Finding My True Skin Type

Your skin is as unique as you are. Understanding your skin is the first step to achieving a healthy, glowing complexion. While skincare routines can feel overwhelming, knowing your skin type—Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, or Sensitive—can simplify the process and help you choose the right products.

In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know: how to identify your skin type, build a personalized routine, and find products that meet your skin’s unique needs. Let’s dive into the art of caring for your skin!

The Five Main Skin Types

Skin comes in different types. Here’s a breakdown: 

Oily Skin: If your skin tends to get shiny throughout the day, especially in your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin), you likely have oily skin. This means your skin produces more sebum (natural oil). While some oil is good, too much can lead to enlarged pores, blackheads, and breakouts.

Dry Skin: Does your skin feel tight, flaky, or rough? Then you probably have dry skin. This means your skin doesn't produce enough oil, leading to a lack of moisture.

Combination Skin: This skin type presents a unique challenge: it's a mix of oily and dry areas, usually with an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry or normal cheeks. The oiliness is caused by overactive sebaceous glands in the T-zone, while the dryness is due to a lack of oil production in other areas.

Sensitive Skin: This reactivity can manifest in different ways: redness, itching, burning, stinging, dryness, or even breakouts. The skin's barrier function, which protects it from external irritants, is often compromised in sensitive skin.

Normal Skin: Normal skin is considered the "balanced" skin type. It's neither excessively oily nor overly dry. The skin's oil production is moderate, pores are typically small, and there are few to no breakouts. Normal skin has a healthy balance of moisture and oil, giving it a smooth and even texture.

How to Identify Your Skin Type

Have you ever wondered why some products just don’t seem to work for your skin? Understanding your skin type is the key to solving the mystery! Luckily, figuring it out doesn’t have to be complicated. With these two simple methods, you can observe your skin’s natural behavior and discover exactly what it needs.

# The Bare-Face Method

1. Wash your face with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser, like ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Cleanser or ANUA 8 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser. Gently pat it dry with a clean towel.
2. Avoid applying any skincare products (like toner or moisturizer) and let your skin rest for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, observe how your skin feels and looks:

• Feels tight or flaky? Your skin is likely dry skin.
• Looks shiny all over? You probably have oily skin.
• Shiny in the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) but dry or normal on the cheeks? This indicates combination skin.
• Feels comfortable and balanced, with no obvious dryness or shine? That’s normal skin.

Skincare Routines for Every Skin Type

Now that you know your skin type, it's time to build your dream K-beauty routine! Here are some targeted solutions and product recommendations available at H ART:

Oily Skin Routine: Control Shine, Not Moisture!

This routine focuses on controlling excess oil, minimizing pores, and preventing breakouts without stripping your skin's natural moisture.

• Cleanser: Pyunkang Yul Acne Facial Cleanser - A good choice for oily and acne-prone skin. It contains salicylic acid (BHA) from white willow bark extract, which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and control sebum production.

• Toner: ISNTREE Green Tea Fresh Toner - This refreshing toner helps balance oil production and minimize the appearance of pores. It contains 80% Jeju-sourced green tea extract and a patented Anti Sebum P(HD) formula for exceptional oil control and pore care. The toner also includes centella asiatica extract, hyaluronic acid, and other ingredients that help balance oil-moisture levels and soothe the skin

• Serum: ANUA Niacinamide 10%+Txa 4% Dark Spot Correcting Serum - This lightweight, oil-free serum is formulated with niacinamide, a powerful ingredient that helps regulate sebum production, minimize pores, and even out skin tone. The addition of tranexamic acid targets dark spots and hyperpigmentation, often a concern for oily skin that's prone to breakouts.

• Moisturizer: ISNTREE Gel Cream - This gel-based moisturizer provides lightweight hydration without clogging pores or leaving a greasy residue. It absorbs quickly, leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated, not oily or shiny.

• SPF: COSRX Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen - Protecting oily skin from the sun is essential to prevent further damage and breakouts. This lightweight, mattifying sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection without adding extra shine or clogging pores. The added vitamin E offers antioxidant benefits.

Dry Skin Routine: Hydration is Key!

This routine prioritizes deep hydration and nourishment to combat dryness, flakiness, and tightness, leaving your skin feeling soft, supple, and healthy.

• Cleanser: numbuzin No.2 Deep Clean Fresh Cream Cleanser - This creamy, non-stripping formula gently cleanses your skin without removing essential oils, preventing that tight, dry feeling after washing. It effectively removes impurities while maintaining your skin's natural moisture barrier.

• Toner: ISNTREE Hyaluronic Acid Toner - This toner is a hydration booster, infused with hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin. It preps your skin for better absorption of serums and creams, maximizing the hydrating effects of your routine.

• Serum: COSRX The Vitamin C 23 Serum - While known for its brightening properties, this serum also provides nourishing benefits thanks to its formulation. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help improve skin texture and tone, while the serum's texture helps to lock in moisture.

• Moisturizer: COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream - This thick, rich cream is a true hydration powerhouse. With 92% snail mucin, it deeply moisturizes, repairs the skin barrier, and promotes elasticity, helping to soothe and heal dry, irritated skin.

• SPF: ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moist Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ - Protecting dry skin from the sun is essential to prevent further dehydration and damage. This moisturizing sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection while adding an extra layer of hydration, thanks to its birch juice content.

Combination Skin Routine: Balancing Act!

This routine is designed to address the unique challenges of combination skin, balancing oil production in the T-zone while providing adequate hydration to drier areas, leaving your skin feeling balanced, healthy, and radiant.

• Cleanser: ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam - This balancing cleanser effectively removes impurities and excess oil from the T-zone without stripping moisture from drier areas of your face. It helps to unclog pores and prevent breakouts while maintaining the skin's natural balance.

• Toner: ANUA Birch 70 Moisture Boosting Toner 250mL - This toner offers a balanced approach, providing hydration to drier areas while also helping to regulate oil production in the T-zone. Its lightweight formula absorbs quickly, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and prepped for the next steps in your routine.

• Serum: Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum : Propolis + Niacinamide - This serum is a great option for targeting specific areas of combination skin. The lightweight texture is ideal for the T-zone, where it helps control oil and minimize pores thanks to the niacinamide. The propolis provides added nourishment and glow. For drier areas, you can layer a slightly richer moisturizer on top for extra hydration.

• Moisturizer: AXIS-Y Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream - This unique duo cream is perfect for combination skin, offering two different textures in one jar. The lightweight gel is ideal for the oily T-zone, while the richer cream provides intense hydration for drier areas like the cheeks. This allows you to customize your moisturization based on your skin's specific needs.

• SPF: TOCOBO Bio Watery Sun Cream - Protecting combination skin from the sun is essential. This lightweight sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection without feeling heavy or greasy. Its watery texture absorbs quickly and won't clog pores, making it suitable for daily wear.

Sensitive Skin Routine: Gentle and Soothing!

This routine is carefully curated to soothe and protect sensitive skin, minimizing irritation and strengthening the skin barrier with gentle, hypoallergenic ingredients.

• Cleanser: ANUA 8 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser - Indeed, this is a good choice for sensitive skin. It contains 8 types of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and squalane, which help maintain skin hydration and strengthen the moisture barrier

• Toner: Dr.G Red Blemish Soothing Toner - This toner is specifically formulated to calm redness and irritation, common concerns for sensitive skin. Its alcohol-free formula is infused with soothing ingredients like green tea extract (or chamomile/aloe vera, depending on the exact formulation), which helps to reduce inflammation and promote a calm, balanced complexion.

• Serum: ANUA Nano Retinol 0.3% Nicain Renewing Serum - While retinol can be irritating for some, this serum is formulated with a low concentration of nano retinol and soothing ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides (or oatmeal), making it a gentler option for sensitive skin. It helps to improve skin texture and tone while minimizing the risk of irritation.

• Moisturizer: ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Soothing Gel - This lightweight gel moisturizer provides essential hydration without feeling heavy or greasy. Its ceramide-rich formula helps to strengthen the skin barrier, which is often compromised in sensitive skin, making it less prone to irritation.

• SPF: Cell Fusion C Laser Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ - This mineral-based sunscreen provides gentle yet effective broad-spectrum protection using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Mineral sunscreens are generally well-tolerated by sensitive skin as they create a physical barrier against the sun's rays rather than using chemical filters.

Normal Skin Routine: Maintain the Balance!

This routine focuses on maintaining your skin's natural balance with gentle and effective products, keeping it healthy, hydrated, and glowing.

• Cleanser: ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing Cleanser - This gentle, pH-balanced cleanser effectively removes impurities without stripping your skin's natural oils, leaving it feeling clean and refreshed, not tight or dry. Its birch juice base also adds a touch of extra hydration.

• Toner: ETUDE Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner - This toner is a perfect match for normal skin, with its low pH formula that helps maintain the skin's optimal balance. It provides a boost of hydration and soothes any minor irritation, leaving your skin feeling comfortable and prepped for the next steps in your routine.

• Serum: I'm from Rice Serum - This serum is packed with antioxidants from rice extract, which helps protect your skin from environmental stressors and promotes a healthy, radiant complexion. It also provides lightweight hydration and helps improve skin texture.

• Moisturizer: ANUA Heartleaf 70 Daily Lotion - This lightweight lotion provides just the right amount of hydration for normal skin without feeling heavy or greasy. The heartleaf extract helps soothe and calm the skin, making it a great option for daily use. 

• SPF: JUMISO Awe-Sun Airy-Fit Sunscreen SPF - Protecting your skin from the sun is crucial, even for normal skin. This sunscreen offers broad-spectrum protection with a lightweight, airy texture that won't clog pores or leave a white cast. It's perfect for daily wear. 

Explore Your Perfect Match

Building the perfect skincare routine can be simpler than you think. Now that you know your skin type, you’re one step closer to discovering products that bring out your natural glow.