When visiting a physical or online beauty store, the first question you get is, “Hey, what is your skin type?”. It might confuse you a bit, but it is a pretty simple question, and it is important to know the answer. Maybe your dressing-room cabinets are full of Instagram-hyped skincare items, or you have just made good use of anything you have accessible. As long as you don't figure out what it takes to identify your skin type, no amount of good skincare will do you any benefit! 

Learn about your skin type characteristics, regardless of skin tone or shade. Learn everything there is to know about the elements and items ideal for you, irrespective of where you fall on the skin type spectrum. Determining your skin type is the fundamental and most crucial step in taking good care of your skin. 

Why is Skin Type Identification Important?

Your skin, the largest organ in the human body, serves a range of essential and detailed purposes, including maintaining the temperature of the human body and fighting off infections. This is particularly descriptive regarding the skin's top layer, commonly referred to as the skin barrier.  

The essential barrier separating your skin from the external world is the protective layer, which is mainly composed of lipids (such as ceramides), keeping harmful elements out and hydration in. 

A single incorrect product might have a negative impact on your skin. You can protect your skin from adverse reactions and other harmful effects by selecting skincare items appropriate for your skin type. Therefore, it's essential to understand your skin type before spending the hard-earned cash on skincare items.

How Can You Determine Your Skin Type?

The quantity of sebum (oil) that your skin generates determines your skin type. The degree of oiliness in the skin might vary over a period of time. It can also be impacted by variables like stress, genes, the body's hormones, humidity, and ageing. Anyone can determine what type of skin you have within 30 minutes by using two simple tests you can carry out at home.

Bare-Faced Method

According to leading medical professionals, the bare-faced test is one of the easiest and most accurate ways to determine your skin type at home. All you have to do is properly wash your face with a non-comedogenic, organic cleanser before gently patting it dry. Avoid using any skincare products. After 30 minutes, carefully look at your skin.

Do you notice a tiny stiffness in your skin, particularly when smiling or making facial expressions? Or Is your T-zone beginning to shine?

Tip: If you don’t notice any change on your face, you can wait for a few more minutes. 

Blotting Paper Method

The blotting sheet technique provides another excellent at-home way of determining skin type. The blotting sheet technique is incredibly quick and efficient and does a great job of differentiating between dry and oily skin types. Use a non-comedogenic cleanser to wash your face gently, then pat it dry. After 20-30 minutes of washing your face, apply blotting paper lightly onto your face. 

You can also take a general skin type quiz online to understand your skin type by answering a few questions.

Different Skin Types

Let us understand some essential characteristics of the different skin types. These characteristics might help you know your skin better and perform the skin type test efficiently.

Normal Skin

The term "normal skin" refers to well-balanced skin. This skin type has adequate oil and water since it is neither overly oily nor dehydrated. When skincare brands market to those with "normal skin," they primarily target those with few to no acne scars, no sensitivity, fewer pores, and appropriate hydration levels. Some of the characteristics might be:

• Tiny, tightly closed pores that seem nearly unnoticed.
• A ratio of water to oil that keeps the skin soft and flexible.
• There are no problems with excessive oiliness, flaking, or dryness.
• Almost no outbreaks.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be identified by oiliness all over the face. This is due to increased sebaceous gland activity, which produces excessive sebum (oil) secretion on the skin. Choosing the right hydrating and nourishing products that don't clog pores or cause breakouts is essential for maintaining oily skin. Some of the common features of this skin:

• Larger pore size
• Skin with an excessive amount of gloss or oil
• Acne-prone

Dry Skin

The term "dry skin" refers to a type that feels dull, occasionally flaky, and scratchy. This kind of skin tends to feel tight and is more likely to display fine wrinkles. It releases less sebum than healthy skin, so the skin feels dry. Here are some common features of this skin type:

• Skin that is extremely tight and almost stiff.
• Scaly or uneven skin.
• Closed pores, which prevent moisture from entering.
• General skin irritation, redness, peeling, cracking, and itching.
• Rough and unsteady skin tone.

Combination Skin

Having characteristics of normal, dry, and oily skin makes it the most prevalent skin type. Combination skin might have spots that are equally dry and oily. A few characteristics that describe it best are:

• Normal-sized pores that happen to be neither too small nor too big
• An imbalance of water and oil could cause irregular breakouts or dryness
• Oily t-zone region

Sensitive Skin

Rather than being a skin type, this is a factor one needs to be informed of. Skin irritation is common with sensitive skin. You must be aware of and steer clear of your skin's sensitivities because anything might create a reaction. To reduce the risk of irritation, choose mild organic and fragrance-free cleansers. Some characteristics that show sensitive skin are:

• Redness
• Dryness
• Itching 
• Burning
• Rashes

Treat to Your Skin by Daughter Earth!

Understanding your skin type can help you choose the right products for your beautiful skin. With the changing dynamics of our busy lifestyle, we often forget that our skin needs the perfect care. Daughter Earth has taken worries away with our simple vegan, fragrance-free, gluten-free and actives-infused products. Understanding the chemistry and biology of different skin types, the experts at Daughter Earth have created an attractive range of skincare products. The best thing about our products is that every element is organic, hand-picked from nature. We strongly believe nature is the best remedy and can never go wrong for anyone. Give your skin a touch of nature with us!