Nailing your skincare routine often comes down to knowing your skin inside out. If you have dry skin, you’ll be looking for different products compared to your oily-skinned pals. Luckily, skincare hero, Clinique, is here to help you define and learn more about your skin type.
Clinique was founded back in 1968, when a savvy beauty editor asked a leading dermatologist “Can great skin be created?” The answer appeared to be “yes”, and the brand you know and love today was born. Flash-forward over 50 years, and Clinique’s range is adored around the world for it’s innovative and effective formulas, targeted to suit your skin’s specific needs with a focus on a simple skincare routine that promotes the look of healthier skin.
How to find your skin type
Some of us may be well acquainted with our skin type, but for others, your complexion could be a little tricky to assess. Try Clinique’s little tip for testing which category your complexion fits in to:
- Run fingers along your T-Zone and then your cheeks
- Lift your cheek with the side of your index finger and look for fine lines
- Pay attention to whether areas are dry, tight, shiny or comfortable
- If you’re still unsure, cleanse your face and wait 15 minutes. Try again with bare skin
“My face feels dry and tight all over.”
If this is you, then you’re Very Dry/Dry. Your skin doesn’t benefit from as much natural oil or moisture as it needs to feel comfortable, so it’s your skincare’s job to restore this. You’ll be looking for products that work to gently cleanse and treat your skin, without stripping it of it’s natural oils.
Your ideal products
When it comes to Clinique’s signature Three-Step System, you’ll be looking at All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap Extra Mild, Clarifying Lotion 1 & Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+. These products will help to soothe your dry skin while helping to rid your complexion of dirt, make-up and build-up, adding moisture and hydration and leaving your complexion looking more even. You might also like Moisture Surge Intense 72H Lipid-Replenishing Hydrator, which’ll help give your skin that extra boost of hydration.
“My cheeks are dry and tight, but the rest of my face is comfortable.”
You have one of the most common skin types: Dry-Combination. Your skin has some drier patches where added moisture is needed, but the rest of your complexion is sitting comfortably. Your focus is on products that’ll balance your skin. We definitely don’t want to strip out the natural oils, but you want to feel as if your skin is evenly moisturised all over.
Your ideal products
For your signature Three-Step System, you’ll go for All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap Mild, Clarifying Lotion 2 & Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+. These products are still gentle enough on your dry patches, but will help to bring a sense of balance to your complexion as a whole, leaving you feeling comfortable and cleansed all-over. If you’re looking to target the under-eyes too, formulas like All About Eyes are perfect for supporting your delicate skin’s unique needs while adding a hearty dose of moisture.
“My cheeks are comfortable, but my T-zone is shiny and oily.”
Often find yourself having to top up your powder on your forehead and nose, while the rest of your face holds your make-up well? Sounds like you’re Combination-Oily! The key with this skin type is to balance your skin’s excess sebum (that’s your complexion’s natural oil) without drying out your more comfortable patches. This will help to reduce the shine, without leaving your skin feeling tight.
Your ideal products
The signature Three-Step System targeted at your skin type features All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap Oily, Clarifying Lotion 3 and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, which work together to say goodbye to shine while making sure your skin feels moisturised, with Clarifying Lotion 3 working to keep excess oil at bay and leave your pores looking clearer. If your skin looks a little dull, formulas like Moisture Surge 100-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator are suitable for all skin types, and help to bring a healthy-looking glow.
“My skin is shiny and oily all-over.”
If you face a daily battle with shine, it’s probably no surprise to you that you are in the Oily category, but fear not! With oily skin, we want to put a focus on paring back the excess oil, without stripping the skin, balancing your complexion’s natural moisture levels as you go. That way, you can still enjoy a hydrated, plump-looking complexion, without the shine.
Your ideal products
Like with Oily-Combination, your ideal products look at keeping your skin balanced. Your signature Three-Step System will feature All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap Oily, Clarifying Lotion 4 and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, the ultimate combination for balancing out excess oil. Want to add a little something extra to your routine? The luxe Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm is suitable for all skin types (yes, even oily skin!), and is great for taking off heavier make-up with ease.
There’s still loads more to discover from this iconic brand, so head over to their page now and have an explore.
