I can't figure out my skin type

[cjenny16]

Hi, my name is Caroline and I am in desperate need of some advice. I can't seem to figure out my skin type. When I wash my face (doesn't matter what I wash it with), before putting on moisturizer, my face feels tight and itchy. Some times are worse than others depending on what I use. Now my face seems to be combination because I have an oily t-zone and dry patches but even on my forehead where it's oily, I still get flakes. When I use a product for dry skin, my skin gets oiler/shinier, and when I use a product for oily/combination skin, my face gets drier/flakier. I don't know what to do because my skin always seems to be oily and dry at the same time, all over my whole face. Also, I get dry skin/flakes around my eyes and mouth and really dry skin on the bottom of my nose, underneath. Do you know what I could do about my confusing skin?

[Vladimir]

Okay, this is from someone who knows nothing of skin care, but it sounds to me like you should just let your skin be a certain way for a while then try to care for it in the other way. I think that the skin is very tempramental sometimes. Have you looked up proper skin care for everyone?

[cjenny16]

Thanks for your reply!!
Yes, I've looked up many different web sites on skin care and I've read about skin characteristics and maintenance for each skin type. My skin is doing pretty well now though. I found that I have to exfoliate every day because my skin would get flakey if I didn't and I've seemed to find a nice balance with my daily routine. But I would still like to solve the seemingly unsolvable mystery of what my skin type actually is.

[George]

Hi Caroline,

It can be confusing! I know how you feel - skin type is the Number 1 question I get asked. Here's the thing - don't worry too much about it. I know it's hard because the marketing is so intense. Almost every single product out there says it's for oily, dry, normal, or combination skin. Well, that's fine, except your skin type is not what matters, it's what you put on your face that does!

All skin types change all the time. Your skin today may be totally different next week than it is today. So many things effect this: Regional temp/humidity, whether or not you smoke, monthly hormonal cycles, level of exercise, level of stress, diet, even pollution. Moreover, virtually all skin is combination skin to some degree; it is a physiological certainty that you will have more oil glands on your forhead, nose and chin, than on your cheeks or neck.

So with all that in mind, what you should be doing is not trying to put your finger on this moving target, rather put your finger on what you know for sure: Ingredient lists.

Look for very mild cleansers. If it has sodium lauryl sulfate in it, make sure it is countered with a buffer like cocamidopropyl betaine (the stuff that makes J&J baby shampoo so gentle). Also - you may not need a full moisturizer. Find a good alcohol free (or other irritant free) toner that contains a good water binding agent like glycerin or hyaluronic acid and just use that after cleansing.

Good luck with your regimen. Try not to worry too much about your skin type - it matters more for the marketers. :)

[jamesherried]

You might want to check out the new book "The Skin Type Solution" by Dr. Leslie Baumann, a noted dermatologist. She claims that there are not just 4 skin types (as traditionally believed) but 16, and she lists them all in her book. Then she lists products that she believes are suitable(or not suitable) for each of the 16 skin types.

[makeupguru]

Is it possible you just have different skin types on different zones of your face. It seems we try to put everything into one category but maybe your skin falls into several categories and you have to treat different areas like they are oily and others like they are dry. So use different products on different areas instead of using one type everywhere.