How to correctly identify your skin type

Recognizing your skin type is the first step in building a proper and realistic beauty routine. Without knowing your skin type, chances are your skin care routine and the products in it, aren't producing the effects you're expecting.

There are ONLY 4 skin types: oily, dry, normal and combination.

Sensitive skin, acne and eczema, contrary to the internet, are not skin types but skin concerns. It's how reactive the skin is to certain environmental changes, foods, chemicals, treatments and compounds, and even to genetic predisposition.

NORMAL SKIN

It's a well balanced type of skin that doesn't feel oily nor dry. The texture is smooth and silky all over the face, pores are usually small in size, skin is very elastic. It isn't prone to acne breakouts, flakiness or feeling tight.

OILY SKIN

Chances are you've been told you have oily skin because your T zone is oily. That assessment however is not correct. Oily skins present an excess of sebum (oil) production consistently all over the face, neck and even chest and back. Enlarged pores and the presence of acne breakouts and blemished skin are typical tattle tales of this skin type, however not all oily skins present acne. This skin feels elastic and thick.

DRY SKIN

This skin is typically dull and very thin. It can become flaky and even scaly very quickly. It feels tight and not very elastic, and the pores are usually very small. It's prone to develop fine lines and wrinkles at an early age compared to the previous two. It can become itchy or irritated. Extreme heat, cold and sun can make this skin very angry.

COMBINATION SKIN

Combination skin, as its name implies, combines any two or all three skin types above in various segments of the face:

Oily skin areas — usually what's known as the the T zone, (forehead, nose and chin).
Dry skin areas — usually lower jaw from the mouth all the way to the ears.
Normal skin areas — usually cheeks.

Combination skin is the most common skin type and it's often confused with oily skin.

What's your skin type? Let us know in the comments below or engage with us on Instagram.