If I asked you which moisturizer you used last time, you’d probably say, “I don’t know the name. It was actually my sister’s moisturizer.”
But do you know that you and your sister might have different skin types? Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a bit—what the hell is this skin type? Everybody’s made of the same stuff, right?
Nope. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Skin type may vary from person to person, and without knowing your skin type, using your sister’s or mom’s skincare products can worsen your skin condition.
Knowing your skin type is the first step in building a skincare regimen. Once you figure out your skin type, you can plan around it, like which ingredients your skincare products should contain.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA), there are 5 types of skin:
- Normal
- Oily
- Dry
- Combination
- Sensitive
Apart from these 5, I personally want to add 2 more skin types:
- Breakout-prone skin
- Mature skin
Normal Skin
Unarguably, this is the best skin type. There’s a proverb: “Normal skin—not too oily, not too dry. It’s just right.” Men with this type of skin have a decent number of small pores on their faces. Through these tight enough pores, the skin releases the appropriate amount of oil, known as sebum. This oil keeps the skin moisturized and protects it from bacteria and other outside hazards. This skin type is also blessed with not having severe breakout issues.
Oily Skin
Men with oily skin tend to have larger pores. Through these pores, sebaceous glands (oil glands located under the skin) produce excessive oil, which makes the skin look shiny in the mirror and probably leaves a layer of grease from your cheeks on your smartphone while talking.
This condition of producing excessive oil is known as Seborrhea in medical terms. Men with this skin type are also prone to frequent breakouts.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is the opposite of oily skin, but the issues of dry skin might be more severe because this skin type has a low level of sebum production, which protects the skin from outside hazards. Due to the low level of oil production, this skin can’t retain its moisture, resulting in brittle, flaky, itchy skin, and in many cases, redness is also noticed.
There is a big misunderstanding between Dry skin and Dehydrated skin. Let me make it clear for you:
Dry skin is genetic. When you have Dry skin, it may not be just on your face; it will also be noticed in other parts, like your hands, legs, etc. But when you’re experiencing dryness in only a particular part of your body, then it might be a dehydration issue.
For your convenience, I’ve mentioned some common causes of Dehydrated skin:
– Using the wrong skincare products
– Excessive sun exposure
– Not drinking enough water
– Dry weather conditions
– Unhealthy diet
– Consumption of caffeine and alcohol
Combination Skin
As its name suggests, this skin type is a combination of both Oily and Dry skin. If you belong to this skin type, you’ll find oiliness in the T-zone (forehead, around the nose, and chin) of your face and dryness in the cheeks and jawline. Men with this skin type may experience the problems of both oily and dry skin if not treated properly.
Sensitive Skin
If your skin reacts to particular skincare products, weather conditions, the sun, water, or even lifestyle-related things like stress and diet, then, sorry gentlemen, your skin belongs to this category, and unfortunately, this is the worst skin type. Men with this skin type often notice redness, itchiness, and burning sensations on their skin. The miserable thing is that it’s not because you mistreated it—they just poorly react to anything, particularly chemically and fragrance-based skincare products. Since this type of skin mostly gets damaged on the face, that’s why men with this skin type are prone to aging issues like wrinkles & fine lines.
Breakout-Prone Skin
There is a misconception that only oily skin is breakout-prone. But this is not the case. It is true that oily skin is prone to breakouts but it can be dry as well. So, Why not treating it as a different skin type.
Men who are dealing with hormonal changes subjected to this skin type.
Mature Skin
If you notice fine lines when you smile or squint, have red or brown discoloration on particular body parts, or see broken vessels in your skin, then, sorry man, maybe you’re young, but your skin has aged. This type of skin lacks essential proteins and vitamins.
Enough! You’re now familiar with all the skin types. Now it’s time to determine yours. There are many ways to determine your skin type, but for your convenience, here are 2 proven ways and one of my small hacks to get to know your skin type.
The Bare-Face Method
This is a widely used and super convenient method to identify your skin type. All you have to do is cleanse your face well using a gentle cleanser or face wash, then gently wipe the water off your face with a towel and leave it for 30 minutes as it is. Don’t apply anything on your face during those 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, observe your skin in the mirror. If it’s shiny all over, you have Oily skin. If it feels tight, brittle, and flaky, you have Dry skin. If it’s shiny in the T-zone (forehead, around the nose, and chin) and tight and flaky in the cheeks and jawline, you have Combination skin. If everything seems normal—not too shiny, not too tight—then you have Normal skin.
The Blotting Sheet Method
This is another super easy way to find out your skin type. You just need to pat a blotting sheet paper on your face for 1-2 minutes and then hold it near the light. If the oil is explicitly visible, then you’ve Oily skin. If the oil is less or not visible, you have Dry skin. If the oil is very visible in the T-zone but not noticeable on the cheeks and jawline, you have Combination skin. If there’s not too much, not too little oil visible throughout the face, then you have Normal skin.
My Small Hack
To identify your skin type, observe the pores of your skin. If the pores are big, that means they produce excess sebum, resulting in oily skin. If the pores are less visible, it means you have low sebum production, resulting in dry skin. If the pores in the T-zone are big but not much visible on the cheeks and jawline, you have Combination skin. If the pores are small and tidy, it means they produce the right amount of sebum to keep the skin well-hydrated. These lucky guys have Normal skin.
In these methods, I didn’t discuss the determining factors of Sensitive skin, Breakout-prone skin, and Mature skin.
The identification factors of Sensitive skin & Mature skin are discussed in their respective sections. The remaining determination factors of Breakout-prone skin are as they sound. It may be oily, it may be dry, but one thing is for sure: you’ll always find breakouts on it.