SKIN PROFILE CHECK

Whenever you have a couple hours to spare, while you’re unwinding at home, try taking this simple test to determine your skin type. Clean your face with your regular cleanser, dry with a soft towel/face cloth and don’t touch your face for the next three hours. No product should be applied on your skin during this duration (moisturizers etc. nothing at all). Towards the end of those three hours you’ll have a clear sense of your skin type:

  • Dry Skin: Uncomfortable, flaky, cracked.
  • Oily Skin: Shiny, greasy appearance, enlarged pores.
  • Combination Skin: Oily in some places, dry in some areas.
  • Normal Skin: Overall comfortable, neither dry nor oil, smooth surface.
  • Sensitive Skin: Not an actual skin type but a condition, may burn or itch, blushed/flushed easily.
  • Blemish/Acne prone Skin: Clogged pores, Redness and irritation, large pores on nose and inner cheeks. Again not a specific skin type as any other skin types can be  acne/blemish-prone (although those with oily skin are more likely to struggle with this condition). Rosacea Skin and sometimes even Aging skin can be blemish prone.

1. Dry Skin Profile

What might cause this? 

  • Over Exfoliation
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter
  • Foaming cleansers
  • Clay or charcoal masks
  • Lack of gel/creamy cleansers with rich facial oils
  • Chemical ingredients and harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Certain soaps with surfactants
  • Products high in alcohol content
  • Synthetic fragrances

2. Oily Skin Profile

What might cause this?

  • Over Exfoliation 
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers 
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Warmer weather, humidity
  • Stress 
  • Hormonal fluctuations 
  • Routine that lacks lightweight gel moisturizers, salicylic acid products, mattifying powders
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter 
  • Certain soaps with surfactants 
  • Synthetic fragrances
  • Chemical ingredients and harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Strong Cleansers
  • Alcohol-based toners 
  • Heavy facial oils and/or oil-based creams

3. Combination Skin Profile

What might cause this?

  • Over Exfoliation 
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers 
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Certain soaps with surfactants 
  • Synthetic fragrances
  • Chemical ingredients and harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter 
  • Winter weather
  • Not getting enough sleep
  • Alcohol-based toners 
  • Harsh, foaming cleansers and scrubs 
  • Rich, heavy moisturizers  
  • Chemical peels, strong acne treatments, clay masks

4. Normal Skin Profile

What might cause this?

  • Chemical ingredients
  • Over Exfoliation 
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers 
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Certain soaps with surfactants 
  • Synthetic fragrances
  • Harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter 
  • Artificial colorants
  • Alcohol-based toners 
  • Poor food diet (example, consumption of white flour, white sugar, processed foods, alcohol and the likes)
  • Hereditary factors

5. Sensitive Skin Profile

What might cause this?

  • Alcohol-based toners
  • Antibiotics
  • NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory medication)
  • Chemical ingredients
  • Over Exfoliation 
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers 
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Certain soaps with surfactants 
  • Synthetic fragrances
  • Harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter

6. Blemish/Acne-Prone Skin Profile

What might cause this?

  • Chemical ingredients
  • Over Exfoliation 
  • Long, hot baths and/or showers 
  • Pollution; harsh wind; smoking; excessive sun exposure
  • Certain soaps with surfactants 
  • Synthetic fragrances
  • Harsh preservatives (parabens, sodium benzoate, benzyl alcohol, formaldehyde, SLS, artificial colorants)
  • Chlorine water
  • Lack of shower filter 
  • Alcohol-based toners 
  • Imbalance in hormones
  • Physical exfoliation (scrubs, cloths, electric facial brushes)
  • Picking or squeezing your skin
  • Using too many acne treatments at once 
  • Poor food diet (example, consumption of white flour, white sugar, processed foods, alcohol and the likes)
  • Stress
  • Harsh cleansers

Happy Binging!