What’s the right natural skincare routine for my skin type?

A routine for every skin type

It’s not always simple to find a natural skincare routine that’s right for you. There are so many different products available, and each has its own properties. In addition, you also need to know your skin type. This isn’t always easy to figure out! To assist you, we decided to write this article specifically on the topic.

With the help of this guide, you’ll get to know your skin type and its particular needs, as well as discover which skincare routine is perfect for you!

How to figure out your skin type and its needs

All skin needs to be hydrated and nourished. In addition to drinking enough water every day and eating a balanced diet, it’s also important to apply products that are right for your skin type. The key is to figure out your skin’s optimal balance between hydration and the oils it needs to protect itself and retain moisture.

It’s important to note that while “moisturizer” is used as a catch-all term in English, it is actually hydrators or hydrating ingredients that provide your skin with additional water, while moisturizers or moisturizing ingredients provide your skin with oils that seal in moisture and offer protection. Confusingly, moisturizing is in fact synonymous with nourishing, while hydration does exactly what it sounds like it does: it provides water for your skin! If you want to know more, please consult our previous article that demystifies these tricky terms!

How to care for oily skin

Oily skin generally means an overproduction of sebum. This can be caused by hormonal changes but also by the use of aggressive cleansers or make-up removers. Skin of this type should be cared for gently and not scrubbed too hard. Many people believe that oily skin does not need to be moisturized or hydrated. While this skin type may not need a lot of additional moisturizing, it’s highly possible that it is dehydrated—and would thus benefit from a hydrating lotion!

Skin in this category may also be prone to acne and blemishes, because excess oil clogs pores and traps bacteria, causing inflammation and redness. Oily skin needs proper cleansing and hydrating as well as a modest quantity of emollients (moisturizing ingredients). Essential oils can also be very useful in this regard.

How to recognize and care for dry skin

You can tell that you have dry skin if it feels tight after a shower or exposure to cold air. Pores are barely visible but sometimes you will see fine lines.

Dry skin needs not only water and humectant ingredients (hydrators), but also a large amount of emollients (moisturizers) and film-forming ingredients. These protective components will help dry skin maintain moisture. We recommend applying a moisturizing cream that is rich in oils and butters every day, in the morning and the evening. A face serum can also be used at night. It is also important to cleanse this type of skin with a product that is neither too aggressive nor too drying.

What is combination skin and how do you treat it?

Combination skin means you have oily skin on some parts of your face (generally the forehead-nose-chin zone) and normal to dry skin on the rest of your face. You may need to apply different products on different areas of your face. For example, you can care for combination skin in the same way as oily skin, and then apply a rich cream or serum to the dry areas of your face (cheeks, cheekbones, temples) in the evening.

What about normal skin?

Normal skin is neither dry nor greasy. It is easy to care for: a simple, balanced lotion, applied twice a day after a gentle cleansing is enough to keep it happy!

The specific needs of sensitive skin

Some people may also have sensitive skin. You can tell that you have sensitive skin if you experience redness, tingling, or burning sensations when you apply a product or the temperature changes. People with this skin type can add soothing ingredients to their cosmetic products: colloidal oatmeal and zinc oxide are two good examples.

It’s also a good idea to choose fragrance-free or unscented products with simple ingredients, as these are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Factors influencing skin type

Wouldn’t it be convenient to have a beauty routine that’s always effective, regardless of age, season, or diet? Unfortunately, all these factors influence the hydration of your skin and its overall condition. Your skin type can also be affected by hormonal or environmental changes, genetics, and the use of aggressive cleansers that dry it out. Accordingly, it’s normal for your skincare routine to require adjustment from time to time. This may mean changing or adding one or more products to repair the situation.

Sometimes, we modify our beauty rituals, thinking that it will lead to an improvement, but soon realize that our skin is not any better off. When making adjustments to your routine, don’t forget that skin needs water, oils, and protection from the elements!

A natural beauty routine for your skin type

In this section, we’re offering you ideas for daily skincare routines that can be adjusted to your skin type. It’s possible that some part of the regimen we recommend doesn’t suit you, so it’s best to pay attention to your skin’s changes and adjust your routine accordingly.

You’ll also find a list of ingredients we recommend for each skin type so that you can include them in your homemade creations. These include vegetable oils, essential oils, hydrosols, and active ingredients.

Remember that these natural skincare regimens are to be individually adjusted to each user. Just because your skin is oily doesn’t mean that our oily skincare routine will be 100% perfect for you. Try it out, do some tests, and see what’s right for you!

Skincare routine for oily skin (acne-prone or not)

Morning

• Cleanse with a cleansing foam
• Tone with a suitable hydrosol or a face toner
• Hydrate with a lotion or a mattifying face cream

 Evening

• Remove make-up with micellar cleansing water or gel make-up remover
• Cleanse with a balancing soap
• Hydrate with a lotion containing appropriate essential oils

Weekly Care

Once a week, use a clay mask. Alternatively, you can use an African black soap-based treatment, a honey-chocolate face mask or a clay cleansing scrub

Ingredients for oily skin

If you would like to make your own facial lotion or cleanser, here are some ingredients we recommend for oily skin:

• Vegetable oils: jojoba, hazelnut, macadamia, sesame, black cumin seed, caprylis (FCO), green tea maceration
• Essential oils: lavender (true), tea tree, lemon (caution: photosensitizing), petitgrain, palmarosa, rose geranium, rosewood, myrrh, patchouli
• Hydrosols: lavender, rosemary, witch hazel, rose geranium
• Other active ingredients of interest: zinc oxide, willow bark extract, aloe vera

Skincare routine for dry skin

Morning

• Rinse face with warm water
• Tone with a suitable hydrosol, if desired
• Hydrate with a cream containing appropriate essential oils

Evening

• Remove make-up with an oil-based make-up remover, liniment or gel make-up remover
• Cleanse with a cleansing foam
• Moisturize with a rich face serum or a “glow skin” serum
• Hydrate with a cream containing appropriate essential oils

Weekly care

Once a week, prepare a honey mask. Leave on for 10 minutes before gently rinsing with warm water.

Ingredients for dry skin

If you would like to make your own facial cream or cleanser, here are some ingredients we recommend for dry skin:

• Vegetable oils: argan, avocado, baobab, borage, wheat germ, rosehip,  vegetable butters
• Essential oils: rosewood, Damascus rose
• Hydrosols: neroli, Damascus rose
• Other active ingredients of interest: glycerin, honey, sodium lactate, aloe vera

Skincare routine for combination skin

Morning

• Cleanse with a cleansing foam
• Tone with an appropriate hydrosol
• Hydrate with a lotion containing suitable essential oils
• If desired, powder your face with a mineral powder from our make-up workshop

Evening

• Remove make-up with micellar cleansing water, liniment or gel make-up remover
• Cleanse with a balancing soap
• Hydrate with a lotion containing suitable essential oils
• If necessary, moisturize dry areas with a rich face serum or a “glow skin” serum

Weekly care

Once a week, apply a clay mask, a honey-chocolate face mask or a clay cleansing scrub

Ingredients for combination skin

If you would like to make your own facial lotion or cleanser, here are some ingredients we recommend for combination skin:

• Vegetable oils: hemp seed, jojoba, hazelnut, macadamia, sesame, caprylis (FCO), grapeseed
• Essential oils: lavender (true)
• Hydrosols: rosemary, lavender
• Other active ingredients of interest: glycerin, honey, aloe vera

Skincare routine for normal skin

Morning

• Cleanse with a cleansing foam
• Tone with an appropriate hydrosol
• Hydrate with a lotion containing appropriate essential oils
• If desired, powder your face with a mineral powder from our make-up workshop

Evening

• Remove make-up with micellar cleansing water or gel make-up remover
• Cleanse with cleansing foam
• Hydrate with a lotion containing appropriate essential oils

Weekly care

Once a week, apply a clay mask, a honey-chocolate face mask or a clay cleansing scrub

Ingredients for normal skin

If you would like to make your own facial lotion or cleanser, choose whichever ingredients strike your fancy and vary their proportions in your recipes. You have free rein!

Skincare routine for sensitive skin

Morning

• Rinse face with warm water
• Tone with an appropriate hydrosol, if desired
• Hydrate with a neutral lotion or cream or cream for sensitive skin

Evening

• Remove make-up with an oil-based make-up remover, liniment or gel make-up remover
• Cleanse with a cleansing foam
• Moisturize with a rich face serum or a “glow skin” serum if desired
• Hydrate with a neutral lotion or cream, or a lotion for sensitive skin

Ingredients for sensitive skin

If you would like to make your own facial lotion, cream or cleanser, here are the ingredients we recommend for sensitive skin:

• Vegetable oils: sweet almond, calendula maceration, sunflower, jojoba, rosehip
• Essential oils (optional, in very small quantities): rosewood, chamomile
• Hydrosols: chamomile, cornflower, neroli
• Other active ingredients of interest: glycerin, honey, colloidal oatmeal, zinc oxide