Understanding your skin type is crucial in deciding which skin care products will work best with your skin. We’ve all experienced the frustration of using the wrong products on our skin, which can lead to a minor rash or serious chemical burn. This can permanently damage your skin instead of improving it. Let’s delve deeper into how you can understand your skin.  

How do you determine your skin type?

Many of us don’t know our skin type or how to determine what type it is and often end up using the wrong products, which do more harm than good. The “bare face” method is one of the most common methods to determine your skin type and can easily be done at home. The Bare Face Method:

1. Cleanse your face thoroughly, pat dry and leave your face bare for 30 minutes. Don’t apply any serums or moisturisers during this time.
2. After 30 minutes, evaluate your skin in the mirror and take note of any shine or feeling of tension in the skin.
3. Wait another 30 minutes before revaluating your skin to see if you notice any of the following:

• If you have flaky or tight skin, you may have dry skin
• A light shine on your nose and forehead indicates normal/combination skin
• Shine on your cheeks means you’re likely to have oily skin

Learn more on your skin type here: Skin types Or, Aloe Unique offers free skincare consultations.  Book yours here: skincare consultation  

Common skincare mistakes

Once you have a good understanding of your skin type, the next step to make sure you have healthy, happy skin, is to avoid these skincare mistakes. Some lifestyle choices also affect your skin, such as:

• Not enough sleep: your skin repairs and rejuvenates while you sleep. It’s called beauty sleep for a reason
• Not drinking enough water: water improves the tone of your skin, helps prevents premature aging by increasing elasticity, reduces puffiness and maintains your skin’s pH balance
• An irregular skincare routine: your skin needs regular attention to keep it refreshed, rejuvenated, and looking good

See these other two common skincare mistakes you should avoid: skincare mistakes

Skin purging

Have you noticed little red bumps appearing on your face which are tender when touched? These may be white and blackheads, pustules, papules, or cysts, which can lead to pimples. Skin purging is your body’s natural way of removing dirt from your skin’s pores. Think of skin purging as a deep cleanse. The result of skin purging should be clearer, healthier, and younger-looking skin. To learn more about skin purging, click here: skin purging   What is skin pigmentation? Once you know your skin type, you may start to notice uneven dark patches on your face, neck, shoulders or hands. Skin pigmentation or brown spots is a change in colour of your skin based on the amount of melanin it has. Time outdoors or in the sun can lead to skin pigmentation so be sure to always wear SPF sunblock to help prevent brown spots.   Skincare consultation As part of our commitment to providing exceptional customer service, we have a Cosmetologist on hand to help you better understand your skin. Odette is qualified to give you advice on your individual skin needs or concerns and to offer you tips on how best to achieve your desired skin results. Book your free skincare consultation here: skincare consultation