How to find your skin type

Figuring out your skin type is the first step to find a skin care routine that is perfect for you.

Hey babes! This blogpost is the first of a series where we’ll be discussing the basics of skincare. Our goal is for you to build a skincare routine that is perfect for you. We’ll be with you every step of the way, uploading a new post every Friday so make sure you stay in toon.

And before diving into what products to use, we’ll be figuring out your skin type.

We’ve all walked into Sephora at some point, went to the skincare department, asked for something as simple as a moisturizer, only for them to slam you with the infamous: what’s your skin type? Skin can be oily, dry, dehydrated… and most of us non-dermatologists don’t know what those words entail. In this post I’m going to be teaching you why figuring out your skin type is crucial to building a healthy skin care routine and how to do it.

Why knowing your skin type is important

Because skin needs help, like it or not that’s the reality: we all need help with our skin in some way or another. Just because your skin is currently glowing with no pimples does not mean that you’ll always be safe.

Learning how to help your skin makes a huge difference. A wrong diagnosis will lead to using the kind of products that will most likely worsen your condition and waste your money (skin care ain’t cheap!).

I can only assume that, like me, you have done a Google search to find your skin type. Only to end up with a lengthy, complicated answer. Now let’s make it as simple and digestible as possible!

What is a skin type?

Your skin type refers to the hydration level of your face.

Moisture and hydration are necessary in order to have good skin. Unfortunately, our bodies often don’t work with us to get our skin as hydrated as needed. And when our skin isn’t hydrated pimples, wrinkles, dark spots and a whole bunch of other issues start to appear.

By learning which skin type you have you’ll be able to understand the best way to help your skin look and feel the healthiest.

A girl washing her face showing how to gently cleanse your skin for a perfect skin care routine.

Step 1

Use a gentle cleanser while you are in the shower.

I recommend this simple micellar facial gel, you can find it at pretty much any drugstore. It’s a good affordable gentle cleanser, and it works really well when you’re in the shower. Use a pea-sized amount, foam it up between your palms and gently lather it on your face for 30 to 45 seconds before rinsing off.

You have to let your skin rest to find your skin type.

Step 2

When you get out of the shower do not moisturize your face.

Don’t do anything to your skin at all. Just let it rest for an hour and make sure you don’t go outside or into the Sun (that will damage your skin).

A proper skin diagnosis is essential to find your skin type.

Step 3

After the hour is done, take a mirror and closely examine your skin.

You may notice a glossy layer that is almost reflective, especially in your T-zone (nose, forehead and chin) and it looks like you’ve sweat a bit. This means that you have oily skin.

If you notice that your skin feels tight and stripped, almost like there’s no hydration in your face. Or you notice some flakiness, that means you have dry skin.

In the case that certain spots are shiny while other spots feel tight then you have combination skin.

If you don’t notice any tightness nor oiliness and your skin seems to feel and look fine. Lucky you! You have normal skin. It’s considered the best skin type and requires minimal care.

Alternative method

Another way that you can find out your skin type is by looking at the size of your pores.

The bigger the pores the more active the skin is in creating oil, therefore you’re more likely to be oily and vice versa, the smaller the pores the less oil your skin is likely producing and therefore your skin is dry.

This can sometimes be helpful for people who are in really humid climates where it’s hard to tell what skin type you have because when you’re sweating all the time it’s really difficult to figure out what type of hydration your skin needs.

So besides doing the shine test, I recommend getting up and personal with your mirror to examine your pores. The bigger they are the more likely you have oily skin, and the smaller they are the more likely you have dry skin.

A closeup of a face to show pore sizes. Pore sizing will help to find your skin type. — _{^{Photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com}}

You may have heard words being thrown around like dehydrated or sensitive skin type. In my experience with skin care, those are not skin types but skin concerns. There’s a difference: you can have super oily (or really dry) skin and have to deal with sensitivity, but you can’t have a patch of skin that is simultaneously dry and oily.

Now that you know your skin type, you can find products that will work best for you.
The skincare world is open to you and knowing your skin type will make this journey easier and more affordable

How to find your skin type | Skin Care 101

Why knowing your skin type is important

What is a skin type?