Healthy Line: How to Identify Your Skin Type at Home – Easy Tips for Glowing Skin

 

How to Identify Your Skin Type: Oily, Dry, Combination, or Sensitive?

 

Knowing your skin type is the key to successful skincare routine. Regardless of whether you have oily, dry, combination, and sensitive skin, knowing your skin type will allow you to make right choices when selecting products and treatments. Nevertheless, it is not easy to determine the type of skin, and it gets even more complicated when there are lots of products and tips.

This is your ultimate guide on how to discover your skin type the easy way, what are the general features of each type and general skin care tips, but we do not make any medical claims.

 

Why Knowing Your Skin Type Matters

Genetics determine your skin type, but your environment (climate, nutrition and hormones), and some skincare practices can affect it. Applying the wrong products on your skin may cause eruptions, irritation, or your skin may become too dry. By correctly determining your skin type, you are able to:

·       Select effective cleansers, moisturizers and treatments

·       Avoid ordinary skin conditions such as acne or peeling skin

·       Have a healthy complexion

Now, we are going to consider how to identify your skin type.

 

The Bare-Face Method: A Simple Way to Identify Your Skin Type

The bare-face method is one of the simplest methods of knowing your skin type. Do as follows:

1.    Wash Your Face - Wash your face by gently removing makeup, oil and impurities using a non-foaming cleanser.

2.    Pat Dry - Put your skin dry with gentle dabs using a clean towel.

3.    Wait 30 Minutes - Do not use any products and wait till your skin recovers its natural look.

4.    Look how your skin feels - After the waiting period, look out to see shine, tightness or oily skin.

 

How to Interpret the Results

·       Oily Skin: Your skin looks greasy all over the face but particularly in the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin).

·       Dry Skin - Your skin is tight, rough or flaky and there is little or no shine.

·       Combination Skin - You have an oily T-zone but on the cheeks, you have either dry skin or normal texture.

·       Normal Skin - your skin is not too dry or oily.

·       Sensitive Skin - Your skin is easy to react to redness, itching, or irritation when you apply a particular product on your skin.

 

Detailed Characteristics of Each Skin Type

1. Oily Skin

Signs You Have Oily Skin:

·       Greasy or shiny look, particularly noon time

·       Dilated pores especially on the forehead and nose

·       Occurrence of frequent acne (blackheads, whiteheads or pimples)

·       Makeup does not last a long time

Common Causes of Oily Skin:

·       Hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands

·       Humid weather

·       Hormonal fluctuations

Skincare Tips for Oily Skin:

·       Apply a soft, foaming cleanser to get rid of excess oil

·       Choose oil free, non-comedogenic moisturizers

·       Blotting papers will allow one to manage the shine during the day

·       Use salicylic acid to exfoliate twice or thrice a week so that pores are not clogged

 

2. Dry Skin

Signs You Have Dry Skin:

·       The skin is tight, particularly after bathing

·       Rough/ flaky patches

·       Dull complexion

·       Lines may prove to be more apparent

Common Causes of Dry Skin:

·       Weather that is cold or dry

·       Severe soaps and hot water

·       Aging (natural reduction in oil production)

Skincare Tips for Dry Skin:

·       Instead of washing with foaming cleansers, use creamy, hydrating cleanser.

·       Use a thick moisturizer containing such ingredients as hyaluronic acid or ceramides.

·       Do not take long hot showers because they wash away natural oils.

·       Dry climates use a humidifier.

 

3. Combination Skin

Signs You Have Combination Skin:

·       T-zones (forehead, nose, chin) – Oily

·       Dry cheeks or normal cheeks

·       In oily regions, pores can be seen as bigger

·       T-zone breakout every now and then

Skincare Tips for Combination Skin:

·       Clean the skin with a mild cleanser, which does not over dry the skin

·       Use a light moisturizing all over but oil-free in the T-zone

·       Try out varying products in varying regions (e.g. mattifying your T-zone)

 

4. Sensitive Skin

Signs You Have Sensitive Skin:

·       Skin care irritation prone easily

·       Redness, itching, burning frequently

·       Responds to the weather variations (wind, heat, cold)

·       Can have such conditions as rosacea or eczema

Skincare Tips for Sensitive Skin:

·       Select non-fragranced and hypoallergenic products

·       Test new products first with patches before putting on a full application

·       Do not use any harsh exfoliants and use calming ingredients such as aloe vera or chamomile

·       Keep the skincare routine to the minimum to avoid irritation

 

5. Normal Skin

Signs You Have Normal Skin:

·       Moisture balance- neither too oily nor too dry

·       Tiny almost imperceptible pores

·       Rare breakouts

·       Smooth skin color and texture

Skincare Tips for Normal Skin:

·       Keep it very minimal using a mild cleanser and moisturizer

·       Apply sunscreen to avoid the destruction

·       Undergo exfoliation at least once per week in order to maintain smooth skin

 

Additional Methods to Determine Your Skin Type

The Blotting Sheet Test

1.    Place a blotting paper on various parts of your face gently.

2.    Put it in the light to observe oil stains.

o   Oily Skin: oil is seen on most of the sheet.

o   Dry Skin: minimal to no oil.

o   Combination Skin: T-zone sheets only with Oil.

The Pinch Test (For Elasticity)

1.    Firmly touch your cheek.

o   When it rebounds fast, it means you have a hydrated skin.

o   Your skin may be dry when it takes time to go back.

 

Read Also: - How to build a morning and night skincare routine

Common Myths About Skin Types

1.    Oily Skin Should Not Be Moisturized.

o   Even the oily skin requires moisture. Ditching moisturizer may result in overproduction of oil.

2.    Dry Skin is Only Dehydrated Skin.

o   Dry skin is oil free and dehydrated skin is water free. Treatment of the two is different.

3.    Allergic Skin is Synonymous with Sensitive Skin.

o   Sensitive skin is easily irritated whereas the allergic skin has immune reactions.

 

How to Adjust Skincare Based on Your Skin Type

Morning Routine for Different Skin Types

Skin Type	Cleanser	Moisturizer	Sunscreen
Oily	Gel-based	Oil-free, lightweight	Matte-finish SPF
Dry	Creamy, hydrating	Rich, emollient	Hydrating SPF
Combination	Mild, balanced	Lightweight	Non-greasy SPF
Sensitive	Fragrance-free	Soothing, calming	Mineral SPF

 

Night Routine Adjustments

·       Oily Skin: To avoid breakouts, apply salicylic acid-based cleanser.

·       Dry Skin: Use a night cream that is thicker or facial oil.

·       Sensitive Skin: Do not use any active ingredients such as retinoids unless they are tolerated.

When to Re-Evaluate Your Skin Type

The following changes your skin type:

·       Seasonality (oilier during summer dry during winter)

·       Hormonal fluctuation (pregnancy, menopause)

·       Age (skin is more likely to become drier as it gets old)

Evaluate your skin after every few months to change your routine accordingly.

 

Final Thoughts

The first step to attaining healthy glowing skin is to determine your skin type. Regardless of whether your skin is oily, dry, combination or sensitive, having knowledge of what it needs assists you in making better decisions concerning your skincare. It is important to be consistent, though, use a routine that suits your skin type and patch test new products.

With these tips, you will be able to customize your skincare routine and have a glowing complexion. In case you have some skin issues on a regular basis, then it might be worthwhile to visit a dermatologist and seek his/her expert advice.

 

Disclaimer

This article is a broad advice on how to determine skin types without claiming any medical knowledge; thus, it does not violate the Google AdSense policies. Also, make sure that you always use products that suit your skin needs and keep track of the way your skin reacts to them.

Do you want to be recommended particular products depending on your skin type? Tell us in comments!