Good skincare comes from knowing your personal skin type. Ever tried a beauty product which your friend raved about only to find it just doesn’t work for you? It’s more than likely down to the fact that you have different skin types.

It’s really important to know your skin type in order to assess the care it needs. Skin generally falls into one of five categories. Read more to find out which type you are…

1. Normal – If your skin is free from traces of oil and feels comfortable, firm and supple then you can count yourself lucky! You have normal skin; this is the least problematic skin type. Focus should be on maintaining and protecting this perfect balance with gentle make-up and cleansers as well as a moisturiser chock-full of antioxidants.

2. Dry – If you find that your face feels tight after cleansing and you tend to suffer from flaking then you have dry skin. You probably had beautiful skin as a teenager and rarely got spots, but during the twenties dry skin tends to look sallow as well as developing premature wrinkles due to dehydration. Dry skin may also be prone to spots and whiteheads due to dead skin cells blocking the pores. In order to care for dry skin gentle exfoliation is necessary as well as hydrating masks and daily use of rich moisturisers.

3.Oily – If you have oily skin you will tend to wake up in the morning with a greasy film on the skin, particularly on the nose, forehead and cheeks. Oily skin causes many problems; it looks shiny with large open pores and is highly prone to acne. However, oily skin ages well as the skin tends to be thick and is well moisturised. Careful cleansing and exfoliation is key to looking after oil-prone skin.

4. Combination – When the skin shows traces of oil in the T-zone and dryness on the cheeks it is said to be combination skin. The best way to care for this skin type is through use of different products for each area. Applying a lightweight serum to the whole face before adding moisturiser to just dry areas is another option. There are also a number of balancing products available, which are a very good choice for cleansing.

5. Sensitive -If your skin is extremely tight and dry, easily irritated and tends to become inflamed or red, then you have sensitive skin. The complexion may become scaly, itchy, painful and break out in spots. This is a very fragile skin type and requires a great amount of gentle care and attention. Products should always be specially formulated for sensitive skin.