Winter is my favourite season for many reasons.
I love wearing oversized jumpers and warm coats, drinking far more hot coffee than is reasonable for a person to drink and enjoying the snow (When we get any)
But the one thing I don’t love about the coldest season is how harsh winds and rain ruin my skin.
Over the years I’ve tried many different products that were promoted to me by influencers and Instagram ads until I realised that everyone’s skincare regime should be personal and tailored to your skin’s needs.
Everyone’s skin is different and there’s no product or routine that works for everyone, so you’ll need to do a little research.
There are five primary categories that people’s skin falls into:
- Oily
- Dry
- Combination
- Normal
- Sensitive
There are a few methods to help you figure out your skin type.
The wait-and-see method
- To start, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, then gently pat it dry.
- Wait 30 minutes.
- If your skin appears shiny throughout, you likely have oily skin.
- If it feels tight and is flaky or scaly, you likely have dry skin.
- If the shine is only in your T-zone, you probably have combination skin.
- If your skin feels hydrated and comfortable, but not oily, you likely have normal skin.
The blotting sheet method
When pressed to the skin, blotting sheets absorb oil—and you can use them to help you understand what skin type you have.
- After washing your face with a gentle cleanser, pat it dry and wait for 30 minutes.
- Press blotting sheets to various areas of your face, then hold the sheets up to the light to see the oil markings.
- If the sheets soaked up an abundance of oil from all areas of the face, you have oily skin.
- If they absorb little to no oil, then you probably have dry skin.
- If the sheets show only a small amount of oil from your T-zone, you have combination skin.
- If you only see minimal oil from every area of your face, you most likely have normal skin.
Remember that any skin type can be sensitive and prone to breakouts but this happens less to those with Normal skin.
What to use for different skin issues (Ingredients to look for)
Oily skin (Cleansing ingredients)
Retinol
Accelerates cell turn over to remove dead skin cells, allowing new ones to be generated and unclogs pores.
Niacinamide
Soothes and calms inflammation, boosts collagen and decreases oiliness.
Salicylic acid
Breaks down dead skin cells and gets deep into your pores to clear debris and dirt. Salicylic acid is lipophilic — which means it’s attracted to oil and can effectively suck it out to unclog pores.
Dry skin (Super hydrating ingredients)
Squalane
Although squalene is naturally produced by the body its production slows as we age and causes our skin to become drier. Squalane works to hydrate your skin and, although it’s related to sebum, it does not leave the skin feeling oily.
Hyaluronic acid
Able to hold 1000 times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid adds moisture to the skin and has been shown to improve the elasticity of your skin and lessen the appearance of fine lines.
Coconut oil
Long used as a moisturiser, coconut oil adds moisture to the skin while also creating a barrier on the skin to slow the process of water evaporating to help retain moisture.
Sensitive skin (Gentle on skin ingredients)
Witch Hazel
A great ingredient to treat inflammation and irritation as well as acne and breakouts because other ingredients that treat acne can be too harsh for those with sensitive skin. Witch hazel can also be used to unclog pores and remove excess oils and debris.
Seaweed
Brown seaweed – listed as alginic acid on skincare labels, helps to add moisture to the skin.
Red seaweed – Also known as carrageenan, it’s great for anti-ageing and is full of antioxidants and helpful peptides.
Oat extracts
Oat extracts and oat oil have been used for a long time to treat minor skin issues and balance your skins microbiome (The layer of bacteria that protect your skin from irritants)
Products to use for different skin types
Sensitive skin
Inkey list oatmeal cleanser/ Thirst class oatmeal moisturiser beauty bay/ Seaweed and algee serum Holland and barret
Dry skin
The ordinary squalene serum/ The ordinary hyaluronic acid/ Vita coco coconut oil
Oily skin
Inkey list Retinol eye cream/Oleus Niacinamide serum/CeraVe salysilic acid cleanser
Ninety Two 