The Ordinary For Every Skin Type – How To Find Your Skin Type
A quick, easy guide to understanding your skin type makes it easier to choose the best The Ordinary products for your skin. You may already have a clear idea of your skin type, but if not, here is a quick, easy way to help you find out.
How to find your skin type
How Do I Find Out My Skin Type?
After cleansing with your usual cleanser, don’t apply any products but leave the skin to rest for two hours, then look at it in the mirror. How does your skin feel and look?
- If, after two hours, your skin feels fine, neither oily nor dry, then you have normal skin.
- After 2 hours, if your skin feels tight and uncomfortable, you have dry skin type.
- If you have visible oil and shininess, then you are oily.
- Should some parts of your face be oily (like the middle of the face) and some are dry, then you have combination skin.
Important: Daily sun protection is very important regardless of skin type.
Normal Skin
Normal skin is very easygoing and isn’t generally prone to breakouts. If you are lucky enough to have normal skin, then you should focus on keeping the skin on an even keel and treating or preventing ageing (depending on your age).
- Skincare aims: Prevention of ageing and maintenance
- Ingredients to avoid: Avoid harsh cleansers and scrubs, which could cause dryness
- Ingredients to search out: Antioxidants, retinoids and peptides to prevent sun damage and ageing, exfoliating acids for smoothness and brightness
The Ordinary Products For Normal Skin Type
Here are a few suggestions.
- Multi-Peptide Serum + HA (Peptide)
- EUK-134 (Antioxidant)
- Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% (Vitamin C)
- Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane (Retinoid)
- Glycolic Acid Toner (Direct Acids)
Dry Skin
Dry skin type is a natural condition where the skin doesn’t produce enough oil itself. It always feels rough and is prone to flakiness and will soak up anything that’s applied and then get dry again.
- Skincare aims– Rehydration and restoration of the skin’s moisture barrier
- Ingredients to avoid– Harsh cleansers, strong acids, drying alcohol
- Ingredients to search out – Hydrators like hyaluronic acid, amino acids, peptides and gentle acids; vitamins, moisturisers and oils, gentle retinoids.
Best The Ordinary Products for Dry Skin
These are suggestions only. Please feel free to ask Deciem for a regimen.
- Amino Acids + B5
- Hyaluronic Acid 2%, NMF
- Squalane
- Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
- Lactic Acid 5% + HA
Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, you are more likely to suffer from acne and blocked pores. You might find that makeup doesn’t last very long, and you look pretty shiny all the time. Dehydration can worsen oiliness.
- Skincare aims: Exfoliation, oil reduction and pore cleansing
- Ingredients to avoid: Plant oils can clog pores
- Ingredients to search out: Gentle foaming cleansers, clay masks, acids, retinoids and watery hydrators
Best The Ordinary Products for Oily Skin
These are suggestions only. Please feel free to ask Deciem for a regimen.
Combination Skin
Combination skin varies from oily to dry. The middle “T-zone” tends to be oilier than the cheeks. You may have to spot treat which means using a toner or masque only on the oily zones.
- Skincare aims: Evening out the skin
- Ingredients to avoid: Harsh cleansers, drying alcohols
- Ingredients to search out: Acids, hydrators, clay masks for the T-zone and moisturisers, retinoids to normalise the skin
The Ordinary Products for Combination Skin
Here are just a few suggestions for combination skin. Feel free to ask Deciem for a personalised regimen.
- Salicylic acid 2%
- Lactic Acid 5%,
- Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
- Amino Acid + B5
- Natural Moisturising Factors
- Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
The Ordinary Skincare Routines
Once you´ve read about The Ordinary for every skin type, you can have a look at all The Ordinary Skincare Routines, more Deciem Routines and personalised routines or you can ask Deciem for a regimen with their new virtual skincare consultant.
The Ordinary For Every Skin Type
This page was written for Deciem Chat Room by Nia Patten who has 7 years of experience in the aesthetics industry, a Post Graduate Diploma in Cosmetic Medicine. Nia is one of the founder moderators of The Ordinary & Deciem Chat Room and has personal experience with the pain of cystic acne and melasma. Read about Nia here
You may also find The Ordinary for Pigmentation & Melasma and The Ordinary for Rosacea useful.
