How Know your skin type

Before choosing an exfoliator, it’s important to know what type of skin you have. Keep in mind that your skin type can change with age, weather changes, and lifestyle factors, such as smoking.

There are five major skin types:

• Dry. This skin type is more likely to have dry patches and requires more moisture. You probably notice that your skin gets even dryer in cold, dry weather.
• Combination. This skin type isn’t dry, but it isn’t all-out oily, either. You may have an oily T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin) and dryness around your cheeks and jawline. Combination skin is the most common skin type.
• Oily. This skin type is characterized by excess sebum, the natural oils produced by the sebaceous glands underneath your pores. This often leads to clogged pores and acne.
• Sensitive. This type of skin is easily irritated by fragrances, chemicals, and other synthetic materials. You can have sensitive skin that’s also dry, oily, or combination.
• Normal. This type of skin doesn’t have any dryness, oiliness, or sensitivity. It’s pretty rare, as most people’s skin has at least some oiliness or dryness.

You can see a dermatologist or esthetician to help you determine your skin type. You can also do it at home by following these steps:

1. Wash your face, making sure to remove any makeup well.
2. Dry your face, but don’t apply any toner or moisturizer.
3. Wait one hour and then gently dab a tissue over different parts of your face.

Here’s what you’re looking for:

• If the tissue absorbs oil over your entire face, then you have oily skin.
• If the tissue only absorbs oil in certain areas, you have combination skin.
• If the tissue doesn’t have any oil, you have either normal or dry skin.
• If you have any scaly or flaky areas, you have dry skin.

While it might seem like dry skin is the only type that would have flakes of dead skin cells, this can happen with any skin type. So even if you find some flakes, you’ll want to use an exfoliator that’s best suited for your skin type.