Determining Your Skin Type

If you are a person who puts forth any kind of attention into your face at some point during your day, then I believe you should take three minutes to read this post. It is CRUCIAL, let me repeat myself, CRUCIAL, that one knows their skin type. It will safe you a lot of extra stress and money. You could be currently buying the wrong face wash, primer, foundation, moisturizer, or acne system.  One needs to be aware of your skin type and what it needs and wants. Believe me, you want to keep your skin happy! Your face is the first thing someone notices and if not treated with tender loving care it can prematurely age and show damage... 

Before we begin the "testing" let's clean our face. Now, I don't want you to walk into the bathroom and just do your normal face wash routine. Reason being, sometimes our normal washes are either the wrong cleanser for our skin or they have added oils in them. The whole point of testing is to determine the amount of oil your skin secrets naturally. If you cleanse with added oil, your test will not be an acurate reading of your skin type. In other words, I recommend that you wash your face with a non-moisturizing soap. There are a lot of brands that make such a product, but I have had the best luck and recommend Neutrogena's Facial Cleansing Bar: 

This soap not only does the job but is readily available and is Cheap with a capital C. It costs $2.99 at my local drugstore. Another tip... pat your face dry with a towel. Please do not pull on your face when you dry it. It is completely unnecessary and patting your face gets it just as dry...

Next you will need some rice/blotting papers. Again, I reccomend the Neutrogena brand, however I know that Clean & Clear makes some blotting papers and Palladio makes stellar rice paper as well. 

Take your papers and press them on different spots on your face taking note to where the paper absorbs oils or sticks. Make sure to check your T-Zone area, as that tends to be the most common place to find oils naturally secreted by your skin. 

Now that we have results, let's apply them to 5 simple definitions to find the type of skin that best describes you.  

Five Skin Types

1. Oily Skin: If you have enlarged pores, shiny skin, and are prone to blackhead/blemishes. Your papers would have shown oil from your entire face.
2. Combination/Normal Skin: If you have medium pores, smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks and may be oily in the T-Zone. 70% of women have this type. This is where my skin stands currently mainly because my T-Zone is indeed oily when I test it and my cheeks do get dry (especially in the winter).
3. Sensitive Skin: If you have thin, delicate, fine pores, you flush easily, prone to broken capillaries, frequently allergic and can be rashy. .
4. Dry Skin: If your skin feels tight, especially after cleansing, has fine wrinkles, flaking, or red patches. If you are a woman of color and you have dry skin your skin may appear ashy or dull. You would have had dry blotting papers with little to no traces of oil on them. 
5. Sun Damaged/Aging Skin: If your skin feels tight, visible wrinkles, slack skin tone, leathery texture, and  have broken capillaries. 

Hope this helps all you beauties become one with your skin! Let me know how it goes! If you have any questions, just give me a shout!

Stay Smart, Stay Beautiful

♥ Danielle