Choosing Skincare Products Based on Your Skin Type

Your skin is your largest organ, and it does a lot of heavy lifting, protecting you from harmful bacteria and other environmental pollutants. 

Though your skin is tough and can handle a lot, various internal and external factors can start to take their toll. While it’s fairly difficult to keep internal factors, such as genetics, aging, and hormones, from affecting the health of your skin, you can influence external factors, such as sun exposure, hydration, and cleansing frequency. 

Your skincare routine — something you have complete control over —  also plays a huge role in skin health. Dr. Ben Cilento and our team at Butterfly MedSpa and Wellness in Spring and The Woodlands, Texas, are passionate about helping you achieve and maintain healthy skin. 

Part of a good skincare routine is understanding your skin type and choosing products that complement that type. This month’s blog explores the different skin types and how to choose the correct products. 

Caring for dry skin

When you have dry skin, your skin doesn’t produce enough of an oily substance known as sebum. Sebum, made by your sebaceous glands, keeps your skin healthy and moisturized. Without it, your skin can look dull and feel tight and scaly. 

Make sure to choose gentle cleansers that don’t have harsh ingredients, such as retinoids, and moisturize with products that contain ingredients that trap moisture, such as paraffin or lanolin. 

Wash your face and take showers in warm water, not hot, since hot water dries out your skin further.​​ Only wash your face once a day, and limit how often you exfoliate. Apply sunscreen daily, and drink water often to hydrate your skin internally. 

Caring for oily skin

In opposition to dry skin, oily skin is the result of sebum overproduction. Oily skin is often shiny and greasy and frequently clogs pores, leading to acne flare-ups. 

When choosing a cleanser for oily skin, opt for one that contains ingredients that can unclog pores, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Don’t wash your face more than twice a day, as more frequent washing can trigger more sebum production. Use moisturizers that are light and marked “oil-free.”

Try not to touch your face, since this can further clog pores; if needed, you can also use blotting papers throughout the day to absorb excess oil. Always remove makeup at night since sleeping with makeup on can worsen oily skin. 

Even with oily skin, it’s important to wear sunscreen. Sunscreen that contains zinc oxide and doesn’t have fragrances should be safe to wear if you’re prone to acne breakouts. 

Caring for combination skin

As the name suggests, you have combination skin if you have oily skin around your forehead and nose but you have dry skin around your cheeks and eye area.

Combination skin can be trickier to treat since every person with this skin type needs to approach skin care a little differently. You may need to treat the dry and oily areas separately, making sure to keep each targeted product in its intended area. 

In addition, you may need to use lower-strength products for each skin area. For example, while someone with oily skin may need to use a 10% benzoyl peroxide cleanser, you may only need 2% for your combination skin. You may also want a moisturizer that isn’t super thick around the dry areas to avoid clogging oily areas. 

You may need some trial and error to figure out how your combination skin responds best, and our team is happy to recommend products we know work for those with combination skin.

Caring for sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is typically the result of an underlying condition — such as eczema, rosacea, or contact dermatitis — causing severe skin irritation after exposure to certain triggers. 

Make sure you steer clear of skin care products that contain harsh ingredients, such as dyes and fragrances. Even if your sensitive skin is oily, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid will leave it feeling irritated and more sensitive, so it’s best to avoid those ingredients. 

What’s your skin type?

Not sure what your skin type is or how to care for it? Our team offers skin assessments along with customized skincare products and routines to help you get clear, healthy skin. Schedule a consultation at your nearest Butterfly MedSpa and Wellness office in Spring or The Woodlands of Houston, Texas, today.