Part 2. Am I Choosing the Right Products for My Skin Type?

Are You Identifying Your Unique Skin Type Correctly? 

The most traditional way of thinking of skin types are: Oily, Dry, Normal and Combination skin. What’s misleading about these categories, however, is that by thinking you have “oily” skin, you focus your entire regime to stripping oils, forgetting that you actually need hydration just as much as the dry skinned folks.  What’s worse is people who are acne prone automatically assume they have oily skin and over-irritate their skin, which then causes your skin to produce MORE oil because it’s compensating for the loss.  This is a very common mistake! Remember that ALL skin goes through the skin cycle from drier phases to oilier phases with different needs throughout the cycle. Yes, you may have oily skin, but your skin will need just as much restoration and hydration. Remember that it’s about finding the right oil/water balance for skin.  Moreover, all of our skins will lose moisture as we age, so everyone needs hydration- not just people with dry skin! 

Lastly, estheticians divide the skin regions by the T-zone (your forehead and nose), the U-zone (your cheeks and face up to the neck line) and the décolletage/ neck area. Combination skin suggests that one of these zones is different from the other.  For example, you might have an oily T-zone but a drier U-zone. Identifying these zones is more complex than it appears and having vastly different patches on your face suggests you may be doing something incorrectly. The best way to gauge is really by the size, shape and evenness of your pores, which is not always accurate to the naked eye. As an esthetician, I like to treat each of these areas differently, but most people don’t go into that level of detail for home beauty. 

What About People with Sensitive Skin?

This requires a whole other blog piece. The short answer is that a) everyone should be treating their skin as gently as possible and b) everyone needs to treat inflammation! Take note of the kind of allergens you react to and if your skin is showing irritation to helpful ingredients like retinol or vitamin C, you can build up to working them into your routine slowly, over time, in small increments. If you have a chronic skin condition, consult your dermatologist. As you experiment, always have a Mask Moments handy, as these masks will help relieve redness and sensitivities and soothe away irritations. 

So Now What? What’s the Best Approach for Choosing the Products for My Skincare Routine?

Instead of thinking of your skin as oily/dry/combination skin, choose targeted skin goals for yourself to build your routine. For example, you may want to target redness, uneven skin tone, blackheads, flaky skin, acne, dry skin, wrinkle prevention, firmness, etc.  Once you have products that target these skin concerns, build the rest of your around these goals. On top of your targeted goals, make sure your overall skin routine includes anti-aging and anti-inflammation goals as well. Choose the products that address these concerns and stick to it for a minimum of 30 days- give it your whole skin cycle. Change takes patience, consistency and discipline - a routine that you stick to! Results will be worth the investment! Join us on our Facebook Page (or request to be added to our private Facebook Group) and share your journey with us!

And instead of putting masking off for special occasions, build Mask Moments into your routine regularly to address inflammation and restoration. This will be the best skincare decision you make and your actions and choices WILL pay off! 

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