What Type of Skin Do I Have?

Understanding your skin: How many types of skin are there? How to find out which type you have?

The skincare market is saturated with all sorts of products, catering to all kinds of needs. But, what if you have no idea what your skin needs or which products you should use and drive your skincare routine.

It is also necessary to know what kind of products and ingredients suits your skin.

We shall dive headfirst into understanding your skin.

From how to determine which type of skin you have in the first place to which products suits your skin type

There are five types of skin:

  • Normal Skin
  • Oily Skin
  • Dry Skin 
  • Combination Skin 
  • Sensitive Skin 

The first step is to find out which type of skin you have.

How to know which skin type you have

These tests can be performed at home.

Washing, Waiting and Watching

This test allows you to understand which skin type you have by observing how it behaves after cleansing.

Start with washing your face with a gentle cleanser and then pat it dry – pat it, do not rub your face.

After 30 minutes watch and feel your skin. If it appears shiny throughout and feels greasy, you have oily skin. If it feels tight and is flaky or scaly, you have dry skin. If the shine is only in specific areas of your face like the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and the other areas that appear normal or tight, you have combination skin. And if it feels hydrated but not greasy and has a natural shine, you have normal skin.

Blotting Sheets

When pressed to your face, blotting sheets, absorb oil is visible on the sheets. You can use this method to help you understand your skin type.

After washing your face with a gentle cleanser, patting it dry, and allowing it to rest for 30 minutes, press blotting sheets to various areas of the face – please know which sheet was used on which area.

Then hold the sheets under light to see the oil markings.

If the sheets reveal:

Plenty of oil markings in all the areas of skin – you have oily skin

Little to no oil in all the area of skin – you have dry skin

Some areas show oil – you have combination skin

Minimal oil in all areas of skin – you have a normal skin type

Regardless of what kind of skin you have, it can be sensitive too or can likely suffer from pimples and acne, though normal skin is less prone to such experience. It is important to know that, with age, hormonal changes, and environmental factors, your skin type change.

Normal Skin type

It is called eudermic, meaning well-balanced, neither too oily nor too dry. Normal skin tends to have balanced pH levels and sebum production.

Characteristics
  • Smooth Texture
  • Fine pores
  • Few or no breakouts
Care

Just because you have normal skin does not mean you needn’t care for it. Like with your body, if you’re healthy it doesn’t mean you keep binging on junk food and not take care of it.

Follow a basic skincare regimen to keep it hydrated and healthy.

  • Stay hydrated
  • Wear sunscreen, oil-free so it doesn’t clog pores
  • Do not forget to remove make-up before sleeping

Oily Skin Type

Our body produces natural oils to keep it moisturized. But when this system goes into overdrive, especially when you have large pores, producing excess sebum, creating a greasy film on the skin.

Characteristics
  • Greasy appearance
  • Open, big pores
  • Prone to breakouts
Care
  • Moisturize regularly: water and oil are different; keeping the skin hydrated will prevent the excess production of sebum.
  • Wash your face twice a day.

Dry Skin Type

A lack of moisture in the skin leads to a flaky and rough appearance.

Characteristic
  • Rough and flaky Skin
  • Uneven skin texture Itching Skin feels tight
Care
  • Drink lots of water and moisturize the skin regularly
  • Use sunscreen to prevent it from getting dehydrated
  •  Don’t spend too much time in the shower

Combination Skin Type

Combination skin tends to have two skin types across the face: normal to dry around the cheeks and chin and oily and blemished skin around the T-zone.

Characteristics
  • Sensitive cheeks
  • Breakouts only on forehead, chin, and nose.
Care
  • Use gentler cleansers
  • Exfoliate gently and once in a while
  • Wear sunscreen: choose an oil-free one

Sensitive skin

This type of skin reacts to external influences, such as stress, UV light, pollution even certain materials and ingredients in products. Therefore sensitive skin requires special care to calm and strengthen its barriers.

Characteristics
  • Reacts to skincare
  • Becomes red after a hot water bath.
  • Skin feels itchy and tight.
Care
  • Do not overdo with skincare: Use mild products and do not apply to many at one time.
  • Conduct a patch test before use
  • Read for ingredients and labels.