Skin terminal

Skin type and concern guide

Skin care is two questions: what kind of skin you have (which decides textures and how much you can tolerate) and what you want to change (which decides ingredients). Pick a row and a column. Each page says what the pairing means, which ingredient groups are built for it, what tends to make it worse, and an order for morning and evening. It does not promise results; what a product does depends on the product and on you, and a concern that persists, hurts or spreads is for a dermatologist.

Type \ concern	Dryness	Breakouts	Redness	Dullness and uneven tone	Fine lines	Sun
Dry Tight after washing, flakes in winter, makeup sits in lines.	Dry + dryness	Dry + breakouts	Dry + redness	Dry + dullness and uneven tone	Dry + fine lines	Dry + sun
Oily Shine by noon, enlarged pores, breakouts along the T-zone.	Oily + dryness	Oily + breakouts	Oily + redness	Oily + dullness and uneven tone	Oily + fine lines	Oily + sun
Combination An oily T-zone with normal or dry cheeks: two skins, one face.	Combination + dryness	Combination + breakouts	Combination + redness	Combination + dullness and uneven tone	Combination + fine lines	Combination + sun
Normal Neither tight nor shiny most days; small pores, even tone.	Normal + dryness	Normal + breakouts	Normal + redness	Normal + dullness and uneven tone	Normal + fine lines	Normal + sun
Sensitive Stings, flushes or itches with products other people find mild.	Sensitive + dryness	Sensitive + breakouts	Sensitive + redness	Sensitive + dullness and uneven tone	Sensitive + fine lines	Sensitive + sun

Which type am I?

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, pat dry, and wait an hour with nothing on it.

Dry Tight after washing, flakes in winter, makeup sits in lines.

Feels tight an hour after cleansing
Visible flaking at the nose, brows or jaw
Fine lines look deeper by evening
Rarely shines, even at midday

Oily Shine by noon, enlarged pores, breakouts along the T-zone.

Forehead and nose shine within hours of washing
Pores visible at arm's length
Blotting paper comes away marked
Makeup slides by afternoon

Combination An oily T-zone with normal or dry cheeks: two skins, one face.

Shine on forehead and nose, none on cheeks
Cheeks feel tight while the nose is slick
Pores larger in the center of the face
Products that suit the cheeks are too rich for the nose

Normal Neither tight nor shiny most days; small pores, even tone.

Comfortable after washing without a moisturizer
Few breakouts, no flaking
Pores small and even
Tolerates most products

Sensitive Stings, flushes or itches with products other people find mild.

Stinging with new products, even water sometimes
Redness after wind, heat or wine
Reacts to fragrance or essential oils
Rashes or hives from fabrics or detergents

The concerns

What each one is, in a line; the pairing pages have the rest.

Dryness Tightness, flaking and a dull, rough surface.

Look for: Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid, Ceramides, Shea butter.

Breakouts Blackheads, whiteheads and red bumps, usually on oily areas.

Look for: Salicylic acid, Benzoyl peroxide, Niacinamide, Kaolin clay.

Redness Flushing, visible capillaries, or skin that stings.

Look for: Colloidal oatmeal, Panthenol, Allantoin, Centella asiatica.

Dullness and uneven tone Skin that looks grey or tired, dark spots after breakouts or sun.

Look for: Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid.

Fine lines Lines at the eyes and mouth that stay after the expression goes.

Look for: Retinol, Retinaldehyde, Bakuchiol, Peptides.

Sun Protecting skin on a UV day and caring for it afterwards.

Look for: Zinc oxide, Titanium dioxide, Avobenzone, Aloe vera.

Where the lines are drawn

In the US a product that claims to treat a condition is a drug: sunscreens, acne treatments, antiperspirants, dandruff shampoos and skin protectants are sold over the counter under FDA monographs and carry a Drug Facts panel. Everything else is a cosmetic, which may clean, beautify and alter appearance. We write to that line: the words here describe what an ingredient is and what it is used for, not what it will do for you.

Tools that go with this

Ingredient glossary for the names on your label; UV and skin index for today's sun and humidity in fifty cities; skin tools for the sunscreen dose, a use-by date from the jar symbol, and routine order; FDA and CPSC recalls.