What Does Your Skin Need? Easy steps to discover your skin type
Hello & welcome back to my blog page! I thought that today we would take it right back to basics and talk about what it is that your skin needs & find out what your skin type is. If you've been here before, you might have read blogs about simple steps to an easy skincare routine, the effects of lock down skin, or how to get that radiant glow. We all dream of bright, youthful looking skin - however all of our skin types are different, so the road to treating our skin should be adapted based on our skin type.
So pour yourself a cup of tea, or a glass of something nice, depending what time you're reading this post, and lets learn about how to treat your skin type.
Normal Skin
Normal skin is the dream - but most of us aren't blessed with this skin type.
If your skin experiences no sensitivity, blemishes or visible pores - this is you! I salute you! This skin type allows you to now treat, what I like to call, skin dreams (what would you like from your skin care) - rather than skin needs. Your skin is healthy and ready to go! So in terms of products, find something that will maintain healthy skin and keep it looking good! Make sure to check out my previous post about a simple skincare routine to get started!
Dehydrated Skin
If you have read any of previous posts you will see that I bang on about dehydrated skin all of the time. Dehydrated skin is a funny one, because it can effect all of us, and the way that we live our lives really affects the hydration levels. Dehydration is a lack of water in the skin, so our skin can be dehydrated and appear either as dry skin or oily skin.
Does your skin feel tight or thirsty? Does it feel like your skin drinks up moisturiser the second that apply it? Or do you find that your becomes oily throughout the day? The chances are, or you skin feels any of these signs, then its dehydrated!
Signs of Dehydration
Lack of moisturiser
Dry, tight and oily at the same time
Dull appearance
Thin lines appearing on the skin
Sensitive areas
Itchy patches
Dehydration is a temporary skin condition, so the good thing is, products really help! Dehydration can be down to too much sun exposure, too much wine or the wrong skincare products!
Dehydrated skin loves hyaluronic acid, neroli essential oil & a good serum. So look out for these things to start treating the hydration in your skin. Another piece of advice - make sure that if you feel that your skin might be dehydrated, start to treat this skincare concern first! You may look at your skin and think that you need to brighten, or start on anti aging products. However if your skin is dehydrated, these products will not preform properly, and they normally cost more! So to get healthy and youthful skin, start on those hydration products.
Dry Skin
Most people with dehydrated skin will think that their skin is dry. It feels dry and the fast absorption of products make us think that our skin is dry.
Signs of Dry Skin
Tight, small pores
Flakey areas
Red, irritated or sensitive patches.
Dry skins love anything really nourishing. So ingredients such as avocado, shea butter & our best friend, hyaluronic acid. A great way of getting nourishment into the skin is through your cleanser. Dry skins love cleansing balms, oils and creams. If you choose to use a toner, make sure it isn't anything astringent; a dry skin will not thank you!
Dry skins LOVES exfoliation. Exfoliation is the bet way to remove dry and flakey skin. So more dry skin, twice a week, get yourself an easy exfo and scrub the dryness away! If your skin is feeling sensitive, reduce the amount of times you are exfoliating.
Oily Skin
We associate oily skin with teenagers, and hormonal skin. However for some of us, oily skin is something that we don't grow out of. First piece of good news - your skin will typically stay looking younger for longer! So result!
Signs of Oily Skin
Excess sebum (the oily substance)
Blackheads
Breakouts
Large open pores
Sebum is vital for maintaining healthy skin. However an excess amount may lead to unhappy skin such as breakouts and clogged pores - which unfortunately will then lead to more breakouts. The most important thing to consider the products that you are using. Astringents are an oily skin's best friend! So find cleansing and toning options with salicylic acid, that gentle exfoliates the skin using fruit enzymes and cleans and clears the skin. In terms of those added skincare extras, get yourself an exfoliator however keep this to a minimum, such as once a week. Anymore and this will over stimulate the skin - making it OILIER!
Mask treatments are the fun part for a skin that is oily. Avoid blackhead and pore strips - these, in my opinion are far too intense for the skin. Get yourself a mud mask, that helps with excess oil production, and helps to unclog the pores. Try this once a week and see how that helps.
Combination Skin
If you gave combination skin, welcome to the club. This skin type can be a little tricky to treat because your skin can be dry in some areas (normally the cheeks) and oily in the T zone. Maybe your skin is sensitive, or maybe its dehydrated. And just to top this all off - it normally changes seasonally!
So what products do I use?
So where do you start? Don't use anything too astringent, make sure the skin is being treated for dehydration - and keep going. In the winter for example, my skin is so dry, dehydrated and dull. By using hylaronic acid or neroli essential oil serums, I found that my skin is really receptive. And come summer, I'm an oily mess! In the summer ill get a gel moisturiser, or a light cream. So the texture is super light on the skin, but the ingredients keep the skin hydrated and healthy!
I like to mix my masks up. So sometimes I will use a mud mask to ensure that my pores are clear and to help with any excess oil. But I tend to only do this a couple of times a month, or when its needed. My skin loves extra hydration, and this also helps with the oily T zone I get with my combination skin - so especially during lock down, hyaluronic acid masks have been my go to! Check out my instagram page, all about Germaine De Capuccini Hydracure Mask. I love sleep in masks. I think they are so officiant, and leave your skin so hydrated the next day.
I hope that this post has helped with identifying what your skin might be saying to you.
Remember, your skin will always be changing, whether its seasonally, through stress or hormones.
Let me know if you find any products that you've been loving!
As always, thank you for spending your time reading my posts, I really appreciate it!
Keep safe,
Rebecca Louise xo