I wanted to make a post about the importance of knowing what skin type you have. It's a major issue for me to go onto YouTube and see girls talking about their skin and what they are using on their skin when in reality they don't even know what kind of skin type they have and they really shouldn't be telling other girls how to take care of their skin when they aren't taking the right steps to take care of their own skin.
There are three major skin types: normal, oily and dry.
Normal Skin:
If you have normal skin then you have a balance of oil in just your t-zone and your pores are only noticeable in your t-zone. You also tend to never breakout and you are considered to be very lucky because you just have such nice skin (I'm definitely jealous I can't have a normal skin tone). If you ever do suffer from a few breakouts they are mostly caused by stress or hormonal acne caused by your period. In the summer months your skin can possibly be more oily since you are sweating a lot and I recommend that you don't use a lot of hydrating products since your skin is already producing more oil. In the winter it can appear a little more dry because there is less moisture in the air. I recommend using more hydrating masks and moisturizers in the cold months. Also always remember to drink water! Water is a very important step in keeping your skin healthy and clean.
Oily Skin:
If you suffer from oily skin then you have large pores all over your face. You tend to break out frequently all over your face, neck, back and chest and your skin produces more oil all over instead of just the t-zone. You can also suffer from cystic acne and a lot of blackheads. It's not the best having oily skin, but you can definitely take care of it so you don't deal with as many breakouts and sometimes to the point where you might only breakout around your period! To keep control of your oily skin I recommend you really try a cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day. It's hard to remember to do both but if you do you will totally see a difference, I personally know. You'll probably break out more in the summer, so keep things light on your skin. No heavy cleaners, moisturizers and use a foundation that is light, like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. In the cooler months you might be drier, so try to hydrate a bit with just a hydrating mask every other day.
Dry Skin:
Dry skin is tricky. A lot of people think they have dry skin because they have dry patches. That is not the case. Dry skin is categorized as very tiny pores. You rarely breakout and your skin has a very low production of sebum (oil). I feel like not a lot of people have dry skin, but you will know if you actually have dry skin. It's very easy to see. To take care of dry skin you just have to drink a lot of water and use a lot of hydrating products. I would recommend something with hyaluronic acid in it. Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant (moisture-binding ingredient) that keeps your skin hydrated and plump. Very good to use in a serum under a really hydrating moisturizer.
Note: Combination skin isn't really something that is real when figuring out someone's skin type according to what I learned in school. I have yet to find someone with combination skin and I know a lot of people who say they have combination skin and maybe they do, but on all the clients I have given facials to I haven't seen any combination skin. I know tons of people who say or have said they have oily skin and dry skin. There is no possible way you can have oily and dry skin. If you have oily skin and have dry patches it is because you aren't drinking enough water and your skin is dehydrated. Dry patches does not classify dry skin and the reason oily skin is called oily skin is because your skin has an overproduction of sebum in it, it can't be dry, but it can be dehydrated. Remember to drink water. If you drink water I promise you won't see dry patches anymore.
Steps to keep your skin clear (for any skin type):
- Cleanse - Everyone knows they at least need to cleanse their skin, even if it's just when they take a shower (although you should be cleansing your skin every morning and every night). You don't really need to look for a specific cleanser. I'd really recommend Purity by Philosophy. It's a very light, creamy cleanser that smells nice and is super gentle. It won't leave your skin feeling tight or stripped, but clean and fresh. Any crème cleanser would be best for any skin type since it's gentle, but Purity is just one that I truly love and think is absolutely fantastic. You can find Philosophy at Sephora, Ulta or their online store.
- Tone - ALWAYS TONE YOUR SKIN AFTER CLEANSING!!! Toning is such an essential step to keep your skin clean and healthy! Again, you don't need to go out there looking for a specific toner. All you need to look for is something that will be gentle. If you suffer from any kind of sensitivity, like redness in your cheeks then go for something with lavender, aloe or rose in it. I recommend the brand Thayers. It's an alcohol free toner and comes in many different scents like rose petal, lavender, unscented, original, medicated, lemon, cucumber, peach, etc, and each bottle has an aloe vera formula so no matter what kind you get it will be soothing to your skin.You can find this brand at Whole Foods or their website.
- Serum - You don't need to use a serum to have good skin, but they do help. I swear by any serum that has vitamin c in it. Vitamin C is an incredible thing to have for your skin. It is an amazing thing to put on your skin because it helps brighten your complexion, fight dark spots and even out your skin tone. It is also an antioxidant that helps your body fight off free radicals. Like I said earlier you should use a hyaluronic acid based serum if you have dry skin.
- Moisturizers - I loooove to moisturize my skin. I can't go to sleep unless I have moisturized my skin. Moisturizers are so amazing for your skin because they help keep your skin hydrated and especially having a good one on while you sleep is going to make a huge difference. When you sleep your skin is working overtime. It is turning over cells and fighting off day the day. I love my moisturizers from Lush and Philosophy. I use Skin Drink from Lush and it's still my holy grail moisturizer. I recommend it for anyone who needs a little more hydration in their life. It is amazing for dry skin and great in the cold months. I recently switched over to using Philosophy moisturizers because I wanted to try something new. I use their oxygenating Take A Deep Breath moisturizer for the daytime and then their Hope In A Jar nighttime moisturizer for when I go to sleep. They are amazing moisturizers but I still love my Lush one. I recommend that you get it because it doesn't matter what skin type you have you can benefit from using it. Just don't wear it under your makeup because it is a bit thicker.
Thanks for reading!!!
Lindsey
