How can I find out my Skin Type?

Everyone has unique skin concerns but there are three broad types: oily, dry, combo skin. Oily skin requires deeper cleansing and more chemical exfoliating, dry skin requires more hydration and moisture, and combo skin needs a good balance of both. Note that people will not fall into each category very strongly. But most can tell when their skin tends toward one skin type over the other (eg: more oily than dry)

How do you figure this out? Here is a simple test.

A surefire way to know your skin type is to start your day with no skincare on and wait about 2-3 hours. As you go about your day normally, check-in to see how much sebum your skin produces. If your face is glistening slightly after just 2-3 hours, you fall into the oily skin category.

Alternatively, if you have dry patches on the sides of your face, like on your cheeks, your forehead, or chin, in addition to oiliness, it’s likely to be combination skin. Finally, if your skin feels parched, you fall into the dry skin category.

One key thing to note is that skin types can change over time.

Teenagers often have oily skin because of overactive sebaceous glands from hormonal changes in their bodies. As they grow into adults, their skin can change by either producing the same or less sebum as it did in their teen years. Similarly, pregnant women might notice a difference in their skin’s sebum production, elasticity, and more. Testing your skin type once a year is a good way to keep up with how your skin is changing over time.

Why test your skin type at all? Every skin type has different concerns. Gearing your skincare towards your skin type is incredibly effective at treating your concerns.

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