Have you ever experienced a situation where people recommended this and that skincare for your skin because it worked for theirs? Even if something worked for them, it may not necessarily work for you unless they have the same skin concerns and the same skin type as you.

Our advice? Take it with a grain of salt. Consider their suggestions but don’t jump right into it because it gave them tremendous results. It may or may not have the same results for you.

So come with us as we show you some of the ingredients/products you should avoid and the ones that your skin type needs.

How to know my Skin Type?

The first step to getting the best results in a skincare routine is to know your skin type. Now, why is this necessary? Because one size does not fit all.

So how can you tell if you have oily skin or combination skin? Or are you sure you have dry skin and not the combination and sensitive skin type?

It does sound a little tricky, but we have just the hack for you to find your skin type in two EASY ways.

Follow this link here to know what your skin type is.

What skincare ingredients are best for oily skin? 

Clogged and enlarged pores, acne breakout, and shiny forehead and nose are some of the signs that we all know about having oily skin type.

On the bright side – it does keep your skin moisturized and prevents it from drying during the cold and dry winters.

But come summer and it’s like an oil field ready to export oil.

Having oil on your face is not a bad thing. In fact, it is required to keep it moisturized but you just don’t need it to have it in excess.

Now how do we reduce the excess oil? Do we skip moisturizers and other steps that contribute to moisture altogether?

No, we do the opposite. We use lighter and hydrating moisturizers, toners, and serums that are not too heavy.

Basically, how this works is that when your skin is dehydrated (lack of water), more sebum (oil) is produced to cover up for the lack of hydration on your skin.

Attempting to dry out the excess oil is a bad idea, it only makes it worse – leads to even more sebum production making your skin even greasier.

These are some ingredients and products you should avoid using if you have an oily skin type. These include:

• Alcohol based products (the #1 No-No!)
• Natural or Essential Oils
• Petroleum Jelly
• Harsh physical exfoliators like scrubs

Instead go for products that have/ingredients such as:

1. Hyaluronic Acid

Products with Hyaluronic Acid as a key ingredient are great options. According to a study article by NCBI, this ingredient has been proven to reduce excess sebum (oil).

On a side note, Hyaluronic Acid is a powerhouse that helps by boosting the hydration that your skin needs – this helps to reduce the levels of excess sebum. This ingredient can be found across various types of products such as toners, cleansers, moisturizers, etc.

2. Niacinamide

Another amazing ingredient that may help with excess sebum levels on your skin. Another study article by NCBI showed that niacinamide can decrease the sebum production rate over a span of 2 – 4 weeks.

Niacinamide is a potent ingredient for reducing not just oiliness but also helps calm acne breakout inflammation, redness and helps brighten your skin. This ingredient can be found in serums, moisturizers, and more.

3. Salicylic Acid

This ingredient is also labeled as BHA in skincare products. What this ingredient does is – it dissolves the excess oil without drying out your face.

According to NCBI, salicylic acid is an effective ingredient for treating acne breakouts which include blackheads which are caused by one of the multiple factors – excess sebum.

This ingredient can be found in cleansers and is also used as a chemical exfoliator (removes dead skin cells that contribute to blackheads).

Which is the best ingredient for dry skin?

If oily skin types get to enjoy the cold & dry winters, then the dry skin types get to have fun in the hot & humid summers.

But can this be a plus point for dry skin types? What do you think?

Now, one factor that makes dry skin types ‘dry’ is the lack of enough natural oils.

Here’s a better explanation – If you have the dry skin type it is because your skin produces fewer natural oils, lipids, or sebum. This causes your skin to become dull and flaky.

This skin type is more likely to see aging signs faster than oily skin types too.

So then, what options do you have to keep your dry skin moisturized?

Let’s get into what products/ingredients you should be avoiding:

• BHA or Salicylic Acid (dissolves sebum)
• Alcohol-based products
• Fragrances
• Harsh Soaps
• Retinol

Instead go for ingredients such as:

1. Hyaluronic Acid

Works for both dry and oily skin types as it provides moisture and hydration needed to keep your skin glowy, plumpy & bouncy.

This naturally occurring ingredient is found in your body. Dry skin types can often come across problems like flakiness which is due to the absence of elasticity.

Hyaluronic Acid thus helps enhance your skin’s elasticity and rejuvenate your skin (source: NCBI)

2. Squalene

This is another ingredient/chemical that is produced by your body which is found in the sebum. Much like Hyaluronic Acid, it provides your skin with hydration and moisture.

Squalene helps to strengthen and repair your skin’s lipid barrier which retains oil and moisture.

It also serves as an emollient (helps improve skin texture) and a source of hydration for the skin. (source: NCBI)

3. Glycerin

An ingredient that is found in some skincare products is a much-needed ingredient that helps to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized.

It serves as a humectant that draws in hydration to your skin and locks the moisture for more plump and bouncy skin.

Glycerin also helps in strengthening the skin barrier which is responsible for protecting your skin.

Which ingredient is best for combination skin?

This one’s quite the trickster – in summer you’ll notice you have more oil on your face and in winter you’ll notice lesser to none in oiliness. Now, why is this so? Simple, a part of your face is dry and a part of your face is oily.

The parts of the face that are usually oily are called the T-Zones and the parts where you’ll notice dryness, flakiness, and cracks are part of the U-zone.

Now since this skin type is simply a combination of oily skin and dry skin type, it requires attention from both directions.

For combination skin types, it is best to focus on ingredients that are not too drying or too moisturizing.

Here are some ingredients you should avoid if you have a combination skin type:

• Fragrances
• Harsh Cleansers (strips off natural oils)
• Essential oils (clogs pores)
• Alcohol-based products

The ingredients you can use for your combination skin type are:

1. Hyaluronic Acid

This amazing ingredient just seems to work for every known skin type because of how balanced it is for both oily and dry skin types.

It is neither too heavy nor too light and strikes the right level of hydration and moisture needed by the skin.

For combination skin types, hyaluronic is a terrific ingredient choice that you can find in moisturizers, toners, sunscreens, and more.

2. Lactic Acid (AHA)

It has hydrating properties that work well with combination skin types. It helps in calming skin sensitivities that are caused by a weakened skin barrier.

Like any other AHA, lactic acid is an exfoliator that helps to slough off dead skin cells and excess sebum that cause acne breakouts including blackheads and whiteheads.

3. Peptides

Also known as polypeptides are naturally occurring in the human body. However, these chemicals can also be found in skincare products because of the benefits they hold.

It helps to strengthen your skin barrier. An improved skin barrier equals balanced oil and hydration levels on your skin.

Other benefits of peptides also include wrinkle reduction and also promotes skin elasticity.

As a beginner, it is always best to aim for basic skincare – cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and sunscreen. When you introduce too many skincare steps all at once, your skincare is unable to handle it all and could deal more damage than good.

If you’re still not sure, the next best step is to test out product samples and minis first (if available). This will help you determine better what your skin requires. The fact is, no one knows your skin better than yourself.