How to choose the right products for your skincare routine can be intimidating and sometimes you just end up buying whatever is in the ads or the first thing you see at the beauty store. Or you completely turn your head away because they are just toooo many!
The first and most important thing is for you to know what skin type you have. You cannot use oil-control cleansers to your dry skin. It won’t help or worse, it will irritate your skin. Do a skin type test and the rest will follow.
Dry Skin
Is your skin tight, flaky and sometimes uncomfortable sometimes to the point the it cracks, peels or become itchy? If your answer is a loud YES, then welcome to the Dry Skin Club! Having a dry skin means your skin is under-producing natural oil (a.k.a. sebum), which plays a major role in keeping your skin hydrated and supple.
There are a lot of reasons why your skin is on a dry spell. Here are some of them:
- Your genes
- Aging
- Your skin’s reaction to the change of weather
- Overexposure to UV
- Long hot baths and showers
- Ingredients from your skincare products
Dry Skin Don’ts
Dry skin needs to be moisturized all the time, which means avoiding these products:
- Foaming cleansers - if it foams, even just a little bit, it is too harsh for your skin.
- Clay or charcoal masks - they will remove the remaining natural oil your skin produces.
- Products high in alcohol - always choose the alcohol-free option.
Dry Skin Dos
Use hydrating and skin-protecting products like these:
- Gentle clean cleansers
- Lactic acid - it helps give you a brighter, smoother, more hydrated skin by gently eliminating dead skin cells over time.
- Thick moisturizing creams
- Rich facial oils
Oily Skin
Overproducing sebum leads to oily skin. Though it is actually an advantage in keeping your face looking younger because it lessens your wrinkles, it also has a major drawback. Aside from looking and feeling oily almost all of the time, oily skin is more prone to acne, clogged pores, blackheads and other blemishes.
Oiliness can be caused or worsened by these factors:
- Too much heat or humidity
- Puberty
- Stress
Oily Skin Don’ts
Since your skin is already producing too much natural oil, you might want to skip these:
- Heavy facial oils
- Thick, oil-based creams
- Harsh scrubs - they’ll strip your skin, causing it to produce even more oil to compensate
Oily Skin Dos
- Water-based serums
- Light-weight gel moisturizers
- Salicylic acid products - works as an overall anti-acne treatment
- Mattifying powders
- Oil-blotting sheets
Combination Skin
Isn’t it frustrating when you look at yourself in the mirror and see some parts to be oily and some are too dry? It makes choosing the right product for your skin (as if it isn’t already confusing from the gazillion of products we have now). The trick is to use different products targeting each problem are with the correct product. Your routine may be more tedious but it will definitely pay off as long as you do it religiously.
Combination Skin Don’ts
Avoid products that have harsh chemicals which are bad for both oily and dry skin types.
- Harsh foaming cleansers - it will irritate your dehydrated bits no matter what skin type you have.
- Rich, heavy moisturizes - it will clog your T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin)
- Clay masks or oil-sucking formulas - they will destroy your dry patches.
Combination Skin Dos
Stick with products that are more neutral ahd have gentle formulas. Then spot-treat your dry and oily patches with concern-specific products.
- Gentle cleansers
- Light-weight lotions - for overall hydration
- Thick, rich moisturizers - layer on your dry spots
Normal Skin
Your skin is neither too oily or too dry, you have zero to few imperfections, barely visible pores and a radiant complexion, then Congratulations! You are one of the 10 lucky winners of having a perfect normal skin! But hey, no matter how impeccable your skin is, you cannot avoid aging, the weather and other environmental factors.
Normal Skin Don’ts
Since your skin is already as you want it to be, you don’t need products that can damage it.
- Harsh cleansers and scrubs - it can damage your skin barrier
- Excessively drying products - like at-home chemical peels or high-percentage acne treatments
Normal Skin Dos
Pick products that can prevent future skin problems like aging, dullness or redness.
- Retinoids - for fine lines and wrinkles
- Glycolic acids - for dark spots and dullness
- Skin-calmers - for redness and discoloration
Now that you know which type of skin you have, it is now time to choose the perfect products and start your skincare routine the right way!