Help me identify my skin type....

[lindseyshak]

This is the strangest question I thought I'd ever have to ask. Short history of my skin: As a teenager, I never had any issues with my skin. None! I turned 19/20 I moved to a new area with different dry climate and all the sudden I was cursed with Adult acne. I never wore makeup until then and I bought products I assumed would help (think: clean & clear acne systems *eyeroll*) because all i could do was guess. I realized soon that I struggled with Very Dry skin and Acne- an impossible balance. *enter Sephora*

and although my knowledge on skin care and makeup has advanced on a huge level- I'm suddenly stumped.

usually around September/October I get my usual skin tightening, cracking, flakey insanity for a time and then it adjusts. This year, I want to say my bodys chemistry changed (which would make sense since everyones chemical makeup changes every 7 years- and I turned 27 in July) I recently decided to claim i'm combo/dry which could very well be true! But! though my acne is much less severe- I really want to try out some new things because my skin feels so different.

1.) My T-zone isnt more or less oily then the rest of my face. its all normal or dry all the time. though- my NOSE seems to crease and dry out quicker then any other part of my face whislt wearing makeup until most combo girls.

2.) i get dry flakes sometimes still

3.) my pores have become a bigger problem (literally) over the last 6 months 

4.) i'm fortunate to not have scarred all too much over the years in my acne war..but I'm wanting to find a way to fix any scars and discoloration. 

I love a few products as is now, but i'm tired of noticing new pimples develop and nearly burst if i even put a finger on it (vomit!!! i'm so sorry if i just grossed anyone out) they dont look like white heads or blackheads. they look like.......conjested grey-heads. sometimes they get inflammed and stay for three weeks and other times they develop from the time i leave my apartment, pop, and are gone by noon. 

when i look up products- the things i'm batteling against is all the things someone with oily skin and acne is battling- EXCEPT- i need all the oil i can get. i have no issues with the oil projection i'm getting- i'm grateful for it knowing how my skin used to be only just a year ago!

help me either determine my skin type and/or throw out some skincare suggestions.

sorry for the lengthy post!

[Anonymous]

I would say that you’ve got dry skin to combo skin. Aka, dry with normal patches. First I would say in regards to your nose, DON’T do any facials or express the crud out of your pores around there. (Not saying you do, but it’s tempting when large pores are an issue). Since your acne started when you moved to a drier climate, I would think that the culprit is a build up of dead skin. So exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. My skin is very much like yours minus the acne. I swear by the old henriksen line. The truth serum will help you tighten up your pores and help with any scarring, the foaming cleanser is hydrating and gentle. And the night treatment will help soften up your skin. Then they have a bunch of scrubs/peels. I would suggest that you pick a gentle exfoliating scrub to do three times a week and do the power peel or brightening peel once or twice a month. Moisturizing sheet masks can also be used daily. I would also say, that the night treatment can be used daily, and if you don’t use that, use another sleeping mask. Make sure you drink lots of water, (good skin starts from the inside), and get a humidifier for your bedroom at night. Whether or not you try the Ole Henriksen line or another, make sure you give it a full month minimum before calling it quits (except if you have an allergic reaction of course). I mean even if your skin purges, hang in there. Takes 28 days for your skin to turn over and any increase in acne is most likely temporary. Good luck.

[TheBrownLife]

Hi girl sounds to me like you have very sensitive combo skin. Right now the cooler months only help to exasperate the skin problems even more. The oily ness is because your skin is extremely thirsty and the years of acne /breakouts could be from unbalance and irritation from several things: diet, makeup products, skincare products and lack of proper cleansing/exfoliating. Here is what I suggest: 1. Change your skincare regimen completely girl we are going to get this skin back to nourished glowing and healthy! 2. Evaluate your makeup -how often you wear it are there products you see affecting your skin after you wear it, are their products you can cut back on using, are you using the proper makeup products for your specific skin type? 3. Diet -as many of us sometimes do eat on the regs sugar & dairy are HUGE contributors to our skin. Sometimes our bodies are allergic to certain foods we ingest for me it was diary I noticed that my skin would have breakouts all the time after eating cheese and once I cut out the diary the RESULts were evident! So that’s something to think about. 4. Cleansing and exfoliating -for a long time I would only wash my face once and I never knew why I had so much build up of pimples in my tzone and large pores -I wasn’t cleansing properly or exfoliating! So I started double cleaning , cleanse first with a cellular water and second with a creamy cleanser Change My LiFe! lol also I got toner P 50 1970 from biologique rechechere completely changed the game with my face! **5. Regimen for combo/ sensitive skin: double cleanse (bioderma cleansing water, creamy cleanser from pharmacy, drunk elephant, Tatcha, tata harper etc), follow up with toner: P 50, serum check out the biologique website for acne prone skin serum, then last step moisturizer -natural beauty brand moisturizer or biologique website for moisturizer for acne prone skin. And weekly do a mask -hydrating mask: Caudalie has great hydrating mask or Tatcha. Happy skin girl😘Give yourself some time and be consistent with all the changes and everything! You’ll start to notice in few weeks though

[risa0225]

Your situation sounds tough. I have acne-prone, combination, sensitive-skin and it was really hard to find products that are compatible. I am thinking that you have addressed the dryness issue, but would like a few suggestions to deal with the acne. Correct? Drunk Elephant products are amazing with keeping my acne under control and anti-aging without causing any dryness. Personally, I like the Sukari Babyfacial, the Glycolic Night Serum, and the Vitamin C Day Serum. Usually, glycolic acid and vitamin C can cause dryness, but the Drunk Elephant versions do not. The Babyfacial is expensive, but it is an amazing exfoliation product. It is super gentle and gets the job done! I wish Drunk Elephant would create a mini set with those products so people can try it out without spending hundreds of dollars. 

Also, take a look at the products that you are using to correct the dryness issue. That particular product might be causing the acne. In my case, alcohol, coconut oil and mineral oil were the culprits. Any product with alcohol was causing dryness and acne for me. Including foundation. Once I removed products with alcohol, my skin was finally balanced. 

Good luck!