10 Key Tips: How to Know your Skin Type

What is my skin type? Is it oily? Dry? A combination of the two? Sensitive? Or is it just plain old ‘normal’? This can be a confusing question to answer or even for some, difficult to identify. Luckily the girls at Ritology have you covered! 

For those of you who don’t know, there are five basic skin types: 

• Oily Skin - Characterised by an above average sebum production (skin’s natural oil). This makes the skin appear as shiny and often inherits skin concerns such as blackheads or enlarged pores.
• Dry Skin - You guessed it, it’s the exact opposite of oily skin - it doesn’t have enough oil. Dry skin appears as dull and can feel tight, severe dryness can then lead the skin to crack and peel. 
• Combination Skin - This skin type is the combination (key word) of both oily and dry skin. Generally speaking, people who possess combination skin tend to have an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), while the remainder of the face may be dry.
• Sensitive Skin - You’re probably starting to realise that each skin type’s description is really in their name… Just like your ego after a bad break-up, your skin can be sensitive too. Sensitive skin is characterised by heightened sensitivity levels to stressors, like skin care for example. Levels of severity vary, although some experience redness, as well as itching and discomfort.
• Normal Skin - This one is pretty straight forward, people with normal skin have a healthy balance of sebum and moisture in the skin!

So… which one do you have? If you’re still unsure, dermatologists have come up with two fun science experiments to help you determine exactly that!

1. The Bare-Faced Method

Yet again, it’s in the name isn’t it… This method allows you to really get a feel for your skin with zero skin care products present. The best part about it is that you only need to follow four simple steps!

Step 1 - Cleanse your face

Step 2 - Dry your face and leave your skin bare - absolutely no products!

Step 3 - Let 30 minutes pass then proceed to examine your skin. Ask yourself: are you starting to feel a slight tightness when you smile or make certain facial expressions? Or is your T-zone starting to look shiny?

Step 4 - Again, wait another 30 minutes and examine your skin. If it is tight, you have dry skin. If your T-zone is noticeably shiny but the rest of your face isn’t, you have combination skin. Finally, if you're shiny all over, you’ve got oily skin.

2. The Blotting Sheet Method

If you’re a time-poor individual, this method is the one for you! You only need a clean, bare face and a blotting sheet to get this one done.

Step 1 - Take a blotting sheet and GENTLY dab or pat it on different areas of your face.

Step 2 - Just like a doctor looks at an X-ray - hold the blotting sheet up to the light and examine.

Step 3 - If little to no oil is visible, you will likely have dry skin. If oil was picked up from the T-zone and nowhere else, you have combination skin. If that sheet is packed with oil, then you probably already know what that means - you’ve got oily skin.

There are also other ways to determine your skin type, like quizzes! However we find that these methods are far more reliable and easy to do! Once you’ve uncovered your skin type, you can then tailor a skin regime to suit exactly that. We at Ritology believe in helping everyone - especially with skin care! Stay up to date with @RitologyDaily for more tips and tricks!