Skincare by Alana 

What Should You Be Using In Your

Skin Care Routine?

Take my quiz and get personalized

recommendations from a licensed
esthetician!

Skin Care Quiz

What is My Skin
Type and How Do I
Know?
Have you ever tried some “amazing”
new skincare product only to have it do
nothing, or make your skin worse? It
might have been wrong for your skin
type.

You’ve probably heard or read

somewhere (I may have said it a couple
times) that when it comes to beauty
and skincare, you should be using
products formulated for your skin type.

Skincare products aren’t one-size-!ts-

all magic potions (although, wouldn’t
that make life soooo much easier?), so
it’s important to know what type of skin
you’re working with so you can get the
most out of your skincare routine.

Today, I’m excited to help you identify

your skin type and !gure out some of
the best products to care for your
fabulous skin!

Why do I need to know my skin

type?
In order to practice your most e"ective
skincare, it’s absolutely important to
know your skin type. Back in the day,
ladies had a limited selection of
skincare items to choose from, like
those perfumey “all purpose” cold
creams on your grandma’s bathroom
counter. Today, there’s an unending
variety of formulas tailored to care for
our unique skin types, but they only
work their best if you use the one
meant for your skin!

If you misdiagnose your skin type and

use the wrong products, it can
aggravate skin and lead to irritation,
excess oil, breakouts or drying out skin
which can make wrinkles more
apparent.

Skin Type vs. Skin Conditions

It’s important to note the di"erence

between skin type and skin concerns
when it comes to care and treatment.
Concerns can include things like
wrinkles or signs of aging,
hyperpigmentation or temporary
dryness and can span across di"erent
skin types. For instance, many people
think that acne-prone skin is a type;
however, people with all types of skin
can struggle with acne.

Skin conditions might also change over

time, or can be a"ected by
environment, age or hormone changes.
For example, your skin may get more
oily in summer but needs to be
slathered with lotion in the winter. Or
you might experience more acne or
oily skin as a teenager, or at certain
times in your cycle. In these cases, your
skin concerns may have changed, but
your skin type typically remains the
same.

Keep this in mind when choosing

skincare products. You may have to
!nd some separate ones to tackle
temporary concerns, but you should
get a solid skincare routine of products
that match your skin type.

What Determines Skin Type

Simple Genetics – The biggest

one is your genes, which decide
how dry/oily or sensitive your skin
will be. And, you might inherit your
skin type or issues from dear ol’
Mom and Dad.
Climate – Relocating to a new
environment can change your skin
type, sometimes for the better!
Hormones – Our hormones
#uctuate at di"erent times in our
lives – including pregnancy –
which can a"ect our skin’s
behavior.
Medications – Your Rx might
cause your skin to become drier or
more sensitive as a side e"ect.
Diet/Allergies – Your daily noshes
can de!nitely a"ect your skin for
better or for worse. Talk to your
doc if you think a food allergy
might be the source of your skin
woes.
Skin Care – As I mentioned, using
the wrong formula can throw o"
your skin’s balance. Let’s get you
on the right course for your best
skin!

How to Identify Your Skin Type

Determining your skin type can be
done with a simple test. Just follow
these steps!

Step 1: Wash your face with

a gentle cleanser to remove
all makeup, oil and dirt.

Step 2: Pat face dry with a

soft towel and leave skin
bare. Don’t apply any
moisturizers or serums. Let your skin
act naturally.

Step 3: Wait 1 hour. During

this time don’t touch your
face (resist temptation!).
After an hour, look closely
and note the quality of your
skin.

Now that you know how to !nd your

skin type, let’s dive in and learn a
little more about the characteristics
of each one and what you can avoid
to keep skin on the right track!

While it’s not a hard and fast rule, skin

types can commonly fall into di"erent
age groups. Teens and those in their
early 20’s typically experience more
oily skin as this is when sebaceous
glands are most active. Mid to late 20’s
and early 30’s usually have
combination skin. And, mid 30’s and
older tend to lean toward dry skin since
our skin loses its ability to produce oil
and retain moisture as we age.

Dry Skin

How to Identify: If your skin feels tight

or itchy year round, especially after
cleansing, or you never feel like you
can get enough moisture, you have dry
skin. You might also experience some
#akiness or scaling (when you lightly
drag your nails across your skin, it looks
like a snow storm).

It’s also important to note that there’s a

di"erence between dry skin and
dehydrated skin. Dry skin is a skin type
caused by a lack of oil production in
the skin. Dehydrated skin is caused by
a lack of water and is a temporary skin
condition due to climate,
environmental factors or not drinking
enough water.

Causes: Skin that is genetically

predisposed to produce less oil (or
sebum), hormone imbalance, dry
climate, heaters during cold weather,
hot showers/baths, medications, and
age (metabolic changes can cause our
skin to get drier and thinner as we get
older).

What to Avoid: Alcohol and sulfate-

based products, which can strip your
skin’s natural oils. Also, try not to use
super hot water when showering or
bathing since it wicks moisture from
skin. If you use a heater or live in a dry
climate, consider getting a humidi!er
for your home or bedroom.

Oily Skin

How to Identify: Your skin is shiny, or

you notice a lot of excess oil on your
face, neck, shoulders and back. You
may feel like you want to wash your
face again midday when oil production
is at its peak. Your pores appear larger
or get clogged easily, leading to
black/whiteheads, pimples or cystic
acne. The good news is, studies show
that the moisture from oily skin might
help prevent wrinkles!

Cause: The skin’s sebaceous glands

overproduce oil (sebum) due to genetic
makeup. Other causes can include
hormones, humid climates, or over
drying your skin which forces it to
produce more oil.

What to Avoid: Oil-based cleansers,

moisturizers and makeup. Your skin can
only absorb so much moisture, the rest
is left sitting as a residue on the surface
of your skin. Also, look for products that
aren’t alcohol-based or contain sulfates
which can dry out skin. It might seem
counter intuitive, but many products
formulated to treat oily skin strip it of its
natural oils which it needs for moisture
and protection. When your skin senses
that it is dry, it actually produces more
oil as a defense mechanism, which can
just make things worse!

Combination Skin

How to Identify: Your skin is oily, has

larger pores, or breaks out in your T-
zone (forehead, nose, chin), but is dry
or normal on your cheeks and jawline.
Combination skin can be tricky to treat
since you have to address two di"erent
issues. Your goal: balance.

Cause: Genes, or an overproduction of

oil in the T-zone. Your products might
also be causing some skin imbalance.
If you’re attempting to treat the oily
areas, you could wind up drying out
the dry areas and vice versa.

What to Avoid: Alcohol-based

products which are too drying. You also
don’t want to use any products
formulated for oil control or ultra
hydration to treat your entire face.
Either use separate products to target
the oily T-zone and dry areas, or look
for something that can restore skin’s
balance.

Normal Skin

How to Identify: Your skin is pretty

even-keeled, not much – or only
occasional – oil, dryness or breakouts
which go away quickly. You don’t really
experience reactions to products, and
your complexion appears balanced.

Cause: Genes, you lucky duck!

What to Avoid: Though normal skin is

one of the easiest types to care for, it’s
also one of the !rst skin types to show
signs of aging. Don’t forget to include
some anti-aging and hydrating
products in your skincare routine. And
don’t wait! Start as soon as your early
20’s for good prevention. Also, make
sure and back o" from any product that
causes a shift in skin to become more
oily or dry.

Sensitive Skin

How to identify: If your skin is easily

irritated or in#amed, or is itchy, dry or
gets red easily, congratulations! You’ve
won the sensitive skin lottery. Your skin
may react when using a new product,
#ush easily with heat, or you always get
those pesky razor bumps when you
shave. People with sensitive skin might
also sunburn easily or experience
conditions such as eczema or rosacea.

Cause: Unfortunately, there are a

number of things that can contribute to
skin sensitivity, and it can be tough to
pin down a single cause. There are, of
course, genetics and hormone
#uctuations. Weather (heat and cold),
dry climates and hard water can have a
big e"ect on skin. And, the products
you use (makeup, lotions, soap, laundry
detergent, etc.), can include fragrances
or harsh chemicals which can
aggravate skin sensitivities or allergies.

What to Avoid: Products with lots of

synthetic fragrance, heavy dyes or
harsh chemicals. Anything that
contains ingredients that might in#ame
potential allergies or irritations. It’s best
to stick to basic ingredients which
means, yes, some days you might just
want to use a little coconut oil as a
moisturizer.

A good rule is to always do a 24 hour

test patch on skin before applying a
new product to your entire face.
Become best friends with samples,
don’t waste your money or time
returning a product you ultimately
won’t be able to use.

How to Care for Your Skin Type

Now that we’ve !gured out your skin
type, I’m happy to share with you my
favorite products to care for your
unique skin so it can be your ideal skin!

For Oily Skin

Skin Script Glycolic Cleanser

This lovely cleanser removes excess oil

while gently exfoliating skin and
neutralizing acne-causing bacteria. It
also includes antioxidants and
nourishing ingredients to boost skin’s
health and leave you with a smooth,
refreshed complexion.

Dermalogica Oil Control Lotion

If oily skin is your concern, then look no

further! This lotion absorbs excess oils
and controls oil production throughout
the day providing your skin with a nice,
matte !nish. It also clears pores,
neutralizes breakout bacteria, and
soothes skin by reducing in#ammation.
Say so long to oil and breakouts!

Rhonda Allison Face Creams – Aloe

Matte Moisture

A moisturizer that hydrates skin while

controlling excess oil? It’s true! This