How to choose the right skin care product for your skin

Types of skin and how to analyse your skin type

• Normal Skin
  Normal skin has optimal oil and water balance. It has few imperfections, few sensitivities, feels smooth, supple, is non-greasy and non flaky.

• Oily Skin
  The skin looks shiny and has a layer of grease. Feels sticky to touch and usually has large open pores. Oily skin is prone to pimples – blackheads and white heads.

• Dry Skin
  Dry skin feels taut, flaky and rough. It looks dull and lifeless and is usually very sensitive too.

• Combination Skin
  Combination skin has traits of all 3 skin types. It is oily on the T-zone of the face and normal or dry elsewhere. The T-zone may have blackheads and whiteheads while the rest of the skin may be flaky.

• Sensitive skin
  Sensitive skin is easily irritated by certain products, cosmetics and other environmental factors. It is frequently inflamed and easily breaks out into rashes.

To understand your skin type, wash your face with lukewarm water. If it feels taut and stretchy in a few minutes, you have dry skin. If not, wait for 20 minutes. Then dab a face tissue on your face. If you see oil spots on the tissue, you have an oily skin. If the oil spots are only on T-zone, you have a combination skin. If it is none of the above, you have a normal skin.

Once you know what your skin type is, the next step before you choose a product is to take into consideration any skin concern. You may have some concern like pigmentation, acne, fine lines, wrinkles, etc. and it is important to choose a product that helps these too.

Basic skin care regimen for any skin type should include cleansing, toning, moisturizing and protecting with a sunscreen. You may want to add a specific targeted treatment before applying the sunscreen for any specific concern.

Treatments available

• Normal skin
  Skin care for normal skin type should include daily use of a good effective cleanser with AHA or BHA, a replenishing alcohol free toner and a nourishing moisturizer. Ingredients to look for in a moisturizer are antioxidants such as green tea, chamomile, licorice root extract, etc. A sunscreen is a must after the moisturizer. Cream based products that are thinner and help to hydrate are good for normal skin.

• Dry Skin
  Choosing the right product for dry skin can be a challenge and many products can aggravate your dryness. If your dry skin does not respond well to many products, it is best to consult a dermatologist and seek advice. Use a cleanser that removes dirt, make up and other impurities without stripping it off moisture. Avoid scrubs or foaming cleansers. Use oil based cleansers. You must use a toner that is alcohol free as alcohol can aggravate dryness. A good moisturizer is the best thing you can use to help your dry skin. Its best to use ointment or cream based products for dry skin. Products that contain ingredients like Olive oil, Shea butter, Jojoba oil, Lactic acid, Urea, Hyaluronic acid, Glycerine, Lanolin, Mineral oil and Petrolatum are good for dry skin. Apply the moisturizer immediately after you wash your face to lock in the moisture. Choose a sunscreen that is water based.

• Oily Skin
  For oily skin choose a cleanser that contains AHA or BHA. These help to keep the oil secretion under control for longer hours. Do not overuse the cleanser. Twice in a day is good. Choose a toner that contains oil free ingredients, sodium hyaluronate, sodium PCA and AHA. With an oily skin you may feel that a moisturizer is not required. But the right moisturizer can actually reduce the shiny appearance. Use water based, non-comedogenic moisturizers containing Dimethicone. Products containing Lactic, Glycolic and Salicylic acid can help in turnover of the cells and are good for oily skin type. Choose gels or light lotions for your skin. Exfoliate your skin using a gentle scrub atleast once a week.

• Combination skin
  Combination skin is both, oily and dry. It can sometimes be very difficult to choose a product for combination skin. A gel based, water soluble cleanser works well for a combination skin. Sometimes you may have to use a stronger cleanser or AHA/BHA based exfoliant to cleanse the T-zone. Use a toner that is alcohol free and is made from natural plant based ingredients. Moisturizer with sunscreen is as important for combination skin as it is for other skin types. Light lotions or serums that contain anti-oxidants and other skin replenishing and restoring ingredients work well. Some times you may have to use a different set of products on the oily and dry areas of your skin.

• Sensitive Skin
  Sensitive skin is usually dry and tends to break into rashes with a lot of products. Most products that are good for dry skin, work well for sensitive skin too. However, sensitive skin can react to some of these products too. Hence, it is best to take help from your dermatologist in choosing the right product. If your skin is sensitive, you must avoid products that are highly fragrant or coloured.