Every person has a unique skin type, and British beauty brand, The Body Shop, wants you to wear yours loud and proud. Be it oily, dry, normal, or a combination of it all, here is how you can create a skincare routine that works best for your unique skin type.
Identifying your skin type
First, let us help you figure out your skin type. It’s as easy as spelling s-k-i-n. Just wash your face, curl up with a good book or an episode of your favourite Netflix show, and then check in back at your bathroom mirror in about an hour.
Oily Skin is the easiest to detect. If your skin has that tell-tale shiny appearance, sometimes accompanied by blackheads and/or enlarged pores around the nose, chin and forehead –i.e. your ‘T-zone’-, you know for certain you’ve got oily skin.
Dry skin will have the exact opposite appearance, but you’ll feel it before you see it. A dry, flaky texture, and the urge to slap on some cream or moisturiser, is a sure-fire sign that you’ve got dry skin.
Combination skin, like the name suggests, is a relationship where both dry and oily co-exist. More often than not, your T-zone is likely to be greasy and prone to breakouts, while the rest of your face is drier.
Normal skin is more resistant to the elements with just the right balance of oils, and is easier to create a skincare regime for when compared to the rest. This skin type is what we all aspire to, but this doesn’t necessarily mean we neglect its care.
The Cleanse-Tone-Moisturise skincare regime for your skin type
Dry skin
Here, The Body Shop calls in the saviours of dry skin: the Vitamin E skincare range.
Cleanse – For dry skin The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash with its light, creamy feel, and soft, lathering action, is as relaxing as it sounds – but also mighty in function. A great-smelling facial wash that cleanses and purifies dry skin from the grime of the day, it can be used daily without fear of damaging your beautiful visage.
Tone – Though often neglected, toning is a crucial step in your daily skincare regime. It helps clean up any residual grime following your facial cleanse, while also setting the stage for your moisturiser to come in and do its job. When it comes to dry skin The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Hydrating Toner has a gentle formula enriched with vitamin E and wheat germ oil that is both hydrating and refreshing at the same time.
Moisture – The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream means business. A firm favourite among dry/sensitive skin types, this product is infused with a clever combination of Vitamin E and Hyaluronic acid – both powerhouses of moisturisation. Subtly sweet-smelling, this fast-absorbing product helps restore and retain moisture for upto 72 hours, leaving your skin supple and radiant for the long-term.
Oily Skin
When it comes to oily skin, it’s The Body Shop’s tea tree range to the rescue!
Cleanse –As a facial cleanser, the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash is what you need to delicately help rid the skin of impurities and excess oil, without over-drying the skin.
Tone – Helping to balance your face’s excess oil, the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner is a key step for all in the oily skincare routine. Enriched with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil and mattifying powders, this wonder-product helps to subdue excess oil, leaving your face feeling refreshed.
Mask – Oily skin requires no further moisturisation, but to target blemishes and remedy excess oil the Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Night Mask is a hard-working formula that stays up all night say that you have clearer looking skin. Just smooth out over your face before bed for this refreshing and indulgent night mask to work its magic.
Combination skin
Combination skin is the most challenging to care for. To cater to this niche skin type, The Body Shop has formulated its Seaweed skincare range, filled with mineral-rich seaweed from Roaring Water Bay, Ireland.
Cleanse – For those battling with both oily T-zones and dry patches of skin, The Body Shop’s Seaweed Cleansing Gel Face Wash washes away both impurities and excess oil, for a shine-free look as well as a fresher and invigorating feel.
Tone – To rebalance and revive combination skin, the harmonising and alcohol-free Seaweed Oil Balancing Toner with algae and cucumber extract, will have you feeling refreshed and purified; ready for the next step of your skincare routine.
Moisturise – To bring the balance back to your skin, combination skin types stand to benefit greatly from the ultra-lightweight Seaweed Oil-Control Gel Cream, leaving it feeling fresher, hydrated and more mattified as well.
Shop the right products for your unique skin type at The Body Shop flagship store on Bagatale Road, Odel in Alexandra Place, or from the Kandy City Centre, and Colombo City Centre stores.