What is my Skin Type?

Learning your skin type is crucial to every step of your skin care, whether you’re buying products, choosing actives, or simply layering them on. Think of your skin type like a guide for what it needs. So, here’s how to know your skin type and what it needs.

Keynotes:

• Understanding how to know your skin type is key to choosing the right skincare products and actives.
• There are five main skin types—oily, dry, combination, normal, and sensitive—each needing tailored care.
• You can determine it at home using simple tests like the blotting sheet or bare-faced method.
• Matching skincare to your skin type helps maintain healthy, balanced skin.

Skin is an active organ, and everyone’s skin behaves differently. This is where learning how to tell your skin type gets crucial. Using the wrong products can do long-term damage to your skin while interfering with its processes. Here’s how:

• Balancing Moisture:

  Your skin has an outer layer that holds in the moisture. This layer is different for each skin type, and using the wrong products can compromise this. For example, thick creams with emollients only work for dry skin and can clog pores if you use them on oily skin.

• Preventing Oiliness:

  Your skin naturally produces sebum or oil that keeps it soft and nourished. Oily skin type tends to produce more sebum, which makes the skin prone to shine and breakouts. Dry and sensitive skin may not produce enough sebum and may feel tight and flaky. Understanding how much sebum your skin produces is key to determining your skin type.

• Using Right Skin Actives:

  Skin actives are reactive and powerful ingredients found in skincare. However, most skin actives don’t cater to all skin types and may do more harm than good if not used properly. This is why learning how to tell your skin type is crucial before buying products.

What are the different skin types? There are about five main ones. They are based on how much oil your skin makes, how much hydration it retains, and how it reacts to products and ingredients in skincare. Here’s all you need to know:

• Oily Skin Type
  

  If you tend to see a lot of shine and greasiness on your face, you may have oily skin. This means that your skin tends to produce excessive oils, which may appear largely around your forehead, nose, and chin. Those with oily skin may have larger pores and are more prone to acne, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. Oily skin largely requires sebum control and anti-acne skincare. Oil-soluble exfoliants like salicylic acid and soothing actives like niacinamide work well for this skin type.

• Dry Skin Type
  

  Answering how to know your skin type requires patience. It’s crucial to let your skin be and observe. If your skin naturally feels tight, rough, and looks flaky, then you may have a dry skin type. Dry skin also feels slightly more sensitive, and fine lines tend to look more pronounced.
  Dry skin occurs when your skin naturally produces very little sebum, and harsh soaps and cleansers may make matters worse. Emollients like shea butter and humectants like hyaluronic acid are some key dry skin products.

• Combination Skin
  

  When it comes to combination skin, some parts are very oily, like the forehead, nose, and chin, and the other parts are dry or normal, often the cheeks. This is because the sebum secretion is concentrated in some parts of your face compared to others, and you have to treat them differently to balance combination skin.
  Combination skin benefits from gentle exfoliants like lactic acid that remove impurities and dead skin cells without irritating the skin.

• Normal Skin
  

  If your skin typically feels balanced, not too oily, nor too dry, then you have a normal skin type. The skin texture is generally smooth, and the pores are refined in this type of skin. The skin barrier also functions well to give you proper protection and hydration.
  In such cases, you can focus on concerns like aging and pigmentation. Normal skin type benefits from actives like antioxidants that can brighten the skin and fight off any oxidative stress.

• Sensitive Skin
  

  A sensitive skin type is irritated easily and reacts to products or the weather often. Conditions like eczema can cause sensitive skin, or you may be naturally prone to it. This skin type can get red, itchy, or sting, and it’s crucial that you select the right products. Sensitive skin usually occurs when your skin barrier, the outermost layer of your skin, is not that strong.
  Using gentler actives like Thiamidol and hyaluronic acid is key for sensitive skin. Look for dermatologically tested products that have very rare side effects.

If you’re looking for concrete answers to ‘what is my skin type’, here are a few tests you can try at home. While these tests point you in the general direction, it’s crucial to talk to your dermatologist before selecting any strong skin actives for your regular routine.

Test 1: Blotting Sheet Test

1. Start by washing your face gently and patting it dry.
2. Wait for about an hour and don't use any products on your skin.
3. Take a blotting sheet. Press it on your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, and check the sheet.

Answers: If there’s lots of oil on all parts of the sheet, you may have an oily skin type. If there’s not much oil and your skin feels tight, you may have dry skin. If you blot the oil mainly from your forehead, nose, and chin and not much from your cheeks, you have combination skin. If you blot just a little oil and your skin feels okay, you have normal skin.

Test 2: Bare-Faced Test

1. Wash your face gently. Pat it dry.
2. Don't put anything on it and be observant of how it feels during the day. Check after about an hour, then later.

Answers: If your skin looks shiny and feels greasy to the touch, you have oily skin. If it feels tight and looks flaky, you have dry skin. If the forehead, nose, and chin feel oily but your cheeks feel normal or tight, it’s combination skin. If it feels comfortable all day, you have normal skin.

Now that you know how to figure out skin type, it’s time to take the next steps. It’s important to match your skincare with your skin type to get the right results. Here are a few tips to bear in mind:

• Use gentle, exfoliating cleansers that prevent clogged pores.
• Use toners to balance your skin’s pH while removing any excessive sebum or impurities.
• Light moisturizers are still a yes! Try not to overdry your skin as it’ll produce more sebum in response.

• Use moisturizing products that are filled with humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid.
• Don't scrub too hard or take very hot showers.
• Use night creams and follow a PM skincare routine to aid skin regeneration and support your skin barrier.

• Treat the oily and dry parts differently. Use spot treatments on the oily portions to balance sebum control.
• Use lightweight creams on the dry spots to keep them hydrated.
• Use gentle products with lactic acid to moisturize and exfoliate your skin all at once.

• Keep it balanced, don’t use very drying or very oily products on your skin.
• Use actives that focus on other skin concerns like hyperpigmentation and dullness.
• Never forget to use sunscreen while stepping out!

• Go for products without perfumes or fragrances.
• Look for products that claim to be ‘hypoallergenic’ or suitable for hypersensitive skin.
• Try new things slowly and always test them on a small patch of your skin first.

Now that you can find out your skin type, it’s time to make mindful choices about what you put on it. These at-home tests are a good start but always consult your dermatologist before starting new routines. Meanwhile, you can opt for dermatologically tested and researched products by Eucerin.

1. How do I find out my skin type at home?

   You can use blotting paper to check your skin type at home. You can also go bare-faced for a few hours and observe how your skin behaves to understand your skin type.

2. Can my skin type change over time?

   Yes. Your skin type can change with age, hormonal changes, lifestyle changes, and owing to the climate.

3. What’s the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?

   Dry skin naturally produces less oil or sebum, whereas dehydrated skin has a low moisture count and low moisture retention capacity. It loses hydration through TEWL, or Trans-Epidermal Water Loss.

4. Which skincare routine is best for combination skin?

   A gentle, balanced skincare regimen with spot treatments is ideal for balancing combination skin.