Know your skin type, then keep it to 3 steps: cleanse, moisturise, sunscreen

Facial skin is usually described as normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive. The simplest way to tell is to wash your face, wait about 30 minutes without applying anything, and notice how it feels. Once you know, you do not need ten bottles: a basic routine is three steps, cleanse, moisturise and sunscreen. Everything else is optional.

This is the first part of the “Beauty basics” series. It is general information based on dermatologists’ advice, not a diagnosis or treatment.

Five skin types and their signs

Type	What you usually see or feel
Normal	Not tight, not shiny, few problems
Dry	Tight, dull, may flake or peel; fine lines show more
Oily	Shiny all over, pores look larger, blackheads or breakouts
Combination	Oily forehead, nose and chin (the T-zone), drier or normal cheeks
Sensitive	Redness, itching, stinging or burning when products go on

The part people get wrong: sensitive skin is not on the same scale as oiliness. Oily skin can be sensitive, and so can dry skin. Sometimes sensitivity comes from an underlying condition such as eczema or rosacea, which a doctor should look at.

Your skin type is not fixed for life. Cleveland Clinic notes it can shift with age, season, hormones (puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding), stress and some medications. The same face can behave differently in the rainy season and in the cool season.

The 30-minute test at home

1. Wash with a mild cleanser and pat dry.
2. Apply nothing. Wait about 30 minutes.
3. Notice how it feels. Still tight: likely dry. Shiny all over: oily. Shiny only in the T-zone with comfortable cheeks: combination. Neither tight nor shiny: normal.
4. For a clearer picture, press blotting paper gently on your forehead, nose and cheeks and hold it up to the light to see where most oil shows.

Cleveland Clinic gives more weight to how your skin looks and feels than to the blotting paper, since no single test is perfect. Repeating it on two or three days, at a similar time, gives a truer picture than one try.

The 3-step basic routine

1. Cleanse. The AAD suggests washing your face when you wake up, before bed and after sweating. Use warm (not hot) water and a gentle cleanser, massage lightly with your fingertips, and pat dry with a clean towel. Do not scrub: it irritates skin and can make problems worse. Before bed, take all makeup off (part 4 of this series covers how).

2. Moisturise. Moisturiser holds water in the skin, and it works best on skin that is still slightly damp after washing. Dry skin often does better with a cream. Oily skin can use a gel or an oil-free formula labelled non-comedogenic (designed not to clog pores).

3. Sunscreen. Every morning, even on cloudy days. The AAD recommends broad spectrum (protects against UVA and UVB), SPF 30 or higher. Use enough, and reapply when you are outdoors. How much, and what PA means, is the next part.

Gentle cleansing, moisturiser to match your skin, sunscreen every morning. Until these three are consistent, no extra bottle will do much.

Adjusting for your type

Type	Cleanse	Moisturise	Sunscreen
Dry	Gentle cleanser, no hot water	Cream or ointment on damp skin	A texture that doesn’t feel tight
Oily	Mild foaming wash, up to twice a day + after sweating	Oil-free gel	Oil-free / non-comedogenic
Combination	As usual	On dry areas; go light on oily ones	All over the face
Sensitive	Fragrance-free, dye-free	Fragrance-free, short ingredient list	Mineral (zinc oxide / titanium dioxide) is often tolerated better

One dermatologist quoted by the AAD tells people with combination skin to treat their face “as though it’s two faces”: moisturise the dry spots and skip the oily ones.

A note for sensitive skin: “unscented” does not always mean fragrance-free. Some formulas add masking agents to hide odours. Look for “fragrance-free” instead.

What is optional

Toner, serum, eye cream, masks, face oils and scrubs are all extras. None is required for a basic routine. The AAD suggests that if you want to add something, choose one product aimed at your main concern, such as dark spots or acne, and give it time. Cleveland Clinic’s bottom line is the same: keep it simple, because too many or too harsh products are a common cause of trouble.

Example: adding 3 new products, how long it takes

Say you want to add a new serum, a new cream and a new sunscreen. Following the AAD’s advice:

1. Test each on the inside of your arm or the bend of your elbow, about a coin-sized patch, twice a day for 7-10 days. If there is no redness, itching or swelling, start using it on your face.
2. Use it consistently for at least 30 days before deciding whether it works.

Per product = 10 days testing + 30 days of use = 40 days Three products, one at a time = 40 × 3 = 120 days, about 4 months

That sounds slow. But if you start all three on the same day and your face turns red and stings on day 5, you have no idea which one caused it. You stop everything and start again, which costs more time. (For a wash-off cleanser, test by leaving it on the skin for about 5 minutes, or as the label says.)

Some ingredients, such as retinol or glycolic acid, may cause mild irritation at first on sensitive skin, which the AAD says can be normal. Real redness, swelling or strong itching means wash it off and stop.

Common mistakes

• Skipping moisturiser because skin is oily. Oily skin still needs hydration; choose a lighter texture rather than nothing.
• Washing more often or harder to cut oil. Harsh cleansers irritate skin, and the AAD notes they may even increase oil (part 3 covers this).
• Switching products every two weeks. You see no results, only irritated skin.
• Sunscreen only on “going out” days. You get daylight every day, on the commute and near windows.
• Trusting one test forever. Skin changes with seasons and hormones; adjust as it does.

When to see a dermatologist

Persistent acne that basic care does not improve, oiliness that worries you, dry skin that cracks, bleeds or stings, frequent red rashes, or reactions that cause swelling are reasons to see a dermatologist. If you cannot work out what you react to, a dermatologist may order patch testing, a medical test that is different from trying a product on your arm.

Hands get more water and soap than any other skin each day. If that is on your mind, see Hand and skin care basics. The next part of this series covers how SPF and PA differ and how much sunscreen is actually enough.

Sources

• Understanding skin types — Cleveland Clinic
• How to control oily skin — American Academy of Dermatology
• Skin care tips dermatologists use — American Academy of Dermatology
• Dermatologist-recommended skin care for your 20s — American Academy of Dermatology
• How to test skin care products — American Academy of Dermatology
• Dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin — American Academy of Dermatology