Skin Type & Caring

WHAT's YOUR SKIN TYPE?

Even the most amazing products won't do squat if they're not meant for your type. Here's a suggestion what complexion category you fall into.

Skin Type	Characteristics
Dry	Small pores, dullness, skin feels tight postcleansing
Oily	Large pores, acne prone, frequently looks shiny
Combination	Forehead, nose and chin are oily while cheeks are drier
Normal	Simlar to those of combination skin but with less oil in the T-Zone area

Here's the basic cleansing and moisturizing regimen you should follow every day.

Daily Care for Every Type

If Your Skin is...	Cleansing	Moisturizing
Dry	Wash with a mild, creamy, soap-free formula at night and just rinse with warm water in the morning.	Your skin can handle a cream that contains major hydrators like silicone, ceramides or glycerin. They prevent moisture from escaping your skin.
Oily	Oily sin needs a potent cleanser with salicylic acid alpha-hydroxy acid to get rid of dead skin and dissolve the excess sebum that plugs your pores.	Even if you feel you don't need it, you should use a moisturiser. Get a non- comedogenic one with a humectant, such as sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid or ceramides.
Combination	An oil free foaming cleanser with salicylic acid will get rid of the oil without stripping the dry areas.	If the dry parts are red and irritated, use a calming cream with chamomile or aloe. Otherwise, treat your skin as if it were oily with a humectant lotion.
Normal	Wash twice a day with a gentle soap-free, water-soluble formula.	Try out a bunch of lightweight non-comedogenic lotions until you find one that makes your skin feel its softest and smoothest.

Serve Yourself Right

Globbing on face products won't get you better results. Save yourself some dough by sticking to these usage guidelines.

Product	How Much To Use
Cleanser	Half a teaspoon will be enough for your face and neck.
Day Cream	Use about an inch-round dollop of lotion to cover your face and neck.
Night Cream	Night formulas are usually more concentrated that day creams, so use a little less.
Eye Cream	Divide this amount between both eye areas. The standard pot of eye cream is a half ounce, and that should last you about three months.
Zit Cream	Target only the zit so you don't dry out the skin around it.

Three Ways to Max Out Moisturiser

• Apply your cream to freshly washed damp skin within 3 to 5 minutes to seal in moisture that's already there
• Massage the cream in for at least 15 seconds to boost circulation and push the lotion as far into your skin as possible
• Screw the lid on tightly to prevent oxidation, which can decrease the potency of certain ingredients