The one prerequisite to building an infallible skincare routine is knowing your skin type. This step helps you employ formulas that are result-oriented and efficacious for best results. For those unaware, your skin can be broadly classified into 5 categories – normal, oily, dry, combination, and sensitive. Wondering where does your skin fall? Keep reading ahead.
What Are The Different Skin Types
Normal skin traits: Normal skin is balanced and has a uniform texture – more or less. It is neither too dry nor too oily. Moreover, folks with normal skin will notice fewer open pores and fine lines on the face.
Dry skin characteristics: At a quick glance, dry skin appears lackluster, rough, and flaky. Dryness occurs when your skin loses moisture molecules (dramatically) and often results in dehydration. It should be noted that dryness and dehydration are not the same.
Oily skin challenges: Arguably the trickiest skin type to maintain – oily skin has overactive sebaceous glands that lead to unwarranted shine, massive pores, blackheads, whiteheads, acne, and more issues.
Combination skin identification: As the name suggests, combination skin has characteristics of oily and dry skin. Usually, folks with this skin type experience stickiness around the T-zone, forehead, and chin while their cheeks stay dry. Since combination skin also has overzealous sebaceous glands (albeit around certain areas only), the skin type’s traits include enlarged pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and acne.
Sensitive skin: If your skin is prone to flare-ups, it is probably sensitive. Folks with sensitive skin may experience a burning or stinging sensation on using new formulas or treatments. A smattering of sensitive skin symptoms are dryness, redness, tightness, hives, and bleeding (in extreme cases).
How To Identify Your Skin Type?
If you’re still confused about your skin type, we recommend conducting the following tests
A) The bare face test: The bare face test is a simple yet effective way to determine your skin type. Your skin shouldn’t have any makeup or product on it. Follow these steps:
1. Use a non-drying face wash to remove dirt, grime, and other impurities from the face. Once through, use cold water to rinse.
2. After cleansing, wait 30 minutes without applying any serum, toner or moisturizer.
3. Observe how your skin feels especially around the T-zone, forehead, chin, and cheeks.
4. If you notice greasiness throughout, your skin type is oily. If your cheeks are dry and uncomfortably tight, you mostly have dry skin. Alternatively, if the oiliness is localized to the T-zone, forehead, and chin while your cheeks feel dry – your skin type is combination. Sensitive skin may feel irritated even after using a normal cleanser. Normal skin will feel the look and feel the most balanced.
B) Blotting Sheet Test: Blotting sheet test is an effective way to determine if you have oily or combination skin. Here’s how you can do it
1. Use a pH-balancing face wash to remove dirt, grime, and makeup from the pores. You need a clean and smooth base for this activity.
2. Leave your face bare for approximately 1 hour. No serum, no moisturizer whatsoever.
3. Next, press a blotting paper against your face, focusing on different areas like the T-zone, the forehead, and the chin. After studying the oil pattern on the sheet, you’re bound to reach one of the following results. If the sheet picks up little or no oil, your skin type is dry. If there is oil only along the forehead, down the nose, and around the chin, you have combination skin. If the entire sheet picks up sebum, you have oily skin.
Other Tests: Additionally, test how your skin reacts to factors like pollution, weather, and products. Case in point, oily skin may experience clogged pores, extra greasiness, and non-inflammatory acne. This may occur with new products (in the routine), seasonal changes, and exposure to never-ending pollution.
We know that combination skin has the characteristics of oily and dry skin. During drier months, people with this skin type may experience more dryness on the cheeks. Simultaneously, the oily parts may feel normal at this time. Similarly, during summer, the dry parts on combination skin may feel normal. Whereas the oily regions along the forehead, down the nose, and around the chin might feel even more oily.
Skincare Tips For Each Skin Type
Now that you have identified your skin type, use these expert-approved tips to your advantage. Alternatively, if you still lack clarity about your skin and its underlying concerns, consult with a board-certified dermatologist. Now without any further ado -
1. Dry skin
Since dry skin is prone to losing moisture, we recommend investing in potent moisturizer. A moisturizer forms a protective barrier on the skin and preserves hydration. Layer a serum with Hyaluronic Acid under this moisturizer for best results.
2. For oily skin
Start with an oil-control cleanser with Salicylic Acid or Niacinamide that doesn’t dry the skin. If you are still grappling with the shine, add a pore-minimizing serum. Once through, apply a gel-based cream to lock in the treatment. Remember, oily skin also needs sustained hydration to keep its sebaceous glands in check. Therefore, seek ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerine, Betaine, Aquaporin Boosters and other humectants in your moisturizer.
3. For combination skin
For combination skin, one must strike a balance between oil control and hydration. Seek ingredients like Niacinamide that ensure oil control while restoring your skin’s moisture bank. Steer clear of cream-based moisturizers that may clog the pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and even acne.
4. For sensitive skin
As sensitive skin is prone to flare ups, steer clear of irritants like SLS, parabens, fragrances and chemical preservatives. Ensure regular hydration to help soothe inflammation, accelerate healing, and boost barrier health.
Common Myths About Skin Types
Common misconceptions can derail efforts for good skin. To tackle this problem, we are busting some myths in this section. Keep reading -
1. You don’t need to moisturize oily skin: No, this is untrue. Every skin type needs moisturizer including oily. A good moisturizer preserves skin hydration preventing the sebaceous glands from going in overdrive mood.
2. Don’t exfoliate sensitive skin: No, this is a myth. All skin types need exfoliation. The process helps shed dead dried cells and regenerate new ones overnight.
3. Normal skin doesn’t require a routine: Absolutely false. Adhere to an exhaustive routine to shield your skin against environmental factors, free radicals, UV rays, and pollutants.
4. Dry skin is unique to winters: This is a myth. Dryness occurs when your skin loses moisture molecules atypically. A person with innately dry skin grapples with the problem all year long – not just during the colder months.
Choosing Products Based On Your Skin Type
The prerequisite for a solid skincare routine is picking the right products. That’s right. Say, if you were to use a heavy, oil cream for your oily skin, there would be no stopping the whitehead, blackheads, and acne. To avoid many such pitfalls, refer to the guide given below
How To Pick Products For Dry Skin
For dry skin, look for humectant-infused products that hydrate the skin.
1. Cleanser for dry skin: Foxtale’s Hydrating Face Wash removes dirt, grime, and other impurities from the pores while ensuring hydration. Moreover, replete with gentle surfactants, this face wash doubles as a makeup remover.
2. Serum for dry skin: Infused with 6 humectants, this serum ensures 6X hydration for the skin. Topical application of this formulation also soothes redness, softens aging lines, and expedites healing.
3. Moisturizer for dry skin: To seal this hydration for prolonged periods, use an emollient-rich moisturizer. We recommend Foxtale’s Hydrating Moisturizer. It contains super ingredient Ceramides that prevent TEWL, averts aggressors, and makes the skin soft and smooth.
4. Sunscreen: Complete your skincare routine with our Dewy Sunscreen. Infused with Niacinamide and Pro Vitamin B5, the formula hydrates the skin while ensuring infallible sun protection.
How To Pick Products For Oily Skin
Look for gentle, lightweight, oil-free formulas with ingredients like Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid, Azelaic Acid and more.
1. Cleanser for oily skin: Expel oil, grime, and other impurities from the skin with Foxtale’s Acne Control Face Wash. Salicylic Acid at the heart of this formula tackles greasiness, whiteheads, blackheads, and acne.
2. Serum for oily skin: To double down on efforts for clear skin, add an AHA/BHA infused serum to your skincare rotation. Foxtale’s Exfoliating Serum is efficacious yet gentle. Moreover, Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid ensure long-lasting skin hydration.
3. Moisturizer for oily skin: For oily skin, opt for a gel-based moisturizer that doesn’t clog the pores. We recommend Foxtale’s Oil Free Moisturizer for your vanity. It contains Niacinamide that blots oil, soothes inflammation, and ensures an even skin tone.
4. Sunscreen: Follow up with our Niacinamide-infused matte sunscreen to prevent sunburns, pigmentation, and cellular ageing.
How To Pick Products For Combination Skin
For combination skin, one needs to focus on oil control as well as hydration. Seek ingredients like Niacinamide that control sebum, prevent clogged pores, and restore skin moisture levels.
1. Cleanser for combination skin: Use Foxtale’s Acne Control Face Wash to achieve a smooth, even base. The medley of Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, and Hyaluronic Acid bodes well for both oily and dry parts.
2. Serum for combination skin: Depending on the dryness/oiliness of your skin, you can opt from our range of Niacinamide Serum, Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid, and Exfoliating Serum with AHA and BHA.
3. Moisturizer for combination skin: Try our gel-based, oil-free moisturizer to hydrate the skin without clogging the pores.’
4. Sunscreen for combination skin: Foxtale’s Ultramatte Sunscreen is the perfect fit for combination skin It regulates oil production, veils uneven texture, and blurs the appearance of pores.
How To Pick Products For Sensitive Skin
For sensitive skin, we recommend hydrating, soothing ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, D-Panthenol, Aquaporin Boosters, Centella Asiatica, and more. Here’s how you can do so-
1. Face Wash For sensitive skin: Start with the non-drying, pH-balancing Hydrating Face Wash. The formula contains Hyaluronic Acid that hydrates the skin, soothes inflammation, and boosts barrier health over time.
2. Serum for sensitive skin: To double down on efforts for healthy skin, add a thin layer of Foxtale’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Infused with 6 humectants, the formula ensures 6X hydration for the skin.
3. Moisturizer for sensitive skin: Next, use our Skin Repair Cream to lock hydration and treatment into the skin. Formulated for the sensitive skin type, this cream uses ERS (Enhance-Replenish-Seal) technology to heal and nourish the skin.
4. Sunscreen for sensitive skin: Sun protection is mandatory for all skin types including sensitive. Try Foxtale’s Dewy Sunscreen for the job. It contains D-Panthenol and Niacinamide that preserve skin hydration while averting harmful UV rays.
Why Your Skin Type Isn’t Static?
Unlike the common misconception, skin types aren’t static. They often change due to age, hormones, environmental factors, and more. Here’s how-
1. Age: As you age, the skin’s ability to produce sebum reduces significantly. This is why many folks grapple with dryness as they get old.
2. Hormones: Skin type is also affected by hormonal fluctuations.
3. Environmental factors: A gamut of factors like excess humidity or cold temperatures also impact your skin type.
Conclusion
The one prerequisite to an infallible routine is identifying your skin type. Use the bare-faced test or the blotting paper test to assess whether your skin is normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive.
FAQs
1. Can I have more than one skin type?
Yes, you can have more than one skin type. You may have grappled with oily skin in your teens but may have extremely dry skin now.
2. How often should I reassess my skin type?
You can assess your skin type as and when needed.
3. What is the best skincare routine for sensitive skin
Start with a gentle, pH-balancing face wash like Foxtale’s Hydrating Cleanser. It contains Hyaluronic Acid that hydrates and soothes the skin. Follow up with a serum to address your relevant skin concerns. Once through, lock in the treatment and hydration using our Repair Cream. Finally, lather a generous amount of the Dewy Sunscreen with D-Panthenol and Niacinamide.
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