What is your skin type?

How Do I Know My Skin Type?

Your skin is as unique as you are, and there are plenty of factors that can change and affect the way it looks, including age and the environment. Knowing your skin type can help you take care of your body’s largest organ by selecting the best products suited for its needs. Generally speaking, there are three main skin types: normal, dry, and oily. However, it also possible to have more than one skin type, known as combination skin. On top of that, some people may also have sensitive skin, which can affect any skin type. Sensitive skin is characterized by increased sensitivity to products as well as other elements such as weather. Sensitive skin is best diagnosed by a dermatologist.

Check out the characteristics of different skin types to discover which category your skin falls into:

Normal skin is not too oily and not too dry. If you have this skin type, you probably don't suffer from skin ailments, such as acne, very often. Nor does your skin feel very tight and dry when you wake up in the morning - it just feels normal.

If you have dry skin, you may suffer from flaky patches or spots of redness. The condition of your skin is likely affected by the weather, like wind, and may feel more irritated after a shower or indoor heating. Dry skin can feel very tight and uncomfortable.

Oily skin is most often associated with teenagers, but it can also affect other age groups as well. Humid weather, stress and hormones can also exacerbate oily skin. Oily skin feels greasy and often shows pimples, blackheads and enlarged pores.

Combination skin occurs when you have more than one skin type on different areas of your face. Combination skin often needs different products to treat different areas. If you have combination skin, you may have an oily T-zone, which feels greasy, but dry patches on your cheeks that feel tight.

If you have sensitive skin, then you may suffer from periodic bouts of redness, dryness, itchiness and burning. Skincare products not specifically tailored to sensitive skin, as well as other items that come into close contact with this skin type, can cause irritation to the skin. However, exposure to the sun, as well as indoor air conditioning and heating and other environmental factors, can also affect sensitive skin.