SKIN TEST

Use the guide below to help you to identify your skin type from the way it looks, feels and behaves, so you can give it the right type of external treatment. When it’s clean and free of make-up and moisturiser for at least an hour (and preferably during the afternoon when it’s well into its day behaviour), move your mirror to a good light near a large window with you facing outwards and carry out your examination. Keep a note of your findings and remember to re-check from time to time to keep up with any alterations due to different seasons, the passing years, trouble spots in your life, major hormonal changes, holidays, and so on.

Combination skin
Combination skin looks and behaves like more than one skin type. If you don’t fit into a category note the characteristics by ticking the relevant ‘look and behaviour’ items so you can treat the different areas according to type. Many skin houses are labelling their products for normal/oily skins, normal/dry skins, etc, which is helpful as few faces have an even oil output overall.

How your skin will look

If it is normal:
· even texture
· minimal lines
· no shine
· lively, bright tone


If it is sensitive and/or dehydrated:
· very fine texture
· premature very fine lines

If it is oily:
· coarse texture
· shine
· possible blemishes

If it is dry:
· fine texture
· fine surface lines
· dryness, flakiness
· it looks good when young and nothing upsets it.
· skin looks stretched
· flaking/blotching/irritated areas
· few, if any, lines (deeper ones round mobile areas  eyes, mouth  if you’re older)

How your skin behaves

If it is normal it:
· is relatively trouble free
· will feel supple
· rarely has a spot, a blemish

If it’s dry it:
· behaves badly in weather extremes
· can’t get enough moisturiser

If it’s sensitive it will be:
· terribly touchy
· taut and papery to touch
· inclined to redness, surface veins

If it’s oily it will:
· be quite resilient
· soak up cosmetics, particularly in warm weather
· often look and feel grubby by the afternoon
· takes most treatment and make­up beautifully
· sometimes feels rough and ‘chapped’
· is unpredictable
· upset by many things, from temperature extremes to some beauty treatments and products
· be prone to blemishes, particularly if you are tense, unwell or around menstruation time