
- Alcohol-free products (it just dries your skin out, check the ingredients!)
Care Routine:
- Gentle cleanser
- You should only have to cleanse at night and not the next morning
- Moisturize morning and night
Recommended Products For Dry Skin:
Oily Skin:
- Enlarged pores
- Shiny skin (especially the T-zone)
- Frequent/constant imperfections
- Skin is very oily shortly after cleansing and drying face
- Less sensitive to products
Recommended Use:
- Can use powder, gel, liquid & serum on the face
- NOT recommended to use creams & lotions
Care Routine:
- Mild cleanser morning and night (rub in cleanser with fingertips to exfoliate and clean your pores of oil)
- Use an oil free moisturizer morning and night
- Exfoliate with a gentle scrub once a week
- Use alcohol-free salicylic acid products, such as Stridex, on oily areas 2-3 times per week
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Recommended Products For Oily Skin:
Sensitive Skin Types:
Any of the above skin types can also be prone to sensitivity, but most of the time a normal skin type will show no sensitivities to any product. But that doesn’t go for saying that if you over-moisturize your ‘normal’ skin type that you won’t suddenly notice your skin being very oily. Normal skin types should use the right products, and every skin type should determine any common sensitivities right off the bat. For sensitive skin, you may notice the following when having used certain products:
- skin redness (all over or in one area of the face)
- itchiness
- rash-like or blistery (generally can happen around nose and mouth)
- increased amount of imperfections
- any of these symptoms that only occur during your menstrual cycle
Recommended Products For Sensitive Skin Types:
