Most skincare fails not because the products are bad, but because they were chosen for the wrong skin type. Before you invest in anything, you need to know what you’re working with.
The Four Main Skin Types
Oily Skin
Your face looks shiny within hours of washing, particularly in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin). Pores appear large. Makeup slides off. Breakouts are common. What you need: lightweight, non-comedogenic (won’t block pores) formulas. Gel-based cleansers, water-based serums, oil-free moisturisers. Avoid heavy creams and facial oils applied to the T-zone.
Dry Skin
Skin feels tight or uncomfortable after cleansing. Flakiness around the nose or cheeks. Fine lines are more visible than they should be for your age. What you need: richer formulas with ceramides and fatty acids that repair the skin barrier. Cream cleansers, hydrating serums, richer moisturisers. Layer a facial oil as your final step at night.
Combination Skin
Oily in the T-zone, normal or dry on the cheeks. The most common skin type globally. What you need: balance. A gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip. A lightweight moisturiser everywhere, and targeted treatments where needed. Avoid the trap of using oily-skin products everywhere because of your T-zone.
Sensitive Skin
Reacts to products with redness, itching, or burning. Easily irritated by fragrance, alcohol, or strong actives. What you need: fragrance-free, minimal-ingredient formulas. Patch test everything. Introduce one new product at a time, waiting two weeks before adding another. Start with soothing ingredients like niacinamide before brightening actives.
How to Identify Your Skin Type in 1 Hour
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry
- Apply nothing — no moisturiser, no serum
- Wait 60 minutes
- Look in the mirror: shiny all over = oily. Tight and flaky = dry. Shiny only in the middle = combination. Red or uncomfortable = sensitive.
The Ingredients to Look For (By Skin Type)
| Skin Type | Look for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Oily | Salicylic acid, niacinamide, zinc | Heavy oils, coconut oil, comedogenic butters |
| Dry | Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids | Alcohol-based toners, harsh cleansers |
| Combination | Glycerin, niacinamide, gentle AHA | Products formulated for extremes |
| Sensitive | Centella asiatica, niacinamide, aloe | Fragrance, strong retinols, high-acid peels |
The Most Common Beginner Mistakes
Over-cleansing. Washing your face three times a day strips your barrier and triggers more oil production. Twice daily maximum, and only once if your skin is dry.
Too many products at once. If your skin reacts, you won’t know what caused it. Introduce products one at a time.
Skipping SPF. Every brightening active, every anti-ageing serum, every retinol works better when you protect the result with SPF.
Browse our range by skin concern in the Beauty collection. Each product page specifies which skin types it suits.
