Normal, oily, dry, dehydrated. Whatever your skin type, the best way (we find) to keep it looking and FEELING healthy, is to top up on a few greens here-and-there (we hear a blend of kale and apple juice is where it’s at, right now), and feed your skin with natural goodness.
So, here’s a few fast and fab ways to look after your skin, whether your ‘type’ is any or a combo of the above:
Dry skin: 3 steps to keep it feeling happy
Our skin can change. From season to season, from month to month... AND, even day to day. A move to the city, a lack of sleep, or simply a cold snap (hello stressed skin!) can all have an impact.
When you're in the dry skin gang, your skin is likely producing less sebum, which can make your skin feel a little tight and rough. This can also leave your skin unprotected, making it extra sensitive. To help here’s a simple skin care routine you can try:
1. Lock moisture in! Your skin will say thank you(!) if you keep it moisturised throughout the day. A great tip is to cover your body with a natural body butter or body oil, straight after your shower, and whilst your skin is still damp. You'll help win back natural elasticity and softness.
2. Protection time! Do your skin a favour and build a barrier against the air pollution, smoke, etc. How? Just apply natural face oil before putting makeup on! Moisture in, unwanted particles out.
3. Don’t forget your hands! The back of your hands is usually extra sensitive to dryness, so it helps to reapply your moisturiser a couple of times a day (right after you wash your hands is the perfect moment to do it). Hand balms are lovely to have in your pocket, for whenever you need a moisture surge.
One last tip for dry skin: We know long, hot showers feel amazing and are a great time to decompress and unwind, but short showers (less than 10 minutes) with cooler water let you keep the protective lipids in your skin. Bye dryness!
Oily skin: 3 steps to feeling smooth and fresh
So, what about you guys with oily skin? As a result of an overproduction of sebum (which is not as bad as it sounds), you might want to combat a bit of shine, and maybe you're more prone to acne? But, one things for sure, oily skin needs oil too (much to contrary belief), so here’s the quick skin care routine you can adopt:
1. Less sebum please! Less sebum please! To keep your skin smooth and nourished, a good thing to avoid is washing your face more than twice a day. Your skin will always be grateful if you’re gentle: no harsh scrubs, and use natural instead of chemical cleansers (which can actually strip skin of natural oils causing you to become more oily). So, treat and feed your skin well.
2. Less visible pores? We recommend using a face serum that includes aloe vera; it’s a natural ingredient that can help unclog your pores, minimising their appearance and leaving a refreshing feeling.
3. Less stress, less oiliness. It’s super important for your skin care routine to be a relaxing ritual for you. To enjoy it more and reduce daily stress, include a gentle body lotion with calming fragrances like lavender and jasmine.
Combination skin: Turning your T-zone into your yes-zone
Have you heard about the T-zone? It’s the part of your face that tends to have more oil, like your nose, forehead and chin. When you have an oily T-zone while the rest of your face is dry, you simply need to find a balanced skin care routine:
1. Different parts, different products. You can easily use the tips above for each part of your face, but there’s something that every skin type needs: deep hydration! Well-hydrated skin doesn’t overproduce sebum, and can hold in water to prevent a dry look and feeling.
2. Saying no to over-exfoliation. Exfoliating your T-zone too often, or with a little too much energy, can increase oiliness. A better option? Washing your face without overdoing it! You want to remove makeup and sweat, but not the healthy oils on your skin: if those are gone, your skin can start to overcompensate.
3. Saying no to harsh stripping ingredients. Some products remove T-zone oiliness at the moment you apply them, but increase it afterwards. And the rest of your face can suffer too, because they can also cause dry skin irritation.
It shouldn’t be hard to take care of your unique skin type! A simple combination of gentle cleansers and moisturisers with natural ingredients can maintain your healthy glow.