Our skin is our body’s largest organ and is responsible for protecting us against UV damage and microbes. It also regulates our body temperature and excretes waste from our body in form of sweat. 

Its role is as crucial as of our heart, lungs or even kidneys! And just like our vital organs need care, our skin demands some TLC too. So it is crucial to understand your skin type and create a routine to nourish and protect it.

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How To Create The Right Skincare Routine For Your Skin?

Determine Your Skin Type

Before you build a skincare routine for yourself, it’s imperative to understand your skin type, to determine the kind of care it requires and the ingredients as well as formulations that will work for it.

While the latter two concerns are solved when you embark on the journey of skincare and face a few hits and misses, the former concern is something that must be figured out right in the beginning.

While everyone’s skin tone and type are unique, there are four broad types of skin. And here’s how you can determine yours by following this simple ‘napkin test’.

• Cleanse your face well with a gentle, mild cleanser and pat dry.
• Leave the skin bare i.e., skip applying any toner, serum or moisturiser post-cleansing.
• Wait for 30 to 45 mins. Then take a clean paper napkin and cut it out into small squares. 
• Take one piece at a time and gently press it against different areas of your face such as cheeks, forehead, nose, chin. 
• Hold the napkin pieces against a bright source to observe how much oil each square has absorbed.

1. Oily Skin Type

If the napkin is saturated with oil from all parts of the face, your skin type is 'oily'. Oily skin requires products that help balance sebum production and do not congest or clog the pores.

Ingredients like hemp, rosehip, grapeseed, tea tree and rosemary oils are very well-suited for people who have oily skin type.

2. Dry Skin Type

If the napkin barely absorbs any oil, your skin type is dry. Dry skin requires products that deeply hydrate the skin and help improve moisture retention give you smooth skin.

Ingredients like argan oil, marula and camellia oil, shea butter and mango seed butter are great choices if you have dry skin.

3. Normal Skin Type

If the napkin absorbs a little bit of oil, your skin type is normal. Normal skin requires products that are moderately moisturizing to get radiant skin. 
Ingredients like jojoba oil, tamanu oil, rose and saffron works well for normal skin types.
However, normal skin can easily experiment with the ingredients of their skin as their skin is usually forgiving.

4. Combination Skin Type

If the napkin absorbs oil only from the T-zone only i.e., forehead and nose as not the rest of your face, your skin type is a combination. Your nose and forehead are oily whereas your cheek and chin are dry.
Combination skin requires products that are a combination of both oily and dry skin products. They moisturize and hydrate skin but won’t clog pores.
There are 3 other subcategories of skin type- sensitive Skin, mature skin and acne-prone skin.  And they can be clubbed with any one of the above For eg., your skin can be ‘oily and sensitive’ or ‘dry and mature.

Acne-prone: Some people are more likely to develop pimples, blackheads and whiteheads and are thus referred to as having acne-prone skin. Using non-comedogenic ingredients and exfoliating skin can help them get smooth, clear skin.

Mature Skin: Mature skin has significant fine lines, wrinkles, dullness and other signs of skin ageing. Using antioxidant-rich products and collagen-boosting ingredients can help revive their skin.

Sensitive Skin: Sensitive skin may develop redness, rashes, itching or even breakouts as a reaction to sun exposure or skincare ingredients. Anyone with sensitive skin must be extra cautious while incorporating new products into the routine.  And conducting a patch test is non-negotiable.

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How To Do A Patch Test?

Do Skin Types Change?

Yes! Our skin tends to change with changes in weather. Oily skin in summers may become normal / combination skin in winters. And normal skin in summers may become dry in winters. 

Sometimes, skin type also alters with age due to hormonal fluctuations, health problems and genetics. Needless to say, as skin type varies, your routine must also be tweaked in accordance.

Create an appropriate skincare routine for your skin type and concerns by browsing Juicy Chemistry's curated skincare kits.