LET'S TALK ABOUT SKIN: SKIN TYPE

by Lady Bonita November 13, 2019

Hello beautiful people! Let's talk about skin. At some point in your life, you may have asked yourself: “Why this product making my skin irritated” or “This product is not working for me”. Well, before you select a beauty product, you must identify your skin type.

But, how can you do it? If you have the means, we highly recommend going to a skin specialist.

But if you can't (for any reason), we can help you can do it yourself at home by reading the next article.

Note: Your skin type may change over time (years do not forgive) and can be affected by climate, hormones and diet, etc.

WHAT IS MY SKIN TYPE?

To determine your skin type you could choose from two possible ways:

By just observing our skin in a mirror:

Start with clean face: Remove makeup and wash off your face. Use your favorite gel cleanser, cleansing foam and cleansing oil.
Wait for at least two hours with a clean face. Your face should return to its natural state.
Observe you face in a mirror and look for the signs:

IF you see no signs of flaking or oiliness in your skin and it feels smooth and rested, your skin type is:

NORMAL
Not too dry or not too oily.
Few imperfections.
No severe sensitivity.
Barely visible pores.
A radiant complexion with skin care.

We recommend: You could use almost any formulas, no too heavy that is. Search for lightweight formulas. Just make sure to focus on maintaining your skin healthy and to resolve any spot skin problem (wrinkles, acne, etc.)

IF your skin looks oily and leaves oil in your fingers if you touch it. Also, you may still having breakouts (not just a spot pimple) and have large pores even as adult, your skin type is:

OILY
Enlarged pores.
Greasy or shiny, thick complexion.
Blackheads, pimples, or blemishes.

We recommend: You should use gel and liquid (water base) formulas. Your skin is asking for moisture, which is why it secretes natural oils; do not stop using hydrating products just because your skin looks oily. Avoid heavy formulas (you could use heavy formulas as sleep mask during the night to hydrated, just make sure you remove the mask first thing in the morning) and look for hyaluronic acid, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid or salicylic acid and "non-comedogenic"; in the ingredients list.

IF your skin feels tight and may have flaky areas. Also, you may have early visible lines or wrinkles, your skin type is:

DRY
Almost invisible pores.
Dull, rough complexion.
Red patches.
Your skin is less elastic.
More visible lines.

We recommend: Your friend best must be and all day companion is moisturizers and serums.
Because you skin is covered in a layer of dead skin cells, you should try exfoliation one day if another not (may be physical or chemical scrub) with gentle, non-abrasive ingredients to help promote skin cell without removing your skin’s natural oils. Keep it hydrated.

IF your skin feels dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, such as the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin) and it may need slightly different care in different areas, your skin type is:

COMBINATION
Pores that looks larger and blackheads in the T-zone.
Shiny or dry skin in different areas.

We recommend: To target your skin concern - oily areas with gels and liquids and dry areas with light lotions and serums.

IF your skin feels sensitive to the touch, red, irritated, or flaky at few areas or got more redness. Also, in some areas it breaks out easily then, your skin type is:

SENSITIVE
Redness or itching
Burning or dryness
Blemishes

We recommend: Try finding out what reacts to your skin so you can avoid them. A safe way is to go to your dermatologist or to first test out products in in the space between your ears and jaw. Also, try to introduce only one new formula or product at a time (skincare and cosmetics). Look for formulas that are non-irritating and non-sensitizing, free of alcohol, parabens, fragrances, mineral oil, sulfate detergents, phthalates, or any other ingredients that can result in redness and itchiness.

By using oil blotting paper:

Get oil blotting paper.
Clean your face of any makeup or dirt with your favorite skin care cleanser.
Place blotting paper on your nose, chin, cheeks and forehead (T-zone and C-zone).

If you the blotting paper get stuck to your face and see some oil on it that means you have oily skin.
If the paper is in the cheeks show just a little or no oil, and just the papers in the T-zone is oily then it’s a combination skin.
If you see no oil on the blotting paper and falls quickly off your face, then you have dry skin.
If the paper gets sunk in for a while, but then falls off, then you have normal skin type.

MORE NOTES:

Look for any signs that can determine each skin type.
Skin type is different than a skin concern. Redness, for example, is a skin concern that can appear no matter the skin type but it usually appears in sensitive skin. The same example for breakouts, though they are most common on oily skin.
For any skin type, use always sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
In summer, avoid direct sunlight, and wear a hat and sunglasses.
Try not to smoke and avoid smoke and toxic gases.
Stay hydrated.
At night, strip your skin of makeup and wash your skin gently thoroughly, then moisturize.

If you want a special topic or more information related of skin car, please let us know in the comments or any of our social media. Farewell and stay bonitas!