The best way to determine skin type is to look at your pores in the mirror. Wash your face, then take a good look at your skin. The trick is to be objective. Initially, you want to determine how clean your pores are. After washing, the superficial debris should have been rinsed away. But if you have congestion, such as blackheads, merely washing your face will not remove it.
If you still see clogged pores after cleansing, you’re emitting more oil than your pores can handle. The next question is where are these blackheads concentrated? Are they only on the forehead, nose, chin, or cheeks? Is the congestion concentrated in one area, or is it widespread in every pore on your face? After you’ve summed up how much oil you’re producing, there are several more questions you will want to answer.
- What about redness?
- Do you see many broken capillaries, and where are they located?
- Are you sensitive to almost everything you put on your skin or only certain products?
- Does your skin look flaky?
- Is it constantly peeling?
- Does your skin feel like it is tightly stretched over your face?
- How much sun exposure have you had in your lifetime?
The answers to these questions will help you understand more about your skin and what to use on it.
If you find a lot of blackheads throughout your whole face, you probably have oily skin. If the blackheads are limited to your nose, nose and chin, or nose and chin and forehead (classically known as the “T-zone”), you probably have combination or normal to oily skin. If you don’t have any blackheads anywhere on your face—maybe a few small ones on your nose, you probably have normal skin (similar to combination). If no blackheads or blemishes and your skin feels like it constantly needs moisture, you probably have true-dry skin.
Depending on the time of year, you may still need to use normal to oily products in the warmer months and normal to dry in the colder weather. However, if you have true-dry skin, you will probably need to use products for dry skin all year round. It goes without saying that if you have problem skin and especially acne, you need to be using products for oily, problem skin.
I have written many articles describing skin types along with issues concerning problem skin for this blog (and in my books). Here is a link to a page that lists all of the skin type posts to date to help you get started understanding your skin type:
For some problem solvers, see:
Depending on the time of year, you may still need to use normal to oily products in the warmer months and normal to dry in the colder weather. However, if you have true-dry skin, you will probably need to use products for dry skin all year round. It goes without saying that if you have problem skin and especially acne, you need to be using products for oily, problem skin.
I have written many articles describing skin types along with issues concerning problem skin for this blog (and in my books). Here is a link to a page that lists all of the skin type posts to date to help you get started understanding your skin type:
For some problem solvers, see:
