hijack reason

In this post:

The first step: find your skin type

Dehydrated: the hidden skin type

Clearing the way: ditch 'The Shell'

Build your routine: splurge on water, skimp on oil

Find your Blogger skin twin: a list of routines by skin type

The first step: find your skin type

Dry : lacking in oil/sebum, usually genetic or as a result of environmental factors including medications

: lacking in oil/sebum, usually genetic or as a result of environmental factors including medications Oily : excessive production of sebum, often resulting in large pores, sebaceous filaments, blackheads, and acne

: excessive production of sebum, often resulting in large pores, sebaceous filaments, blackheads, and acne Combination : a combination of the above types on different areas of the skin, often an Oily T-zone and Dry U-zone

: a combination of the above types on different areas of the skin, often an Oily T-zone and Dry U-zone Normal: balanced, neither Dry nor Oily.

If you're wondering what I mean by "U-zone", here's the T-zone in green and the U-zone in blue , which is a common distribution of Combination skin type oily and dry zones, respectively:





Who knew my snow stickers could come in handy for things other than expressing my feelings about sheet masks?

This isn't always the case, as you can have oily and dry areas in any area, but many people with Combination skin have this pattern.



You will also find additional concerns such as Sensitive and Acne-Prone listed in western skin type guides, but these also can be modifiers to the above base types so I believe that's why the above four are considered the base types in western definitions.



But what if your skin is perpetually dry and oily at the same time, with dry flakes nestled next to, or on top of, clogged pores and blemishes? What if the more creams you apply, the more oily and clogged your skin becomes, but you're still a flake monster? What if you're trying to control your sebum with oil-free products, but your skin feels flaky and tight?





Dehydrated: the hidden skin type





*smacks self so you don't have to*

*cue refrain from heavenly chorus of enlightenment*

Let there be ... water added to your skin.

In the name of the Snail, amen.

image credit: rgbstock.com

no way saying that people should not see dermatologists or doctors for those concerns, in fact it's my most commonly given skincare advice when asked. I even wrote a collaboration blog post about it. My point here is that conventional non-medical skincare wisdom in the west had a big, glaring gap when it came to my skin type. ***Note: I am insaying that people should not see dermatologists or doctors for those concerns, in fact it's my most commonly given skincare advice when asked. I even wrote a collaboration. My point here is that conventional non-medical skincare wisdom in the west had a big, glaring gap when it came to my skin type.

Clearing the way: ditch 'The Shell'

My chemical exfoliant bros: Mizon at left, Cosrx at right.

Build your routine: splurge on water, skimp on oil

mists

hydrating toners

first essences

skins (I know, weird, but it's a type of watery product)

essences

sheet masks

serums

ampoules

emulsions

milks

lotions









As I mention in Putting your products in order, including pH dependent acids, you layer from wateriest-to-oiliest, thinnest-to-thickest. If you have a Combination skin type, avoid layering the oilier products in your oily areas and keep them to your dry areas, but the watery products can be layered all over.



When your skin feels hydrated enough, stop. It's that simple. If that means that you end up with a routine that has a mist, a hydrating toner, a first essence, two regular essences, a serum, an ampoule, and then sealed in with an emulsion, but no moisturizer, so be it.



Wait, no traditional moisturizers?!



Occlusives: image from my Multi-Step Korean Skincare Routine: Winter/Spring 2015 post If you don't feel you need it, then nope. Occlusives are meant to seal in the water you've just applied, but you can either use very light ones or ones that rely on silicones instead of lipids, if you feel that you need them. If you feel you need more occlusives, rich creams, or facial oils, by all means add them, but as a Dehydrated skin type, you need to focus on re-hydrating your skin before you can assess how much oil needs to be added.



Once you have re-balanced your Dehydrated skin, it will release you from the tailspin it's probably been in for years, and you'll be able to fine-tune your approach. You may discover that your Combo-Oily skin is actually Combo-Normal, or even Normal-Dry!





Find your Blogger skin twin: a list of routines by skin type



Don't have Dehydrated Combo-Oily skin like me? Here's a list of some Asian skincare bloggers and their skin types:

Oily , hormonal acne: Fanserviced-b

, hormonal acne: Oily , acne-prone: adoredee

, acne-prone: Normal-Oily : The Wanderlust Project

: Normal : Holy Snails

: Normal , aging: 50 Shades of Snail

, aging: Normal-Dry : Skin & Tonics AM, PM, & Occasional Treatments

: AM, PM, & Occasional Treatments Normal-Dry : The Beauty Wolf

: Dehydrated-Dry : Colorcrush

: Dry, troubled: Vanity Rex Just keep in mind that skincare is extremely personal and what works for others may not work for you, but understanding your skin type's general needs can really help when selecting products to try.



All the best,

-Cat



**Disclaimer: : All products reviewed/mentioned in this post are 100% purchased with my own money and my opinions are entirely my own. This blog contains both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and clicking the former before you shop means that this blog may receive a small commission to assist in this blog supporting itself. Please see my Contact Info & Disclaimer policy for more information. Like a gentle spring rain, a Korean routine will apply layer after layer of watery hydration, allowing your thirsty skin to soak up what it needs.As I mention in, you layer from wateriest-to-oiliest, thinnest-to-thickest. If you have a Combination skin type, avoid layering the oilier products in your oily areas and keep them to your dry areas, but the watery products can be layered all over.It's that simple. If that means that you end up with a routine that has a mist, a hydrating toner, a first essence, two regular essences, a serum, an ampoule, and then sealed in with an emulsion, but no moisturizer, so be it.Occlusives are meant to seal in the water you've just applied, but you can either use very light ones or ones that rely on silicones instead of lipids, if you feel that you need them. If you feel youmore occlusives, rich creams, or facial oils, by all means add them, but as a Dehydrated skin type, you need to focus on re-hydrating your skin before you can assess how much oil needs to be added.Once you have re-balanced your Dehydrated skin, it will release you from the tailspin it's probably been in for years, and you'll be able to fine-tune your approach. You may discover that your Combo-Oily skin is actually Combo-Normal, or even Normal-Dry!Don't have Dehydrated Combo-Oily skin like me? Here's a list of some Asian skincare bloggers and their skin types:Just keep in mind that skincare is extremely personal and what works for others may not work for you, but understanding your skin type's general needs can really help when selecting products to try.All the best,-Cat Your (literally) thirsty skin has the capability to slurp up huge quantities of hydrating products, tearing through products at a rapid rate and ensuring that your wallet is perpetually on fire but the upside is that you can justify a constant stream of new pretties to try?

You know how you can be in the middle of working on something, and then you find yourself helping out with a question that you answer so regularly that you wish you had something you could just send them instead of hurriedly and badly explaining things?That's theinspiration for today's post. Before we get started, I would just like to remind everyone that I am not a medical professional and the thoughts in this post are purely based off my own personal experience and approach to skincare.So here we go: if you have Dehydrated, Combo-Oily skin like me, this post's for you, skin twin.The basics of any routine are, in my opinion: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. But when you have Dehydrated or Combination skin (or both), your skin isn't likely to fall in love with a single moisturizer, leaving you with an extra step needed (or several) when it comes to building a base routine.I've more or less made peace with my Dehydrated & Combination skin and its quirky preferences, and I wanted to share it with my skin twins out there.This can be tricky. You can, which will be a good start if you are starting from scratch on your skincare journey, or even have it professionally assessed if you can afford it.However, I have noticed that most people who find themselves falling in love with a Korean (or Asian) skincare routine are already interested in skincare and looking to take it to the next level. Therefore, they're already familiar with their skin type and how it reacts to products.Traditional western definitions usually include the following skin types:Congratulations and sympathies, because you're probably a Dehydrated skin type like me. Don't cry, though, because tears are pH 7and they might disrupt your acid mantle . Huehuehue.Luckily for us, Korean skincare is already ready to handle our skin type, and in fact they've been ahead of the game for ... centuries?Korean skincare is very much influenced by traditional Asian medicine (, aka traditional Korean herbal medicine, is in at least 50% of the products in my routine) and therefore the core theme ofis carried into the Korean skincare philosophy as well.Just as Asian herbal medicine focuses on the balance between yin and yang, cold and hot, etc,Lemme say that again:, not just oil, may need to be added to the skin, and both need to be in balance for healthy, well-adjusted skin.This is where the light of illumination broke through the clouds of ignorance for me., might be what my parched skin needed.In the west, we learn that, andproducts, the end. Combination skin is a rebel, being a bit of both, but you can avoid putting products on your t-zone and then just blot up the steady stream of sebum seeping from your brow.If your skin is dry, put more moisturizer on it, more and more and more ... and if you break out? Must be acne-prone. Use a stronger cleanser, wash more often, or see a dermatologist for a prescription or a doctor for hormonal regulation.***No one talked about having, which has a, not an. If we take a step back and apply it to our bodies; it becomes common sense: if you are thirsty, should you drink water, or should you drink table cream?Additionally, no matter how much water you intake, your skin is the last in line to get it, so depending on various factors including environment,even if you're chugging water like Jack Sparrow drinks rum.In fact, the more heavy, oily, rich, and occlusive products you apply on your flake-festooned face, the more and more dehydrated your skin becomes, because those occlusive products are actually forming a barrier to keep water, perpetuating the cycle.But if your skin isn't getting water from within either, what do you do? Well, weadd it back topically, but first we've got to clear some crud out of the way.Skin twin, you may have suspected this, but if you've been struggling with both Dehydrated and Oily or Combo-Oily skin, there's very likely to be a disgusting shell of dead skin and + oily sebum that is coating your face. You've probably noticed that your skin is prone to dead skin build up, including dry flakes, alongside greasy and clog-prone skin. Thus, I have dubbed this slurry of goo '' and we're going to talk about how to get rid of it.Your skincare isn't penetrating down to where it needs to, because The Shell, like a layer of plaque over your teeth, is obstructing it. We need to get rid of The Shell, and physical scrubs, as you have probably noticed, aren't cutting it.Enterwait,They're not as scary as you'd think.I'll be honest; I was terrified and intimidated by chemical exfoliants at first. They're scary! They'rethat are acid-ing yourThere are horror stories all over the internet!! FYI, there are chemical, and then there are chemical. We're talking wine coolers vs 99% rubbing alcohol here.Think of our skin as a pot that is caked with the greasy residue from cooking dinner. Are you going to grind away with an abrasive pot scrubber and elbow grease, scratching your pot to hell, or are you going to soak the pot in some water + dish soap to soften the crud so you can wipe it away without damaging the surface?. I promise.I use both beta-hydroxy acid () and alpha-hydroxy acid () on a regular basis, and it's changed everything. Everything!is oil-soluble, so it can cut through the grease on our face, down into our pores, and soften the hardened goo stuck in there. This allows the sebum to flow unobstructed out of the pore, and also gives your cleanser a better chance to clean excess sebum away.is not oil-soluble, but it's excellent at dissolving excess dead skin on the surface of your skin, uncapping your pores so the BHA can go to town, whisking away dry flakes, lightning hyperpigmentation.Currently, I use, which uses an ultra-gentle form of BHA called Betaine Salicylate, and, which is Glycolic acid. However, there are lots of BHA and AHA options out there, and you don't have to use Korean products. If you want to learn more about how to incorporate acids into your routine, check out my post onBe warned:hidden under the surface of your skin, so read up on purging and how to identify it vs reaction breakouts.So once you've freed your skin from the tyranny of The Shell, it will be ready to soak in all the goodness your products are ready to supply.Now that the layers of old buildup are out of the way, you are free to focus on re-balancing the missing water from your skin. This is the real drawback of The Shell; the precious water that your skin lacks was unable to penetrate through the greasy sludge that coated your face.But it's gone now, so it's time to go hard on the hydrators. This is where a multi-step Korean routine obliterates the 'less is more' western approach, in my opinion.Mmm, hydrating products. Korean products will give you a bevvy of options that are, including:The above list is in aorder of wateriest-to-oiliest, thinnest-to-thickest, but Korean naming conventions are really, um, 'fluid' and it's not a hard rule.: you can easily load up on hydrating products without overloading your skin, because it's a thirsty beast. So when you're looking at various blogs, Instagram feeds, and sale PSAs, seeing shiny things you want to buy, this is what happens: