Baby Steps to Beauty: Determining Your Skin Type
Hi again friends! Today on the blog I wanted to try something a bit new -perhaps a new series? Over the past few years I have become more and more into skincare and trying to find the best products out there for my skin. I used to have really oily skin, but over the past few months, my skin has become much more dry, so I would like to believe that I have tried the full spectrum of products.
I thought this series would be helpful for anyone who is not so familiar with beauty/skincare but is interested in learning more. Skincare can become very complex, so I understand if you have ever felt overwhelmed. Super famous beauty gurus may make it look easy, but taking care of your skin takes a lot of trial and error.
I just want to go over some essential stuff that will help you start to take care of skin, such as determining your skin type as well as some basic tips that will help a wide variety of types. If you guys find it helpful, I can make this a series, just let me know in the comments down below.
Basic #1: Identifying your skin type
In order to determine if your skin is dry, combo, oily or normal, there is one simple test that can help. I have come across a ton of information on the subject as I myself have been trying to narrow down my skin as my type has been changing. In an effort to make this a much easier process, I thought I would just share how I came to learn my skin type as simply as possible. Here is the process:
Step 1: Wash you face with your normal face wash, preferably a very basic face wash. I use Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Step 2: Pat your face dry and then go sit down and have some morning coffee or read a blog - preferably mine ;) - or really do anything without touching your face.
Step 3: Wait 10-15 minutes then look at your face. What does it look like? Take a basic blotting sheet or a piece of tissue paper to your face. Now, what do you see?
-If after fifteen minutes your blotting sheet comes back really oily from using it all over your face, you most likely have oily skin
-If it comes back dry, then you most likely have normal skin
-> However, blotting sheet aside, if your face feels dry, tight, or if dry patches have shown up, you have dry skin
-If it comes back oily only when used on your t-zone (center of face, nose, and chin) and forehead but dry on other areas of your face, you most likely have normal-combo skin (this depends on dryness)
Some important final notes:
No matter your skin type, it is important to moisturize your skin well. You may think that if you have oily skin that added moisture may make your skin worse. This is not the case.
If you under moisturize your face, your skin will produce more oil to compensate. Try a gel-based moisturizer instead of a cream-based one if you have oily skin because creams have more oils in them.
If you have dry skin, try layering facial oils on top of moisturizers, not under, before you go to bed. This will help seal in moisture so you wake up with hydrated skin and oils can penetrate moisturizers but moisturizers have a tough time penetrating oils.
Combination skin can be hard to deal with, but I suggest using targeted treatments for the parts of your face that are oily and dry. (i.e. mattifying treatments in your t-zone and hydrating treatments everywhere else). Some companies even have moisturizers for combo skin, so do a quick Google search before purchasing double the product.
I hope you guys enjoyed this kind of post! If you want to know more about skincare basics, let me know and I would be happy to write more on the subject!
Until next time, TTFN
Stina :)