Do you know your perfect skincare routine based on your skin type? If you are looking to nail down exactly what your skin needs, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we will be breaking down what the main skin types are and how you can find your ideal products.
Identify Your Skin Type
The first step? Identify your skin type. Before creating an effective skincare routine, it’s important to understand what your complexion will need. Here is our super quick guide to help you identify what type of skin you may have:
- Oily Skin: Oily skin is typically characterised by excess oil production, especially in the T-zone, which includes your forehead, nose, and chin. Do you feel like you always have a shiny appearance? You could have oily skin.
- Sensitive Skin: Prone to redness, irritation, and reactions to certain products, sensitive skin may mean you have to go careful with new products as they could cause itchy or burning at times.
- Dry Skin: Dry skin is slightly different. You may notice that your skin feels tight, rough, and may have flaky patches. This is because your skin typically lacks moisture and may need extra moisturising products.
- Combination Skin: Now for combination skin: a mix of oily and dry areas. You may have an oily T-zone and dry or normal cheeks.
How To Create a Basic Skincare Routine
No matter what your skin type is, you will need a basic skincare routine which follows the basic steps; cleansing, toning, moisturising and sun protection.
- Cleansing: Removes dirt, oil, and makeup to prevent clogged pores and breakouts.
- Toning: Balances the skin’s pH and preps it for better absorption of other products.
- Moisturising: Hydrates the skin, seals in moisture, and helps maintain the skin’s barrier.
- Sun Protection: Protects against harmful UV rays, preventing premature ageing and skin damage.
How To Customise Your Routine for Your Skin Type
Now you know what your skin type is, let’s talk about customisation…
Oily Skin:
For oily skin, you will want to focus on a gentle foaming or gel cleanser. This will help to control your oil production without stripping the skin of its natural moisture. For toner, we would recommend an alcohol-free toner, with natural ingredients such as witch hazel, which can help to reduce excess oil and minimise your pores.
Moisturiser can be tricky - you may feel you don’t need to moisturise because your skin has an ample amount of hydration. However, moisturiser is still extremely important for oily complexions. Choose a moisturiser which is oil-free, such as our lightweight Hydrating Age Defying Day Cream which won’t clog your pores. Finally, sun protection - we would suggest a mattifying sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to prevent greasiness.
Dry Skin:
For dry skin, it’s all about moisturising the complexion. Cleanser, use a hydrating cleanser that gently removes impurities without drying out the skin and for a toner, look for a hydrating toner with ingredients like glycerin or hyaluronic acid to boost moisture levels. For a moisturiser, look for a rich, emollient moisturiser that replenishes and locks in moisture. Opt for a moisturising sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher that doesn’t leave a white, pasty look.
For Combination Skin:
Combination skin can be tricky - you will have to treat both the dry and the oily parts of your complexion. As an organic skincare brand, we understand the beauty of cleansers with natural ingredients. For a cleanser, go with a gentle, balancing cleanser that doesn’t dry out the cheeks or make the T-zone oilier is key. Such as our Smooth & Hydrate Cream Cleanser, it removes all traces of makeup and impurities whilst also maintaining the skin's natural pH balance and safeguards your natural equilibrium. For a toner, you will need one that directly addresses the oily areas, without drying out the rest of your complexion. Try one with niacinamide!
For moisturisers, apply a lightweight moisturiser on oily areas and a richer one on dry areas, or use a gel-based moisturiser that suits the whole face. Finally, for sunscreen, choose a broad-spectrum one that’s both lightweight and non-greasy.
For Sensitive Skin:
Organic skincare brands are great for sensitive skin. For example, a vegan cleanser is perfect as they are typically fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cleansers that are gentle and soothing. They also could include products such as those with aloe vera or chamomile. For toners, we would suggest avoiding alcohol-based toners; instead, use calming toners with ingredients like rose water or cucumber extract. We love rose water, and that’s why we use it in most of our vegan beauty products, such as our Hydrating Skin Mist. As lightweight as it is refreshing, this magical toner is here whenever you need to hydrate, nourish, calm and refresh skin throughout the day.
Now for moisturiser, which should be a soothing, fragrance-free moisturiser that helps calm inflammation and strengthens the skin’s barrier. For sun protection, use a physical (mineral) sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which is less likely to irritate sensitive skin.