Have you ever tried a new “amazing” skincare product that promised to do great things to your skin only to have it do nothing or make your skin worse?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
At some point we have all experienced that. One of the key reasons why it might feel like you’re not seeing results or getting reactions from some products is simply because you either weren’t applying it well or the product wasn’t a good fit for your unique skin type.
Skin typing is a very real thing and is extremely helpful when it comes to choosing products and creating an effective skincare routine.
What Is Skin Typing?
Skin typing is understanding how your skin exists naturally at a point in time.
Everyone has a different biological makeup for their skin, and is genetically programmed to produce different levels of oil. This is at the heart of what determines your skin type. In most cases, your skin type is usually determined by genetics, although there are daily habits like Drinking water, medications, alcohol, diet, smoking or environmental factors like Sun exposure, hormones, weather or even age that can worsen/better a skin condition over time.
However, every skin has a specific set of characteristics and requires special need. So whether the goal is to treat acne, breakouts or achieve smooth, clear, younger looking skin – having a better understanding of your skin and choosing the right products for it is the pre-requisite for achieving skincare success.
So Let's Get To It:
The 6 Types Of Skin and How To Care For It
There are 6 main skin types: normal, oily, dry, Sensitive, acne prone and combination skin.
1. Normal Skin
Normal skin doesn’t look so dry or so oily. It’s just there somewhere in between.
Usually, normal skin typically have pores that are small, a smooth skin texture, and are less prone to sensitivity or blemishes. But then, even though normal skin doesn’t have any specific issues or concerns, it still requires proper skincare to look and feel its best.
How to Tell if You Have Normal Skin
You don’t experience many breakouts. Your skin doesn’t tend to react negatively to new products or weather changes. You don’t feel like you need to constantly moisturize or blot oil from your face all day long. Your skin is firm, with minimal fine lines and wrinkles.
Normal Skin Care Tips
Lucky you! With normal skin, you experience almost no sensitivity, dryness or oiliness. Your skin can tolerate most ingredients, meaning you can play hard with beauty products and have tons of fun experimenting with cleansers, moisturizers and masks until you find exactly what works for you.
Something else you should keep on mind about Normal skins is that they can change over time. For example, younger people are more likely than older people to have a normal skin type. Similarly as a person with normal skin ages, their skin can become dryer and more vulnerable to wrinkles and lines.
So as you get older, your ideal normal skin routine should focus on maintaining your skin’s hydration by locking in moisture and supporting your skin’s protective barrier with hydrating products.
2. Oily Skin
If you notice you experience breakouts after applying moisturizer or your makeup slides off too easily or your pores are so visible then yes you may have an oily skin.
Oily skins usually produce too much oil which can lead to clogged pores, frequent breakouts, acne, blemishes and blackheads. So if you have a skin like this you need to look out for products that help balance excess oil and won’t clog pores.
People with oily skin may tend to have less wrinkles, but they may also be more prone to enlarged pores, acne blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Keep in mind that just because oily skin produces more natural oils, this doesn’t mean that it requires any less moisture than other skin types. Supporting oily skin comes down to choosing the right products that nourish and hydrate, without clogging your pores or triggering breakouts. The ideal oily skin routine should feature a gentle, foaming cleanser with Salicylic Acid that effectively removes dirt, excess oil, and other impurities. It should also include a lightweight, oil-free, and non-comedogenic moisturizer that provides your oily skin with the essential hydration it needs.
Those with oily skin are fortunate when it comes to signs of aging. Oily skin types tend to have thicker skin thanks to genetic factors , and this thickness means fewer wrinkles (as the skin is less prone to dehydration) meaning you seem to age more slowly.
Discover Neutriherbs products for oily skin
How to Tell if You Have Oily Skin
Your skin always seems to be glowing. You’re likely no stranger to blotting sheets or mattifying powders. You might find that makeup and skin care products don’t always stay put like you’d want them to.
Oily Skin Care Tips
Oil control is a top concern for oily skin type. Although there are benefits to having oily skin (like fewer wrinkles), you should avoid ingredients like mineral oil, petrolatum and alcohol. Products labeled “non-comedogenic” work great for oily skin as these won’t clog up your pores. Oil-free moisturizers are your best friends (yes, you still need to moisturize!), as are chemical exfoliants (AHA & BHA) and clay masks. Be sure not to over-wash your face, as drying out your pores can cause them to produce even more oil to compensate.
3. Dry Skin
All skin gets dryer as it ages.
The number one sign that you have dry skin is if it appears dull and lifeless or it’s flaky with scaly patches that makes it look rough or feels tight. This is because a skin that is dry is more likely to be covered in a layer of dead skin cells.
Dry skin often feels tight or less elastic, noticeably dehydrated, and may be prone to showing more visible fine lines. In addition, it may become itchy or irritated.
The key to caring for dry skin is keeping the skin properly hydrated because it produces less oils than other skin types. The more moisture the skin holds, the healthier, younger and more radiant the skin would look. Without enough moisture, the outer layer of the skin would be weakened, resulting in dry areas and ultimately speeding up the Aging process.
A skincare routine for dry skin should include gentle, soothing, and hydrating ingredients that help maintain the skin’s protective moisture barrier—such as ceramides. If you have dry skin, avoid long, hot showers, Try moisturizing multiple times per day, and opting for skincare products that are fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, and alcohol-free.
Hence, if you have a dry skin look for products that hydrate, nurture and moisturize and are free from alcohol, fragrances, dyes or harmful chemicals. Sun exposure is one of the leading environmental factors that causes dry skin, that’s why using a Sunscreen is a huge must.
More also, Because of their natural thirst for hydration, dry skin can benefit more from creams than lotions, as they contain more oil, making it thicker and more moisturizing. So you want to use a cream moisturizer morning and night alongside a sunscreen. Keep use of cleansers and Exfoliators to the barest minimum.
How to Tell if You Have Dry or Dehydrated Skin
Moisturizing is a big part of the skincare game for dry skin.
Learn more: The Best Moisturizers for every skin concern
Shop Neutriherbs products for dry/dehydrated skin types.
4. Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin may be naturally dry, normal or oily skin – just that they are more prone to irritation and hyper-pigmentation.
They may have overreactions to certain ingredients and for that reason it’s important you avoid overly harsh chemicals in all your beauty products. Good news is No harsh or harmful chemicals can be found in any Beauty products Neutriherbs makes. We only use truly natural, healthy and scientifically verified biological ingredients that are mild yet effective.
However, Most skin are not as sensitive as you think, they just be temporarily sensitized. Is your skin truly sensitive? Here's the difference between sensitive & sensitized skin and the right products to use.
If you have sensitive skin, you may be able to determine what triggers your sensitivity and avoid cleansers, moisturizers, or other products containing those specific ingredients. You can also alter your environment to reduce your exposure to triggering agents.
Discover more Neutriherbs products for sensitive skin
How to Tell if You Have Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin might be caused by genetics, allergies or environmental factors.
Signs of this skin type include:
- Skin that flushes easily
- Frequent rashes and bumps
- Stinging or burning after using a skin care product
- Negative reaction to fragrance
- Patches of dry, flaky, irritated skin
Sensitive Skin Care Tips
#1 advice for sensitive skin is learn to listen to your skin. Don’t join bandwagons. What’s trending may not be right for you.
You need to be careful when choosing cosmetics, as you’re more prone to irritation, redness, stinging, burning or acne breakouts. Avoid fragrances and irritants like alcohol or antibacterial ingredients. Look for products with fewer additives, and seek out those with calming, healing or anti-inflammatory properties. Sometimes, using the wrong products can cause your skin to become sensitized, even if your skin type isn’t truly sensitive.
Learn more: Is Your Skin Sensitive or Sensitized? Here’s How to Know and How to Deal
5. Combination Skin
Combination skin can be a little more challenging to care for since it’s made up of two skin types (dry and oily).
Skin types can change seasonally or with age. Combination could mean that you are dry in rainy season or harmattan and oily during dry season. The easiest way to care for combination skin is to look for products formulated for all skin types.
Typically, products for all skin types help balance skin without over-drying or causing excess oil and Keeping your skin balanced is key for those with combination skin!
How To Identify Combination Skin
- Oily T-zone and dry cheeks
- Breakouts only on forehead, chin and nose
- Sensitive cheeks
- Combination skin tends to be oilier in the T-zone – the forehead, nose and chin and dryer at the cheeks.
Hence, if you feel like your T-zone is oilier than the rest of your face, use a product suited for oily skin on just those areas. you need products that are strong enough to exfoliate but not so strong as to cause irritation.
It’s a good idea to use two different moisturizers in your skin care regimen. Use a heavier moisturizer on your cheek area or any skin that’s excessively dry, and use a lighter moisturizer on the oily parts of your face. You can also alternate moisturizers and cleansers depending on how dry or oily your skin feels during different seasons or times of the month.
Combination Skin Care Tips
The name of the game with combination skin is balance. Isolate problem areas with spot treatments and use toners or balancing cream to even out the skin.
6. Acne-Prone Skin
Those with acne-prone skin tend to have a bumpy texture due to blackheads and whiteheads and break out easily. You'll also see skin inflammation, which goes hand-in-hand with breakouts.
There is quite a bit of overlap between the oily and acne-prone types; after all, excess oil is a key contributing factor to the formation of pimples and blemishes. As such, the same rules apply when it comes to choosing lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizers and foaming cleansers. you may also want to add in products that contain ingredients such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and retinol, all of which are helpful for preventing and treating acne.
How to Tell if You Have Acne-Prone Skin
If you get frequent breakouts (or ones that just never seem to go away), you likely have acne-prone skin. This means that your pores tend to clog easily, making you more susceptible to whiteheads, blackheads or pustules than other skin types.
Acne Prone Skin Care Tips
Use cleansers specifically formulated to treat acne, as well as exfoliants and moisturizers that will help minimize breakouts. Gently cleanse your face to avoid trauma to existing breakouts, and use topical gel to treat and lighten acne scarring. Look for acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, clay, benzoyl peroxide or retinol.
How Can I Identify My Skin Type at Home?
If descriptions of the different skin types didn't help you come to a conclusion, there are multiple tests you can perform at home to help you determine your skin type. Here are two methods you can use:
The “watch and wait” method
This at-home test allows you to understand your skin type by observing how your skin behaves after cleansing.
To start, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then gently pat it dry.
Wait 30 minutes.
- If your skin appears shiny throughout, you likely have oily skin.
- If it feels tight and is flaky or scaly, you likely have dry skin.
- If the shine is only in your T-zone, you probably have combination skin.
- If your skin feels hydrated and comfortable, but not oily, you likely have normal skin.
The blotting sheet method
When pressed to the skin, blotting sheets absorb oil—and you can use them to help you understand what type of skin you have.
After washing your face with a gentle cleanser, pat it dry and wait for 30 minutes.
Press blotting sheets to various areas of your face, then hold the sheets up to the light to see the oil markings.
- If the sheets soaked up an abundance of oil from all areas of the face, you have oily skin.
- If they absorb little to no oil, then you probably have dry skin.
- If the sheets show only a small amount of oil from your T-zone, you have combination skin.
- If you only see minimal oil from every area of your face, you most likely have normal skin.
So hopefully you got some interesting information that could help you get the most out of your beauty products and achieve you the look you want.
Now is your turn, We want to hear from you - "What skin type do you think you have and what has been your biggest challenges taking care of it?"
