We’re not asking you to judge yourself but, we kind of are. At least on the surface.

If you’ve entered this space then you’re probably wondering - what actually is my skin type? Do yourself a favour and don’t think about all the products you’ve tried before deciphering your specific skin needs. Now that you’ve thought about it, we’re sorry.

In all fairness, it’s a learning curve. It doesn’t help that your skin type can change over time and is influenced by hormones, genetics, stress, diet, and environmental factors. Anyway, get the mirrors out.

The skin types

Dry 

Concern 

Commonly looking like it needs a large glass of water, dry skin can appear rough, textured, and scaly, often accompanied with enlarged pores and uneven skin tone. It can also be referred to as lacking a natural glow which often leads to acne that can be itchy and uncomfortable, made worse by harsh weather conditions. 

Makeup application is a task in itself. You need layers of moisturisers and primers to ensure an even, unpatchy cover. Sounds like you? You may have dry skin.

Treatment

Consider incorporating humectants into your regime such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and urea to attract and retain moisture. Botanical oils provide essential nutrients while plumping and repairing thirsty skin. Our Dryness Duo Bundle will do the job. 

Oily 

Concern

Naturally more potent in sebum production, oily skin can be a positive in terms of optimal skin condition and hydration. However, some people tend to have over productive sebaceous glands and too much sebum can lead to unwanted acne, irritation, and issues with the longevity of makeup application. Enlarged pores are also an issue here due to overactive glands.

Treatment

Ingredients that purify such as niacinamide, tea tree, azelaic acid, and salicylic acid control the production of sebum and keep the pores functioning normally. These ingredients help to balance the sebaceous glands while simultaneously brightening and exfoliating. Check out our Breakout Bundle to control oil production while also calming inflammation.

Combination 

Concern

You’ve got the best (?) of both worlds. Most likely, your cheeks and under the eyes are dry, with an annoyingly oily T-zone - making it a difficult daily task to correct your skin. This skin type can often present as having hyperpigmentation, redness, and irritation of many kinds.

Treatment

Treatment can be pretty tricky for this skin type, so it’s best to incorporate ingredients that target a range of skin issues such as vitamin A or AHAs such as lactic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid. Our Hyperpigmentation Bundle has you covered. It might seem like a task, but applying a different moisturiser to your T-zone than you would to your cheeks isn’t a bad idea. So, chuck in a lightweight moisturiser while you’re at it.

Sensitive 

Concern

Truth is, you can have sensitive skin and dry, oily, or combo. Sensitivity simply means you regularly experience flare ups and may be prone to rosacea, eczema or psoriasis. You often experience redness, irritation, and easily break out. You may notice your skin gets easily irritated throughout your day, when you step outside or don’t drink enough water - you likely have sensitive skin.

Treatment

Stay true to natural ingredients known to calm and soothe, such as tea tree, aloe vera, or cannabidiol. This skin type would do best to take caution with certain acids and actives. Or at least, introduce them once a week and slowly build over time. Our Psoriasis Duo Bundle will combat all sensitivity issues, whether you have psoriasis or not.

Normal

If any of the above descriptions don’t sound particularly true to you, you might have normal skin (what’s your secret?). Look out for the following signs:

• Most cleansers and moisturisers don’t irritate you
• Weather conditions make little to no difference to your texture 
• Your skin seldom feels tight or uncomfortable
• You don’t regularly think about or examine your skin
• Acne is a rare occurrence, with the odd blemish depending on TOM
• Your makeup lasts throughout the day

You may need less specific attention with this skin type, and a simple moisturising combo could be enough for you to achieve a glow. However, it’s not all roses and daisies as a lack of hydrating oil can lead to premature ageing. Incorporate our Anti-Ageing Duo.

How do I determine my skin type?

Go bare face for a day

Not just make up free, we mean completely bare face. No make up, moisturiser, or cleansers. If you must, just splash your face with water in the morning. While we would never usually recommend this, we can make an exception for the purpose of scientific research *bites tongue*. 

Take note of your skin first thing in the morning and again as the day goes on. Follow this general guide:

Mostly dry and textured

Naturally, our skin produces oil to compensate for a lack of hydration. If after careful examination your skin appears to have developed no visible sheen - you likely have a dry skin type and your oil glands are underproductive. Another tell tale sign is if you can see your pores very clearly and skin looks quite dull.

Overall visible sheen

As we have mentioned, your skin should develop a natural sheen throughout the day due to lack of added hydration. However, if you notice this fairly early on in the day (pretty much as you wake up) then you likely have naturally oily skin. If your skin develops a shimmer that can be felt to the touch and transfers to your fingertips, yep, welcome to the grease club.

Mostly dry with oily t-zone

Pay close attention to your nose area, forehead, and chin throughout the day. If you notice a shine, yet the rest of your face remains textured and has zero shine - you may have a combination skin type.

The blotting method

To take the bare face method even further, incorporate the blotting method to help you decipher your skin type. This method involves testing the oil content of your skin and is best done on bare face first thing in the morning or last thing at night before washing or moisturising. You can however do this test at least an hour after washing your face - if you must.

The method

1. Take a tissue paper and blot it onto the skin in stages, the nose area, the forehead, cheeks, and chin. It may be best to get a separate tissue paper for each area of the face 
2. Hold the tissue paper up to direct sunlight and examine what you can see
3. If the paper looks saturated and you can see patches, you have oily skin. If there is very little of anything on the paper, you likely have dry skin

This method works effectively to decipher if you have combination skin, as it makes it easier to see the difference between your t-zone and cheeks.

The feel test

Best done with clean hands, for obvious reasons, this method can also help you figure out your skin type.

1. Using a natural cleanser with no harsh chemicals and luke warm water, wash your face gently
2. Once dried, lightly rub your hands across your nose and cheeks
3. If your skin feels clean, smooth, and refreshed, it’s possible you have oily skin
4. Tighter, rougher feeling skin may indicate dry skin type
5. A pinch test will take this a step further. Use your thumb and index finger to pinch a small area of your cheek
6. If you notice the skin wrinkles this can indicate dry skin. 
7. If smooth and unbothered, you probably have oily skin

Still wondering? Book in with your dermatologist

If you’re finding the guessing game a bit difficult you can get a professional opinion from a dermatologist.

Due to their experience, they may be able to tell you at first glance what they believe your skin type to be. Likewise, there are specific photographic methods that they can use to conclusively determine your skin type. These can include the use of certain UV-like filters that demonstrate exactly what we need to see.

As always

Get in touch with us today if you need a little more guidance. We can help you discover a regimen specific to you. Now, that’s enough starring in the mirror for today *puts mirror down*.