What's My Skin Type?

You know a daily skincare routine helps your skin look and feel its best, but how do you choose from the thousands of products that are on the market? Knowing your skin type and understanding what it means are the first steps toward choosing products that are right for you.

The American Academy of Dermatologists recognizes five primary skin types: oily, dry, normal, combination, and sensitive. Since each of these skin types has its own unique characteristics and needs, the products you use will affect your skin's health and complexion. A moisturizer meant for dry skin will be too heavy for someone with oily skin, and a face wash for someone with oily skin may be too harsh for a person with sensitive skin.

What is my skin type?

While a dermatologist or licensed esthetician are good sources to help you understand your skin, you can determine your skin type at home. Your skin type is largely based on sebum (oil) production, and can vary based on factors like genetics, humidity, stress, hormone levels--and your skin type can change over time.

Ready to identify your skin type? Here are a couple quick tests you can perform at home:

• Watch and wait: This test allows you to see how your skin behaves after cleansing. To do this, simply wash your face with a gentle cleanser, pat it dry, and wait 30 minutes. Now, take a close look at your skin in the mirror. If it's shiny all over, you most likely have oily skin. Does it feel tight, rough, or flaky? Then you probably have dry skin. If you see a shine only in your T-zone, you have combination skin. Finally, if your skin appears normal and doesn't feel dry or have a shine to it, you most likely have normal skin.

• Blotting sheet method: Blotting sheets absorb oil, so they're a useful tool to help identify your skin type! To use this method, wash and pat your face dry like you would for the watch and wait method. After 30 minutes, press a blotting sheet to various areas on your face. Hold it up to the light as you go to see any oil that's been absorbed. If the sheet has picked up a lot of oil from all over your face, you probably have oily skin. If the sheet doesn't have much oil on it, your skin is most likely dry. If you see oil on the sheet only from your T-zone, your skin is combination. If you see minimal oil from every area of your face, you have normal skin.

Your skin type, what it means, and how to care for it

Oily Skin

Oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum (based on factors like stress, hormones, environment, and genetics) and will cause your face to appear shiny and feel greasy (especially in your T-zone--forehead, nose, and chin). Excess sebum can clog your pores, so people with oily skin are prone to blackheads, large pores, and acne. But according to the American Association of Dermatologists, those with oily skin often have less wrinkles!

Caring for oily skin:

While you can't necessarily get rid of oily skin, a good skincare routine can help balance your skin's oil production. Here are a few tips on what to look for:

• Avoid products that have oil in them. Look for products that are oil-free, in cleansers and moisturizers. Gel-based or foaming face washes cleanse the skin, remove excess oil, and won't strip the skin.

• Just because your skin is producing oil doesn't mean that you can skip the moisturizer! In fact, skipping moisturizer can make the problem worse. Look for non-comedogenic gel-based moisturizers provide the moisture that oily skin needs without clogging pores.

Dry Skin

Dry skin produces less sebum than the other types. Sebum lubricates the skin and prevents moisture loss. Without that moisture, your skin probably appears flaky, dehydrated, and dull. It may feel tight and your fine lines may show more easily than with other skin types. There are many factors that can cause dry skin, but one is a compromised skin barrier. The skin barrier is what retains water in the skin, so if that's disrupted, water leaves the skin and causes dryness.

Caring for dry skin:

• Factors like hot showers that are too long or products that are abrasive or strip the skin can worsen dry skin, so be sure to watch your shower length and product ingredients.

• Start your skincare routine with a gentle cleanser, and look for products with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which are natural components of the skin barrier and help the skin retain moisture.

• Make sure to moisturize immediately after cleansing to replace the moisture that washing your face may have removed. You'll also want to look for moisturizers that are thicker in consistency (creams rather than lotions).

Combination skin

Combination skin means that some areas of your face are oily (like your T-zone) and some areas are normal or dry. This can manifest differently in every person and vary based on the time of year, stress, hormones, and more.

Caring for combination skin:

• Effective cleansing and moisturizing are key when you have oily and normal or dry patches of skin. You'll want to balance your skin as much as possible.

• If you have dry and oily combination skin, focus on the patches that are drier when you moisturize. Add more moisture to the dry areas, or consider using two different moisturizers, one on the oily areas and one on the dry patches of skin.

• If you have normal and oily combination skin, focus on the oily areas and make sure to use gel-based products so as not to clog pores.

Normal skin

Normal skin feels hydrated and comfortable. People with normal skin aren't prone to redness, acne, or shine, and have a smooth skin texture that's not usually prone to sensitivity.

Caring for normal skin

• Although people with normal skin don't usually have to address any concerns, a proper skincare routine is still important to keep your skin looking and feeling its best.

• Look for moisturizers with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to protect the skin's barrier and lock in moisture after cleansing.

Sensitive skin

This is the only type that's not determined by how much oil your skin produces. Sensitive skin is usually more vulnerable to external factors, possibly being triggered by things like pollution, fragrance, or ingredients. Your skin may look red, sting, burn, or feel irritated. Any skin type can experience sensitivity, and recent research suggests that it's associated with a compromised skin barrier.

Caring for sensitive skin

If you have sensitive skin, it's best to work with a dermatologist to determine your triggers. Once you understand what triggers your sensitivity, your dermatologist will help you build a personalized skincare routine with gentle ingredients, and can show you how to eliminate the sensitivity triggers in your daily life to prevent flareups.

What next?

If you have questions about your skin type and what products to use, give Salon Patrice a call at (815) 223-8643 or find our skincare services here. We ask about ingredient sensitivities and allergies and do a skin assessment before beginning any facial so that we can tailor our service to your skin's needs.