Your skin type determines your care routine. But recognizing it is not that easy. Do you feel like you're doing something wrong with your skin care routine? Then this article is made for you. We highlight the most common mistakes in the care of impure and dry skin. Of course we will also tell you how to do it properly.
Type-appropriate skin care – you can avoid these mistakes
do you know your skin type
Normal, oily, dry or combination skin, we differentiate between these four skin types in skin care. Which category your skin falls into is innate to you. And skin type changes only minimally over the course of life – mature skin develops slightly different needs. But oily skin keeps large pores, combination skin stays complicated and dry skin gets, well, even drier. So it's important to understand your skin's needs. This is the only way you will know which cosmetic products to use and which ones to avoid.
Skin type is not the same as skin condition
Determining your skin type is not easy. It often hides behind various skin conditions . They in turn mean the current condition of your skin. And that can change from time to time. For example, you can get pimples, in winter the skin becomes brittle or it is irritated in phases. If you only pay attention to the current bitches in your skin, something can quickly go wrong with the care. This will only make skin problems worse. But now you can put an end to these skin care mistakes!
Skin type or skin condition - what is the care aimed at?
Skin type and condition, both are important but in different ways. The skin type determines what the basic needs of your skin are. The skin condition can tell you that it's just out of balance. This makes itself felt, for example, as impure, dehydrated or sensitive. With targeted care you help the skin to return to its normal state. To do this, you need to slightly adjust your routine. However, even in such phases, the products must match your skin type. And this is where the difficulty lies. Some skin conditions are specifically associated with certain skin types. That sends us on the wrong track. So here we look at the two most common cases.
☝️ Often the confusion of skin type and skin condition leads to the wrong product being chosen.
Case #1
Impure but dry skin
The problem
Blemished skin is a condition that is mostly associated with oily skin types. Our first thought is: the pimples will sprout because the skin is too oily. A forgivable mistake, because most anti-pimple products are also designed for oily skin types. They remove sebum and rely on a low-oil or even oil-free moisturizer.
But even dry skin can flourish . This may be hormonal or due to a defective protective barrier. Normally this keeps bacteria away. But if it is porous because it is too dry, it can promote pimples. Drying out products will completely throw your dry, blemished skin out of the rut.
The consequence
If you subject your dry skin to blemishes with cosmetics for oily skin, the following happens: Fat-dissolving facial cleansers and lotions with alcohol pierce the protective barrier even more. Bacteria have a free rein. So the pimples stay. And they are accompanied by dry lines, tightness, scaly or red skin.
What to do?
First analyze your skin type. Ask yourself what your skin was like before the outbreak.
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Large, clearly visible pores, the skin quickly shines and leaves an imprint on the display when you make a call?
→ You have oily skin . She doesn't feel dry because she's lacking fat, but because she's dehydrated. So you're on the wrong track here. Continue reading Case #2 below. -
Fine pores, the skin often feels tight and quickly becomes brittle?
→ You have dry skin .
The right care for dry, impure skin
- Only fight pimples locally.
- Clean with lukewarm water only or use the Oil Cleansing Method .
- Apply morning and night care with lipids to repair the protective barrier.
What lipids? With dry skin, the priority is to build up the protective layer. Sea buckthorn pulp oil is ideal for this. It boosts regeneration. Lavender oil promotes wound healing so that pimples disappear faster. And jojoba oil balances sebum production. Together with plenty of moisture, they improve the condition of your dry skin in the long term.
💡 Step by step: In our care tip for impure skin you will find detailed instructions for both skin types.
Case #2
Dehydrated or dry skin
The problem
Does your skin feel dry, maybe itchy and tight, especially after cleaning? Ad hoc sounds like dry skin. And that's when we learned how to apply lots of cream. Correct? jain While dry skin lacks oil, dehydrated skin lacks water. These are two fundamentally different things.
- Dry, i.e. low-fat skin needs lipid-rich care to protect it from drying out.
- Dehydrated skin primarily needs water. This can also affect oily and combination skin, although they produce enough fat.
The difficulty lies in finding the real cause. After that, the care routine that rebalances your skin is based on it. So much in advance: It can go wrong in both directions. Come on, let's look at both cases. This is how you can identify your problem.
☝️ Dry and dehydrated skin are often confused , but need very different care.
What to do?
The same applies here: analyze your skin. Find out what exactly is missing.
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Your skin was always rather oily with clearly visible pores, but is it currently tight, looks pale and shows fine lines caused by dryness?
→ Dehydrated skin , there is a lack of moisture here. -
Has your skin always been a bit dry, is it brittle, scaly and ready to crack?
→ Dry skin , fat is missing here.
dehydrated skin
If you treat dehydrated skin like dry skin, it won't help. Products for dry skin are high in fats and low in moisture. It's like refilling the coffee machine with beans even though the water tank is empty. The skin does not get what it actually needs. She stays thirsty , but shines like a bacon rind.
What she really needs is water . She probably doesn't get enough of it from the care - no wonder, you use products for low-fat skin. And she needs help saving. We have already explained in detail how this works. Here is the short version: The Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) is a mix of substances that bind water in the skin. It contains, for example, hyaluronic acid , glycerin and urea. Dehydrated skin needs just such ingredients to improve its NMF. They give you moisturizers. Oil-free serums that you apply in the morning and evening are ideal for oily skin.
Dry skin
It is just as ineffective to care for dry skin with super-light gel textures. They are full of moisture, but your skin lacks fat. Without it, she cannot hold water. The lack of lipids makes their surface porous. You can imagine it like a protective wall. Lipids cement skin cells together like mortar. But if they are missing, the wall becomes permeable. Shortly after applying the cream, the skin feels better. That will pass soon though, because any moisture you give her will evaporate in no time.
What to do? Strengthen your skin's barrier function with nourishing oils. They fill in the gaps in the masonry. This way water escapes less quickly. This means that the pleasant feeling after applying cream lasts for hours instead of just a few minutes. Rich oils such as shea butter or jojoba oil are ideal . They offer long-lasting protection. This leaves the skin feeling soft and cared for hours after applying the cream.
💡 You want to know more about it? Then read our tips for recognizing and caring for oily or dehydrated skin !
Put an end to improper care
If you have skin problems, frustration spreads quickly. Especially when, despite all efforts, there is simply no improvement. Do not get discouraged! It will be allright. Proper care is important. To do this, you not only have to react to the current condition of your skin, but also consider your basic skin type. That doesn't change. To determine it, ask yourself how you used to perceive your skin. The time right after puberty, i.e. around the age of 20, is particularly interesting. With this knowledge, you better understand the needs of your skin and can give it what it really needs.
🌟 So much for the theory. In our blog you will of course also find out what your perfect care routine looks like in practice . Here you will find instructions for:
