Why knowing your skin type may not help you choose the best products for your skin.

Have you ever found yourself in the skincare aisle at your favorite big box store, overwhelmed by the endless options of products for your skin? You peruse up and down the aisle, reading the backs of bottles and looking for any clue that might help you decide. Then finally you take a deep breath, cross your fingers and take your cart full of products to the checkout hoping that you chose at least one bottle of magic that will make all your skincare wishes come true.

This is where having an esthetician on your team comes in handy! We’re trained to sort through all the hullabaloo and sail straight past the gimmicky buzzwords to find products that really work for YOU. Not your friend, not your mom, not your friend’s mom. But for Y.O.U. specifically. Let me tell you how….

Products are often broken down into four categories; oily, dry, normal and combination. While it’s a good place to start, I don’t think that everyone’s skin fits neatly into one of four categories-so it shouldn’t be the only factor that applies when choosing your skincare. Let’s break down the four main skin types as we know them.

Normal- What the heck is “normal” skin anyway? Well according to the Milady esthetics school text book, “normal” skin is classified as skin whose pores are neither large nor small, skin feels neither oily, nor dry and is free from blemishes. If this is you, congratulations you’ve won the perfect skin lottery.

Dry- Dry skin has tiny pores which are barely visible to the naked eye. This skin type is lacking oil and may feel tight, have flaky or scaly patches and may burn or sting when products are applied.

Oily- Oily skin’s signature is large, visible pores throughout the face. It may appear shiny and is sometimes prone to blemishes/blackheads.

Combination- Combination skin usually presents itself with larger pores through the middle of the face, with smaller pores around the perimeter. This skin type can feel oily in some places and dry in others at the same time.

Here’s where things get tricky. In addition to having a “skin type” I’ve learned that most people often have a sub type and/or a skin condition that heavily influences what type of products or treatments their skin needs.

For example, someone can be oily and dehydrated or even dry and acne prone. Maybe they’re a combination skin type but dealing with redness around their nose. For example: You have acne, but also have dry skin. If you use salicylic acid, which is a common ingredient in acne products, your dry skin may get worse. On the same token, if you purchase a heavy moisturizer to aid your dry skin, it may clog the pores making your acne worse. See what I’m saying? There is simply too much going on with a person’s skin at any given time to be able to lump them into one of 4 groups. That being said, I don’t talk much about “skin types” when I’m assessing skin.

What I do instead:

First, I ask clients to take a mental inventory of their lifestyle and the habits that could be affecting their skin. Diet, stress, smoking, alcohol or environment could definitely be playing into their skin concern. Any of these factors could cause the skin to consistently behave in an undesirable way, that leads someone to believe that this is just “how their skin is.” Without considering these factors, skin may not improve even if they are using the correct products for their skin concern.

Next, I always check for sensitive and/or sensitized skin. Knowing about skin sensitivities can help determine which skincare ingredients could cause irritation. This is important because each skin category’s products have hallmark ingredients that are know to work well for that specific skin type. But since we know that those categories are pretty narrow, there’s a good chance not every product in that skin type’s line up will work well for you. So, if I choose products for clients based solely on which of the four skin types their skin appeared to be I would be missing the mark completely. Once we’ve worked together to treat the sensitivity and the skin’s protective layer is functioning at its best, I can treat all other skin conditions much easier and more effectively.

Finally, once we’ve discussed lifestyle habits and treated skin sensitivities, I can feel confident choosing products that I know will benefit the skin long term and fit well into a client’s routine. When clients choose to come to me to help them create a skincare routine, they can have peace of mind that the products I choose are handpicked especially for their skin concerns and will work with their skin and not against it. Although purchasing high quality, cosmeceutical products may seem like an investment up front, having a professional guide you through the trendy world of skincare can save you a great deal of time, money and frustration in the future. So next time you find yourself cruising down an aisle full of endless skincare options and begin to feel a growing sense of anxiety and overwhelm, that’s your cue to exit stage right and schedule your spot on my treatment table.