To take care of your skin, you need a skin routine that works. Keeping your skin’s needs and special concerns in mind, your skincare routine would include products that work in a unique manner for you. Before you create a skincare routine that works for your skin and lifestyle, the most important factor to consider is your skin type. Knowing what skin type you have will help you sort through the masses of products and treatments to find the right fit for you. If you're a bit lost in terms of which skin type category you fall under, don't worry — most people don’t accurately know their skin type either. Skin Virtue is here to help point you in the right direction so that you're using the correct products for your skin.
For this blog, Skin Virtue experts share their advice on how to best figure out each individual's skin type. Now you can find the best skincare routine for your skin’s ‘personality’. Read below to discover your real skin type.
What are skin types?
Every person’s skin is unique, and factors like genetics play a huge role in determining the type of skin you have. Your skin type is genetically determined, therefore, you are born with it and it relates to how much sebum your sebaceous glands produce. But even though everyone's skin is unique there are still a few common skin concerns many of us share. Often these are what help us to identify what kind of category your skin falls into. Most of us have heard about the common skin types such as normal, combination, oily, dry and sensitive.
The phrase ‘normal skin’ is thrown around a lot, but experts not only say that ‘normal skin’ is rare, but it doesn’t technically exist at all. When we spoke to the team at Skin Virtue about this, they said that there is no true normal skin.
To try and minimise the confusion we have decided to break down the definitive signs of our most common skin types to make finding the right skincare products easier for you:
1. Normal skin
When it comes to ‘normal skin’, or what is considered ‘normal skin’, our experts explain that this is usually characterised as skin that is well-balanced and more resilient. However, normal skin can still come with its downsides. It can often become dry, especially when not adequately nourished, which can lead to premature ageing. Skin Virtue has some amazing products for those experiencing the first signs of ageing, and one of our favourites is the Future Advanced Multi-Active. It’s an excellent face cream that can relieve the stressors of stress, pollution and oxidative damage.
2. Combination skin
Combination skin, or what is considered to be combination skin is in most cases oily and dehydrated skin that needs more nourishment and hydration. Combination skin is usually a case of an oilier skin type that has been over-treated with harsh active ingredients or over washed, which in turn has stripped and compromised the skin barrier resulting in dehydration. This leaves the skin feeling parched in certain areas and oily in others. So, suppose you have a history of oily skin in the past. In that case, your previous skincare routine may have contributed to the current climate of your skin, so it might be time to try some products from our collections, and we recommend the Future Advanced Radiance Serum in particular for this! It provides deep hydration and protection to your skin.
3. Oily skin
If your skin gets progressively shinier as the day goes on and you’re prone to breakouts and enlarged pores – you have oily skin. According to our experts, oily skin types often have overactive sebaceous glands that overproduce sebum, but the degree of oiliness and severity varies between individuals. Our experts believe that the best way to treat oily skin is to incorporate products with ingredients that regulate oil production. Gentle and non-drying skincare products (that also keep combination skin at bay) with purifying and clarifying properties. Our first recommendation for this skin type would be our Super Clear Essential Cream. It is a face cream that is meant to nourish your skin, giving you a radiant glow.
4. Dry skin
If you experience tight skin and rough patches, then you have dry skin. Drier skin types have underactive sebaceous glands that don't produce enough sebum to protect and hydrate the skin. Drier skin types are usually characterised by a lack of moisture in the epidermis and an inability to retain moisture. Skin can feel dry to the touch and have a dull, rough, and scaly appearance. This type of skin means you can often feel uncomfortable.
If this sounds familiar, the best way to treat dry skin is to include high-quality lipids that help to strengthen the skin barrier function. : Lipid rich formulations help your skin to retain moisture and hold onto hydration for longer, they help to reduce transepidermal water loss or TEWL. For this skin type, we recommend you bulk up on moisture-boosting products like our Pure Nourish Moisturising Cream and steer clear of specific products that can lead to dryness. This face cream includes all the essential ingredients you need to take care of dry skin.
5. Sensitive skin
While sensitive skin is not technically considered a skin type, it is a concern that any skin type can experience, so it’s worth knowing some of the common signs. Sensitive skin is one that is compromised. It is highly sensitised and reactive skin that is unable to protect itself from irritants.
Sensitive skin is often caused by prolonged use of harsh ingredients that have stripped the skin barrier and aggravated the skin or by direct contact with an irritating substance, leading to an allergic or adverse reaction. If this sounds like you, then gentle products that soothe and strengthen the skin are suggested. Use a mild face cream in the morning and night to rejuvenate your skin.
How to determine your skin type?
If you're still a little unsure what skin type you fall into, there are a few more steps you can follow to help determine this. Speaking with a dermatologist is a great way to learn more about your skin from a qualified professional. Your dermatologist can also guide you towards the right ingredients for your skin type.If you want to figure out your skin type at home, you can try the blotting paper method. Gently dab the blotting paper onto clean skin. Based on the amount of residue, you can figure out your skin type. Little to no oil indicates dry skin; if your paper is super shiny that suggests oily skin.
While figuring out your skin type, it is important to keep in mind that your skin can change over time due to dietary or hormonal changes.
How do I know which products are right for my skin type?
Now that you’ve figured out your skin type, you only need to select a skincare routine that’s going to help tackle your common skin concerns. Skin Virtue makes this easy with our skincare collection designed for each skin type. Our experts have developed an approach to identifying skin types and simply finding the correct products to use.
Skin Virtue has three collections developed to address your skin concerns based on your skin type:
- Balanced to dry skin: Pure Nourish Collection
- Balanced to oily skin: Super Clear Collection
- Skin concerns for all skin types: Future Advanced Treatment Collection
Finding the perfect skincare routine for your unique skin doesn't need to be complicated. Based on your skin type, you'll be able to determine which collection is best for you. Using our routine builder, you can build your personalised clinic-tested skincare routine. Experts built our routine builder to give you the best advice and simplify your skincare journey. The routine builder will give you a step-by-step process to follow using the right products for you. Skin Virtue has worked hard to develop a process to suit all skin types and make your experience of discovering your perfect skincare routine easy. Shop our entire range via our website to purchase individual products based on your needs or a complete bundle!
Build Your Personalised Skincare Routine
Please share your views with us at skincare@skinvirtue.com
Gary Williams, Author. Bio