SKINCARE FOR BEGINNERS
If you're new to shopping for (Korean) skincare, looking for recognizable brand names can be a good starting point of making purchase decisions. After reading this short guide about different skin types and how to take care of them, you will exactly know what to do next.
How to identify your skin type and how to take care of them.
It is very important to know your skin type to keep it healthy and flawless. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and it is complex as your other vital organs. Knowing your skin type helps you to choose the right skincare products. There are five basic types which are dry, normal, oily, combination, and sensitive.
Are you confused about your skin type? Don’t worry we have a quick guide to help you understand your skin type and how to take care of it.
Easy Tricks to Understand Your Skin Type
Method 1 | The Bare Face Method
Step 1) Cleanse your face with a mild face wash.
Step 2) Pat dry your skin with a soft towel. Leave it bare for 30-35 minutes.
Step 3) Examine it under bright light. If you feel some stretchiness and flacking, then your skin type must be dry. If there is some oil on your T-zone that is your nose, chin, and forehead, then there are chances for you to have a combination skin type. Greasiness on the entire face is the confirmation of oily skin. If you observe nothing exceptional on your face, then you are lucky enough to have a normal skin type.
Method 2 | The Blotting Sheet Method
This is an easy technique to distinguish oily skin from dry skin.
Step 1) Cleanse your face thoroughly and wait for half an hour.
Step 2) Dab a blotting sheet on different areas of the face. If it comes out clean, then your skin type is dry. If it gets a little oil from your T-zone, then the skin type must be normal or a combination. And if it is completely saturated with oil then your skin type is oily.
How to Manage Your Skin Type
You must have got an idea of your skin type. Read on to know each skin type in detail and all the necessary measures to keep them healthy.
- Dry Skin
Dry skin is characterized by a flaky texture and lack of moisture. People with dry skin experience irritation, itching, and rough appearance. Genetics, seasonal changes, hot showers, and the natural aging process are the reasons behind dry skin.
How to Take care of your dry skin
Avoid taking long and hot showers. It will strip away the natural moisture of your skin. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Use a gentle cleanser and do not scratch your skin with a towel. Do not exfoliate your skin more than once a week. Use a hydrating serum especially with hyaluronic acid. Apply a moisturizer twice a day with some botanical ingredients like chamomile oil, aloe vera, shea butter, and squalane.
- Normal Skin
Normal skin is what every one of us always wishes for. It is smooth with no excess sebum. Pores are hard to see with the naked eye. But that doesn’t give you a free hand to damage it. Normal skin requires care like all the other skin types.
How to Take care of your normal Skin
Choose a gentle facial cleanser to wash your face. It will help you to remove impurities and retain the natural moisture of your skin. Use a moisturizing serum with hyaluronic acid or niacinamide to keep your skin healthy and plump. Always choose a moisturizer with antioxidants like vitamin E or C. Antioxidants fight the free radicals and don’t let them damage your skin. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen 365 days a year. It will protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
- Oily Skin
Oily skin has large pores, blackheads, whiteheads, and excess sebum on the entire face. People with oily skin are prone to acne breakouts. They have overactive sebaceous glands due to genetics, hormonal changes, excessive scrubbing, and environmental changes. There is a plus of oily skin and that is it is less prone to wrinkles and fine lines.
How to Take care of your oily skin
Gel-based or foaming cleansers are best for oily skin. You can use an exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid as well. It will control the excess sebum and remove dead skin cells from the surface. Use a pH balancing toner to unclog your pores. Always choose an oil-free moisturizer for your skin type. Natural extracts like aloe vera are amazing for oily skin. Use blotting paper to control extra shine. Use charcoal and Silica mask once a week helps to tighten your pores.
- Combination Skin
If the explanation of dry skin matches your cheeks, but the explanation of oily skin matches your T-zone. You have a combination skin type. It is not easy to deal with two skin types at the same time. Genetics, Hormonal fluctuations, and environmental pollutants aggravate the skin condition.
How to Take care of your combination Skin
Cream cleansers are good for combination skin. It will control the excess sebum on your T-zone without over-drying your cheeks. Exfoliation twice a week helps to remove dead skin cells and reveal a radiant complexion. Retinol facial serum works best for combination skin. It keeps a balance of moisturization on your skin surface. The application of clay masks once or twice a week on your T-zone helps to give you a matt look. You can use a spot treatment to treat your pimples.
- Sensitive Skin
Sensitive Skin gets irritated easily. If you have sensitive skin, you must have experienced rash and breakouts on using specific skin care products. Severe Sensitivity results in allergic reactions.
How to Take care of your sensitive Skin
Don’t get tempted to try every hyped skincare product because it can result in devastation for sensitive skin. Use a mild facial cleanser with botanical ingredients like neem, turmeric, or aloe vera. Avoid using alcohol-based facial toners. Choose a lightweight and fragrance-free moisturizer for sensitive skin. It is better to apply moisturizer on a damp face. It will enhance the absorption capacity of the moisturizer. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium oxide because it will protect your skin from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Use skin-soothing masks like cucumber sheet masks every week to treat irritation, stinging, and rash.
