How you feel about your skin can play a huge role in your overall confidence. After all, your face is the first thing people notice about you. Blemishes, discoloration, acne, or flaking can definitely put a damper on anyone’s day, but many of these problems can be fixed by using the right products for your skin. Understanding what type of skin you have is necessary in order to buy the products you need. Here’s a guide to help you determine what type of skin you have and what to buy in order to keep it looking its best!

How To Determine Your Skin Type:

1. Wash your face and gently pat dry.
2. Wait one hour.
3. Take separate pieces of tissue and press them onto the following areas of your face: chin, middle of cheeks, outside of cheeks, middle of forehead, outside of forehead, and nose.
4. Look at each piece of tissue and see if there is any oily residue or flakes.
5. If you have oil on each piece of tissue, you have oily skin. If you have oil only on some pieces (most likely the T-zone: middle of forehead, nose, chin, and middle of cheeks), you have combination skin. You have dry skin if your skin feels tight and you see flakes on the tissues.

Best Products for Oily Skin:

Cleanser: Wash your face with warm water and a cleanser designed for oily skin, like Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser ($19.50 at clinique.com).

Moisturizer: To keep your face moisturized without adding more oil, make sure to use an oil-free moisturizer like Avalon Organics Vitamin C Rejuvenating Oil-Free Moisturizer ($17.56 at drugstore.com).

Blotting Papers: For moments when you need to absorb excess oil or shine on your face, carry around blotting papers with you to dab on problem areas. Matte Blotting Papers are affordable and easy to take with you ($8 at sephora.com).

Best Products for Combination Skin:

Sometimes, it’s best to use products designed for oily skin on the parts of your face that are oily, and products made for dry skin on the parts of your face that are dry and flaky. There are some products, however, that cater to both.

Cleanser: You’ll need a cleanser that removes dirt, yet leaves your natural moisture. Try Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser ($7.49 at drugstore.com).

Moisturizer: Finding a moisturizer that helps your dry spots without overwhelming your oily spots is important. Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer with Vitamins E & B3, Combination/Oily ($8.79 on drugstore.com).

Best Products for Dry Skin:

Cleanser: Wash your face with cool water and a gentle cleanser that won’t irritate your skin, like Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser ($8.49 at walgreens.com).

Moisturizer: Picking a good moisturizer is essential if you have dry skin. Shikai Borage Dry Skin Therapy Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($11.99 at drugstore.com) is a great pick.

Mask: For even more relief for dry skin, try masks packed with extra moisture, like The Body Shop Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask ($22.00 at thebodyshop-usa.com).

Until next time,
Jillian

P.S. Still have questions? Check out these great sites.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5028_determine-skin-type.html

http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/802378/get-healthy-looking-skin-for-every-skin-type

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