How to Know What Skin Type You Are?
Where to start with skincare? During my career as a beauty therapist, and now with Seven Islands Skincare, I'm all about keeping things simple. Let's go through the four main skin types and characteristics and how I'd recommend looking after your skin.
Not sure what your skin type is? Not to worry.... read through all four below and you'll find one that resonates with you. You'd be surprised how many people I speak to at the markets who have no idea what their skin type is, yet it only takes a quick look and a couple of questions and we're done!
Skin Types Conditions and Characteristics
Normal Skin
Normal skin is generally characterised by no main skin concerns and is well balanced. There is neither a dry or an oily feel to the skin. Skin will most likely have a nice smooth surface with fine pores and little-to-no blemishes.
I recommend a simple skincare routine focussed on maintaining the equilibrium you already have. You'll be looking for nourishing moisturisers that aren't too heavy, and milky cleansers. If, however, you love foaming gel cleansers, you can probably get away with it as long as you keep your skin hydrated and nourished with your moisturiser.
Exfoliating once or twice a week is also recommended to keep your skin in tip top shape. We'd all love a 'normal' skin type – not only is it the easiest to live with, it can also save money by not requiring extra skin treatments.
That's not to say you'll escape the ageing process, never knock back an eye cream or some extra anti-oxidants to help skin remain youthful! When looking for a moisturiser, our Hydrate and Renew would be perfect with it's blend of cedarwood, rose and neroli.
Dry Skin
Dry skin will produce less oil than other skin types. This means that skin can lose moisture more easily and often feel dry and/or tight. Dry skin may have areas of flakiness and usually has fine to very fine pores.
I recommend using nourishing skin care enriched with oils and skin actives to help your skin stay hydrated. Avoid gel or foaming cleansers as these may further dry out the skin. I recommend milky cream cleansers or you may also prefer an oil cleansing routine.
Exfoliate at least once or twice a week so that your moisturisers can penetrate straight into your skin allowing the active ingredients to work their magic. When looking for moisturisers, you'll love our Hydrate and Renew as it's enriched with rose, pomegranate and olive oil to keep your skin nourished and youthful.
Also try to resist the temptation of long hot showers or baths as these can further dry out the skin. Look for make up that is designed for dry skin so that you don't undo all your beautiful skin treatments by using something that will dry your skin out or settle into any fine lines or dry patches.
Oily skin
Oily skin will have an oily/glossy shine throughout the day due to excess oil production. This skin type can sometimes be characterised by dilated pores, blackheads and/or pimples.
I recommend not falling into the trap of wanting your skin to be stripped of all it's oils so it feels tight and clean. The skin is a very clever organ – if you strip it of it's nourishing, natural oils, don't be surprised if it overcompensates by producing more oil... the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve.
While gel cleansers can give you the squeaky clean feeling you're probably after, discontinue use if it's causing your skin to feel 'stripped' or too tight or if you find you are just not keeping your oiliness under control.
Oil cleansing might seem like madness, but remember that 'like dissolves like' which means it could just be just what you need to dissolve your surface oils without causing excess oil production by stripping the skin. If oil cleansing works for you, always remember to remove thoroughly with a face washer or flannel for example.
You'll need to keep your skin moisturised with something light and non-clogging or heavy. Seven Islands Harmony and Balance is perfect for oily skin. Neroli helps to balance while macadamia moisturises without clogging. Combined with a spritz of the hydrating mist for an extra water-based hydration boost and to help your moisturiser go further (think hot sweaty Summer days for example)... and you're good to go!
Combination skin
This skin type is generally characterised by oily t-zone or patches, yet other areas of the skin, such as cheeks may be normal with no concern. There may also be dry patches with a combination skin type too. This skin type may not appear shiny in the early parts of the day but will almost always be shiny by the end of the day.
You could benefit from oil cleansing, milky or lotion cleansers. I would not recommend anything too foamy or a gel that could be drying because you'll run the risk of your dry patches getting drier, and your oily patches getting oilier.
When moisturising, our Harmony and Balance is great for combination skin because it's hydrating, yet light. Simply add an extra dollop in drier areas needing a little extra TLC. You could also benefit from a spritz of the hydrating mist for water based hydration keeping your skin hydrated without adding oil.
But what if your skin is sensitive?
If you read the four above, and thought, "But my skin is sensitive!"... sensitive skin will still fall into one of the four categories above. Your skin can be dry/sensitive, oily/sensitive, normal/sensitive, and combination/sensitive. All my products are suitable for sensitive skin, so we'd treat as per one of the four above!
If you have any questions about skin types and characteristics including identifying which category you fit into please reach out, I'll be happy to help you.
Australian made, all natural skin care that is safe, paraben-free, toxin-free, cruelty-free, phthalate-free and hand made.