Skin Deep: An Effective Way to Find Your Skin Type

Back in freshman year of high school, having an early interest in beauty, a friend and I would usually buy the same products with the same brands (and even have the same sized bottles!) ranging from cleansers to moisturizers. While using these products, I found that some of them really worked well on me. My friend, however, complained that she had frequent breakouts and assumed that the products might have had something to do with it. She then decided to stop using them, and then eventually the breakouts reduced.

Years later, I realized that my friend's skin type was way different from mine. This purely unintentional self experiment during our adolescent years has led me into thinking about the importance of determining one's skin type.

As most of us know, each individual has his own skin type. You don't need rocket science to discover what kind of skin you have. Here are some steps that will hopefully be able to help you in discovering your skin type:

1. Make sure that you have removed any traces of make up.
Wash your face using a mild cleanser, rinse it and pat dry.

2. Wait for an hour and don't touch your face (take note if your skin feels tight). Your skin will reveal its natural characteristics at this point.

3. Using a tissue, dab your face on the following areas (use one for each area): chin, center of the cheeks, outer cheeks, center of your forehead, outer forehead and the nose.

4. Determine your skin type by the following

Normal: When there's no oily or flaky residue on the skinr
Oily: When oil is absorbed in each tissue

Dry: When there is flaky skin with no oil (a tight feeling indicates dry skin as well)

Combination: Oil is absorbed on some of the tissues, particularly in the T-Zone

5. Note what kind of problems that your skin might have (Is it prone to breakouts? Does it get red all the time?).

Take note that there are many factors that contribute to your skin condition. Lifestyle, hormonal changes, age, diet and stress can definitely affect it. People who have sensitive skin (skin that sometimes appear red and tends to get easily irritated), are advised not to try products on a whim. As for people who have acne prone skin, it is recommended that they should try out different acne products. For any conce
s, it is always best to consult your nearest dermatologist in order to determine which products can be best suited for your skin type.