How to determine your skin type

Do you know your skin type? When I ask people what their skin type is, I usually get three answers;

1) I don’t know: This category of people either have no idea there are types of skin or do not know how to identify their skin type.

2) Fair/ dark/ caramel: This is so common that it saddens me. So let us all be clear on this, how your skin appears (black, brown, white, etc) is not a type of skin. Skin color is from the quantity of melanin in your skin. Melanin is stimulated by your thyroid glands to your skin surface as a way of protecting your skin from sun damage. Skin color is 95% due to genetics and 5% due to environmental factors.

3) People who actually know their skin type and they are only a handful. I want you to be part of this group of people! Because putting any product on your skin without knowing your skin type is risky, and this is a risk i wouldn’t advise you to take.

What is skin type?

Skin type is mainly determined by the activity of your sebaceous glands. These are glands beneath the skin surface that releases “oil” to the skin surface to protect and nourish skin.
The oil, technically called SEBUM, is not always released to the skin in balance. It is sometimes over produced on an entire face, under produced on entire face, or produced more and less on different parts of the face.

NB: This article will make reference to the facial skin as it is more delicate and complex than other body parts.

Skin Types

There are four main skin types; oily, dry, combination and normal.

Oily Skin Type:

It your face is consistently greasy, shiny or simply oily, then you have an oily skin. In this type of skin, sebum is excessively produced which when left untreated, will clog your pores or cause it to enlarge.

Most oily skin are acne prone skin. This is because the sebum is creates a highly conducive environment for acne causing bacteria. This is why following a good facial care routine with the right products is necessary for a healthy skin.

Best cleanser for oily skin should contain salicylic acid for deep cleansing. The Acne free face wash is the ideal daily cleanse for oil control. It is also very important to regulate the sebum production with lightweight essential oils that mimic the sebum and eventually normalizes secretion.

Dry Skin Type:

Dry skin type is the opposite of oily skin type. The sebaceous glands tend to under-produce sebum which makes the skin dull, tight, visibly dehydrated, rough and flaky.

This skin type is easily irritated and tends to be prone to premature aging. This is because it is less elastic and has very little ability to retain moisture. Daily moisturizing is required keep it healthy and plump.

Rebloom face cream and face wash are rich in shea butter, glycerin and honey, which helps moisturize and smoothen fine lines and wrinkles. If you have a very dry skin on your body, the intense repair lotion will be your best choice.

Combination Skin Type:

With combination skin type, the sebum is produced excessively on one part of the face and too little on other parts of the face. The T-zone; which is the area across the forehead, down through the nose to the chin, exhibits the nature of oily skin while the areas around the cheeks and temples show signs of dry skin.

Fluctuation in texture and feel occurs during periods of stress, hormonal or weather changes. With the right products, combination skin type can be easily regulated to a more balanced sebum secretion.

Ultra posh Niacinamide and zinc serum with the Acne free face wash are two great products for combination skin.

Normal Skin Type:

The Normal skin type has a perfectly balanced sebum secretion. Skin is neither too dry nor too oily. It has a usual look of radiance, soft and clean with little to no blemishes.

No special care is needed for this skin type, however daily cleaning and moisturizing is encouraged to combat environmental impact on skin.

Use the Rebloom face cream and face wash for daily routine.

BONUS: Sensitive Skin Type

Sensitive skin type is another category of skin type. Skin sensitivity can occur in any of the other skin types, except normal skin type. It is more of a skin condition whose characteristics has got little to not connection to the about of sebum released to the skin surface. Find out more about this unique skin condition here.

Why is it important to know your skin type?

Skin type determines how healthy or prone a person’s skin is to blemishes. If you know your skin type, you will be able to choose the right ingredients and products for your skincare to prevent and/or treat blemishes.

These two methods are the easiest ways to identify your skin type;

A. “Blotting Sheets” method

1. After washing your face with a gentle cleanser, pat it dry and wait for 30 minutes
2. Press blotting sheets to various areas of your face and check the results.
3. If the sheets soaked up oil from all areas of your face, you have an oily skin.
4. If they absorb little to no oil, then you probably have dry skin.
5. If the sheets show only a small amount of oil from your T-zone, you have combination skin
6. If you only see minimal oil from every area of your face, you most likely have normal skin

B. “Watch and Wait” method

1. To start, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then gently pat it dry.
2. Wait 30 minutes.
3. If your skin appears shiny throughout, you likely have oily skin.
4. If it feels tight and is flaky or scaly, you likely have dry skin.
5. If the shine is only in your T-zone, you probably have combination skin.
6. If your skin feels hydrated and comfortable, but not oily, you likely have normal skin.

Has this article been helpful? Were you able to implement the methods easily? Contact Nyon Derma and let us help you with choosing the right products for your skin type and condition.