The aphorism “know thyself” from ancient Greece is commonly heard and stated but what does it really mean for our routine shopping of the best organic skin care products in Pakistan.

Self-care begins with the identification of one’s self and while the path to self-actualization may be rough and trodden with voyages into the realms of the unknown you can always start with baby steps by identifying your individual needs, requirements and physiology. Knowing your skin type is a cornerstone to understanding your basic personal care needs and perhaps the most important step in looking after your skin. You have to take into consideration the external factors like environmental and seasonal changes in accordance with how they impact your particular skin type to hit the sweet spot. It is also imperative to understand that your skin is really intelligent and complex just like other organs in your body like heart, stomach, brain, etc. and using intense products in harsh treatments can have several different adverse effects. Like an attempt to use excessive cleansers for removing extra oil can actually confuse it into producing more oil and the converse is also true like unnecessarily heavy moisturizers can lead to a natural decrease in its production of oil. This can exacerbate the problems for oily or dry skin types.

What are the common skin types?

Your skin is unique just like you but in order to get to the particular needs it has you need to give it the time and attention that it requires. You also need to understand the basic skin types so you can fit yourself in the overall spectrum of common types and figure out how to take care of your skin better. This will help you achieve a better balance for your skin and choose the organic skin care products in Pakistan that suit your needs. The 3 major skin types are dry, oily and combination and placing yourself on this scale can help you get a glowing complexion with a much healthier looking skin if you nourish it accordingly. Let’s consider a couple of easy ways for finding out your skin type.

Lay it bare – to reveal what’s inside

The first technique is called the bare-faced method and it is a simple way for laying the groundwork for your skin care routine. You can begin by cleansing the face properly using a gentle cleanser and then dry it calmly patting it. You don’t have to apply any other products like serums or moisturizers and wait for about half an hour while leaving the skin bare. In the next step you have to examine your face closely and look at specific areas like your chin, nose, forehead and cheeks to check if you see a shine. Give it another half an hour and check again. If there is some shine only on the forehead and nose you most probably have combination skin. If it feels constricted or stretched especially when you change expressions then it is most probably dry and finally if the shine is on forehead, nose and cheeks then it is more on the oily side.

The path less trodden – easier and quicker!

Another process to determine the skin type is referred to as the blotting sheet technique, which is preferred by some people for its accuracy and speed in differentiating between dry and oily skins. The process is as simple as it can be, just press a blotting paper against your face while focusing on specific areas. After patting it, examine it closely by holding it against a light source to see how much oil it has picked up. If there is very little or no oil at all then chances are that your skin is dry, if it only shows oil from nose and forehead areas then you have combination skin and if it reveals excessive oil from all the areas then it is oily.

Dealing with dry and combination skin

Your skin type is determined by genetic factors as well other circumstantial aspects like your diet, hormones, weather, lifestyle, etc. One of the leading factors for skin dryness is not drinking enough water or taking too many diuretics like caffeine or alcohol. Exfoliating your skin on a regular basis with ingredients that are gentle will help develop new skin cells without causing the natural oils to be lost. If you have dry skin you can pick moisturizers with glycerin, marine actives and hyaluronic acid as they help retain water.

If your skin only seems dry around the cheeks you can find a moisturizer that is milder and works best for your combination skin. It will help hold the moisture in exactly where it is required since most breakouts occur around the cheeks while the nose and forehead areas are normally oily enough. Gel based moisturizers can also be used in this case.