Knowing Your Skin Type: Is It Really Necessary for Skincare?
If you’re like most people, you’re likely familiar with skin types. You may have heard terms like “dry,” “oily,” or “combination,” but do you really need to know your specific skin type to take care of your skin? In this article, we’ll delve into the different skin types, how to determine your skin type, and whether skin types really matter when it comes to skincare.
What are Skin Types?
Skin types are categories that dermatologists often use to describe a person’s natural skin, including how active the sebaceous (oil) glands are and how reactive the skin is. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recognizes five main skin types: normal, oily, dry, combination, and sensitive.
Normal Skin: This skin type is not noticeably dry, oily, or sensitive. It produces enough sebum (skin oil) to keep the skin evenly hydrated without becoming greasy.
Oily Skin: The skin produces more sebum than necessary. It may feel greasy, look shiny, and have large pores that easily clog.
Dry Skin: The skin produces less sebum than necessary. The skin may feel tight and dry, look dull or ashy, and easily flake, itch, or develop small cracks.
Combination Skin: Some areas of the skin are dry and some oily. Typically, the “T-zone,” which includes the forehead, nose, and chin, is oily, while the cheeks are normal or dry.
Sensitive Skin: The skin is easily irritated or inflamed and may react to different products, foods, weather, and other triggers. The skin may burn, sting, or itch after applying products and may react with bumps, hives, or peeling.
How to Determine Your Skin Type
If you’re not sure about your skin type, there are a few ways to find out. First, wash your face with a mild, non-stripping cleanser. Make sure it’s not drying or exfoliating. Then, don’t apply anything else and wait for at least three hours.
Using blotting papers or tissue, tear small pieces off and try to stick them onto your forehead, nose, chin, left cheek, right cheek, left jaw, and right jaw. In the areas where the paper/tissue doesn’t stick, your skin is dry. If it sticks with only a little oil, your skin is normal. If the paper/tissue sticks and has a lot of oil on it, your skin is oily.
Next, grab a mirror and check your skin up close. Are your pores visible? Large pores indicate oily skin, while smaller pores are present on dry or normal skin. If you have a hard time finding your pores, you’re likely dry. If you notice larger pores on your nose, forehead, and chin, but smaller pores on your cheeks, you’re combination.
Finally, think back to how your skin usually feels, particularly after three hours of being bare. If it feels fine, you have normal skin. If it feels tight and itchy, it’s dry. If it’s greasy, your skin is oily. If it feels greasy in the T-zone and dry on your cheeks, your skin is combination. If you see redness, bumps, and itching, your skin may be sensitive.
Caring for Your Skin with Your Skin Type in Mind
For many years, we’ve been told to first determine our skin type and then figure out how to care for our skin. Following that logic, you would use:
– Basic products (gentle cleanser, toner, light moisturizer) for normal skin.
– Hydrating products for dry skin, while avoiding drying cleansers and toners.
– Balancing products for oily skin while avoiding those that clog pores.
– A little bit of both for combination skin.
– Clean and minimal-ingredient products for sensitive skin, particularly products that contain no fragrances or other harsh ingredients.
Does Your Skin Type Matter?
Although knowing your specific skin type can provide you with general guidelines on how to care for your skin, it can also be limiting. You may feel locked into using only certain skincare products or feel like you have to have a lengthy skincare routine to properly care for your skin.
However, we now know more about the skin than we did decades ago. We know that the environment and climate can influence how skin acts and feels. While you may have oily skin in the summer, you may become more combination in the fall and winter. Additionally, skin type naturally changes with age. Most people find that their skin turns dryer as they get older. Lifestyle and stress levels also matter. You may have been born with dry skin, but if you’re going through a stressful period, you may find your skin producing more oil and breakouts. Or if you’ve been eating a lot of junk food on the go, your skin may respond with more hyperpigmentation, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Considering all these factors, we could say that skin type doesn’t really matter. It’s more about how your skin is acting and feeling at this stage of your life, where you are right now. If you become locked into a certain routine because of your “skin type,” you may miss out on some changes that could help improve the health and appearance of your skin.
The Answer: Listen to What Your Skin Needs Now
The answer is to know your skin type, but be willing to be flexible based on what your skin needs. If your oily skin now feels tight and dry, ditch the oily-skin products and go for something more hydrating. If your normal skin suddenly starts to react to your usual products, realize that you may have developed an allergy and need to choose a clean line of products instead. Noticing more fine lines and wrinkles? Seek out moisturizing products that will help skin look more youthful. Struggling with acne breakouts? Use a clarifying cleanser, but don’t skip your moisturizer. Use one that will not clog your pores—our Rescue + Relief Spray and Calming Moisture can help!
And if you’re unsure of which way to go, try our simple line of four multipurpose CV Skinlabs products. They’re made for all skin types to nourish, restore balance and radiance, and maintain good skin health. Our solution-based formulas address a multitude of concerns, as they are intended to help tame inflammation, heal, repair, and protect the skin. They’re 100 percent free of any harsh chemicals or ingredients related to allergic reactions and contain non-comedogenic natural oils, vitamins, and extracts that give the skin what it needs to look its best.
Conclusion
In conclusion, determining your skin type can provide you with a general idea of how to care for your skin. However, it’s even more important to listen to your skin’s current needs and remain flexible in your skincare routine. If you’re not sure where to start, try CV Skinlabs’ simple, yet effective line of products made for all skin types. With no harmful ingredients, our formulas will help nourish and improve the health and appearance of your skin. So, go ahead and give CV Skinlabs a try today!
