You might have heard terms like dry, sensitive, or oily to describe the skin, but do you know what your skin type is?

While Mazillo products are designed with all skin types in mind, we know that everyone is different, and learning about your skin type can be a useful way to customise your routine and embrace skin positivity.

In this quick and easy guide, we’ll share prompts to help you determine your skin type and our top tips to maximise your skincare routine.

The 5 skin types

The American Academy of Dermatology recognises 5 main skin types:

1. Oily
2. Dry
3. Normal
4. Combination
5. Sensitive

The categories are based on how much oil your skin usually produces.

But your skin type isn’t set in stone. Your skin will fluctuate throughout your life based on lifestyle factors, hormones, ageing, and physical health. It can also come under multiple categories, for example, people often have dry skin that’s also sensitive. 

What type of skin do I have?

The best way to identify your skin type is the blotting paper method: 

1. Dap some blotting paper (or tissue if you don’t have any) on various areas of your face
2. Hold it up to the light 
3. Observe how much oil it’s picked up

Each skin type will feel and look different too, so the following prompts to help you get a clearer idea of yours.

Grab your blotting paper, and let’s get started!

1.     Dry skin 

Blotting paper method:  little to no oil was picked up.

Quick questions:

• Does your skin often appear dull?
• Does your skin often feel rough and flaky to touch?
• Does your skin feel tight, especially after cleansing? 

Skincare tips:

• Use a gentle cleanser that won’t strip the skin of natural oils, such as our Gentle Cleansing Oil.
• Use a deeply hydrating moisturiser morning, night, and whenever the skin needs a hydration boost. Enriched with Orpheus Flower Stem Cells, our Replenishing Moisturiser is deeply soothing for dry and sensitive skin types. You can also add a couple of drops of our Facial Oil for extra hydration. 
• Drink at least 2 litres of water a day to hydrate from the inside out.

2.     Oily skin

 Blotting paper method: a lot of oil was picked up.

Quick questions:

• Does your complexion often look shiny?
• Do your pores appear large?
• Are you prone to blackheads and breakouts?

Skincare tips:

• Double cleanse before bed, to ensure you remove any excess oil.
• Treat your skin to a face mask once a week to unclog pores. Our Purify + Nourish Mask balances out the skin’s natural sebum (oil) production, which fights acne and impurities.

3.     Normal skin

Blotting paper method: little oil was picked up. Your skin is balanced, not too oily, and not too dry.

Quick questions:

• Do you generally have clear skin?
• Do your pores appear small?
• Does your skin feel smooth in texture?
• Do you rarely experience skin sensitivity?

Skincare tips:

• Maintain your skin’s healthy and happy skin barrier by being consistent with your skincare routine.

4. Combination skin

Blotting paper method: some areas picked up little oil, and other areas (particularly the T-zone) picked up a lot.

Quick questions

• Do you experience patches of dry skin?
• Do you often have an oily T-zone?
• Does your skin vary a lot depending on hormones, weather, stress, and other factors?

Skincare tips:

• Use a gentle multitasking product, like our Regenerate + Protect Essence Toner, which improves skin texture and balances its pH.
• Use a small amount of moisturiser and use sparingly on your T-zone.
• Don’t be afraid to change it up when your skin fluctuates – one day you might need more moisturiser, and other days you might want to cleanse more thoroughly. 

5. Sensitive skin

Blotting paper method: You pick up little oil and your skin may feel slightly irritated afterwards.

Quick questions:

• Does your skin often feel itchy or irritated?
• Do you react to products easily?
• Do you easily react to environmental factors, like aircon, central heating, strong winds, or the sun? 

Skincare tips:

• Check your skincare doesn’t use harsh synthetic ingredients, and opt for natural ingredients instead
• Gently pat your skin dry (don’t rub and scrub!) after you wash it
• Avoid over-exfoliating. 
• Follow our full guide to caring for sensitive skin!

Key takeaway 

Every skin type can benefit from the natural ingredients we use in our products, and now you’ve identified your skin needs, you can customise your Mazillo routine to suit what you need the most.