For cosmetic and beauty regimens, personalization is key. Especially when it comes to your largest and most important organ — your skin.
Your beautiful face is unique and requires unique care. Even if you buy nice products, it won’t do any good if they don’t suit your individual skin type.
You may be wondering, “how do I know my skin type?”
Keep reading to find out what the different skin types are and how to do a skin type test. Then, you can treat yourself properly.
1. Learn the Different Skin Types
To know what skin type you have, you first need to know the differences between the 5 skin type categories.
All skin types are beautiful and normal. And, there’s a skincare routine that can accommodate your personal needs.
Normal Skin
Normal skin is considered well-balanced. It doesn’t accumulate too much oil and isn’t excessively dry.
Breakouts don’t occur often and your skin doesn’t have a reaction to new products or seasonal changes.
In general, normal skin has small pores, few blemishes, and a balanced texture.
Even if you have normal skin, you may have mature skin, meaning you notice normal signs of aging.
This includes dark spots, dullness, dehydration, sagging, or wrinkles.
Don’t worry, queen! This is normal and nothing a few tips can’t handle.
Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, you’ve probably already noticed. You may have excessive shininess through your t-zone (chin, forehead, and nose).
Because of this, your sebaceous glands (AKA oil glands) become clogged, resulting in blemishes.
Perhaps you haven’t directly realized you have oily skin, but you’ve noticed you wipe your face a lot and that makeup doesn’t stay put where you want it to.
This means you probably have oily skin.
Dry Skin
On the flip side, you may feel like your skin lacks oil.
This manifests in flakiness, itchiness, redness, or roughness.
As a result, your skin being dry may cause lines to become more noticeable on your face due to the lack of elasticity.
If your dry skin suffers a little extra during winter months, don’t worry — we got you.
Combination Skin
The name sounds like what it is — a combination of oily and dry skin.
Combination skin tends to happen with oily t-zones and the rest of the face is dry.
This category may require a mixed skincare routine, focusing on drying out some areas and remoisturizing others.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin tends to have a hard time with new products and seasonal changes.
It may not look sensitive, but if it feels uncomfortable a lot of the time, it is.
If it looks sensitive, there will be visible bumps, dryness, or redness. Sensitive skin can happen because of allergies, genetics, or other unknown factors.
If you have sensitive skin, make sure to test products on your wrist before using them — and always look for ones specifically for sensitive skin.
2. First Skin Type Test: Go Naked
Now that you know the different skin types, it’s time to go naked (well, time for your face to go naked).
Take off all makeup and products by washing your face with a gentle cleanser.
Try to refrain from touching it for 30 minutes. After the time is up, check your skin in a mirror to see how it looks. Set another timer for 30 more minutes and check again.
You should be able to tell the general category of your face after learning the differences and doing this test.
3. Blot It Out
In addition to the last test, use the blotting test to assure you know what you’re working with.
Take a clean blotting sheet and press it gently against your face in different spots. If you’re testing for oily skin, do it everywhere. If you’re testing for combination, do your t-zone with one section of the blotter and then a separate section for your cheeks.
Then, put it underneath a light source to see how much oil is on the cloth.
Customize Your Care
Now that you know how to do a skin type test, you can customize your care.
Browse our face collections with confidence and keep reading our blog for more beauty tips.