Time and again, we have been urged by several influencers and experts to do a patch test before incorporating the product into the skincare routine. Moreover, this is the very first and basic instruction behind any skincare product, and this is done so that you use the products which best suit your skin type.
Using the products according to the type of your skin is crucial, as certain ingredients are meant to be used by only specific skin types, while the rest can mess up the chemical balancing, and result in a pale-coloured face, breakouts and much more.
In a recent conversation with HT Lifestyle, Dr Shruti Marwah, MBBS, MS MCH detailed different types of skin. While emphasizing the importance of knowing your skin type, Dr Shruti said, “It gives an idea about the environment suitable for it, skincare products to use to maintain the glow and also the bad effects on it due to one or other reasons. One wrong product can cause serious skin problems. Choosing the right product is possible only if you know your skin type better and that will help you in preventing skin from harmful effects and reactions.”
The expert further elaborated on the types of skin and divided them into five categories- oily, dry, normal, combination, and sensitive.
Dr Shruti explained how one can find which skin type one has. She said that oily skin can be recognised with the production of excess sebum on the face, which always makes the skin glowy and shiny. Dry skin will usually appear rough and dull, while normal skin is mixed with both types. Normal skin type is also known as combination skin.
Revealing the skin care products that should be used by different skin types, Dermatologist Dr Geetika Srivastava in an interview with the publication listed a few important points. Saying the people with the combination skin type are the blessed ones, as managing their skin doesn’t require many products. She urged them to avoid chemicals and stick to the golden rule of cleansing, moisturising and using sunscreen.
The dermatologist said that people with oily skin should use facewash containing AHA/BHA. Alpha Hydroxy Acid and Beta Hydroxy Acid are very well known for controlling the sebum and further helping in acne issues. She added that if you have an oily skin type then you must switch to gel-based products from cream-based ones and choose the products that are non-comedogenic in nature. For sunscreen, oily skin people must use the one that has silicone in it, and they must note that salicylic is their saviour. Coming to the dry skin type, the expert asked them to completely depend on moisturising and the products that provide heavy hydration like hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C.
Dry skin type people must stay away from AHA/BHA and retinol. Talking about people with sensitive skin, they must switch their facewashes to cleansers and go for chemical-free products. Apart from chemical-free products, doing the patch test becomes mandatory for people with sensitive skin. Dr Geetika added that as a moisturiser is a must for sensitive skin types, they can use a green-tinted moisturiser to cover the redness. The dermatologist also recommended people with sensitive skin stay away from toners, salicylic acid, anti-acne preparations, AHAs, BHAs, and retinol.
