HOTLINE SKIN Issue 2 📞 Where Do I Start?
Welcome back to Hotline Skin! Issue 2. That q above is one of the ones I get most often. A quick Google search results in dozens of varying answers and each brand seems to also have their own suggestion. You’ll find conflicting information because there are different schools of thought and you can always find confirmation of anything you are doing or not doing if you look for it.
While there are very few one size fits all rules for a routine, there are quite a few guidelines that everyone can use to make a routine that’s right for them.
Skin Types
Determining your skin type is something that seems like it should be simple, but can quickly become daunting. There’s no shortage of tips and tricks online, but at a certain point, these tips offer diminishing returns and you end up more confused than you were originally. Are there four skin types? 10? Does your skin type change? What about if you have dry skin but also have acne? Are wrinkles a skin type? These are all real and valid questions.
In the video below, board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idriss shares that in medical school, people are either lumpers or splitters. That is, they prefer to lump things into generalized categories or to split them up into distinct categories. Again, I am not a doctor and I am paraphrasing, but this at least begins to explain the contradicting information you might find about skin types. And this isn’t specific to doctors and skin. It is about learning, digesting and recalling information of any kind. It all depends on who you ask and how they have chosen to break down information. When discussing skin types, it all stems from the same basic skin functions (mainly, how much oil does one produce) but how specific you get depends on who you ask. And how specific you want to be is your choice.
Another important distinction is to understand a skin type vs. a skin condition. A skin type is your genes, it is what you were born with and what you are predisposed to. A skin condition is a (hopefully) temporary state of your skin or one that appears later in life due to various factors as the result of your lifestyle or even your skin type. How a skin condition manifests will depend on your skin type. Your skin type can evolve as you age (genes!) but age is not a skin type. Everyone’s skin ages.
The five basic skin types are: normal, oily, dry, combination and sensitive. All but sensitive skin have to do with how much sebum (oil) your skin naturally produces. Sensitive skin has to do with reactivity.
An easy way to determine your basic skin type is to wash your face with water and observe. I am going to stop there because I want you to watch this video which goes into more depth. Here is an accompanying graphic.
My Skin Type Story
I have very small pores. Always have. For most of my life, I equated small pores with having dry skin but my skin was never really dry. Then in my 20s I started getting acne. Really bad acne. But mostly on my cheeks (what!?) and not in the t-zone, where acne is most common for combination skin. I also have polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, which impacts my hormones. Whenever I use foundation or concealer, my skin becomes patchy in spots.
It is then that I learned about the concept of dry vs. dehydrated skin. Dry skin (the skin type) lacks oil. Dehydrated skin (the skin condition) lacks water. You can have dehydrated skin that is dry or oily. A telltale sign of dehydrated skin is that your makeup “disappears” throughout the day - this is because your poor skin is absorbing any water that is in your makeup! So sad. I felt horrible. I could write a lot more, but the point is, once I learned that I had dehydrated skin and acne, I started to treat my combination skin in a different way. And I’m still learning, and messing up all the time. Take the time to figure out your skin type and skin conditions.
If you are a “splitter” or still don’t feel comfortable determining your skin type or want another opinion or just like taking online quizzes, beloved esthetician Renee Rouleau’s entire philosophy and product line is based off of her classification of 9 skin types. You can take the quiz and see product recommendations here.
Me, Jolie!
A Basic Routine For Everyone
At the core of your routine, you need to do the following:
Cleanse (wash your face)
Moisturize (hydrate your skin)
Protect (wear sunscreen everyday)
Notes on cleanser: Washing your face removes dirt, oil, sweat, makeup and spf. Not all cleansers are the same; some are gentle and meant to cleanse your skin and nothing more. Others are formulated to treat certain conditions and can help achieve skin goals like preventing acne, blackheads, redness etc. You want a cleanser for everyday that is suited to your skin type and also one to use as needed for certain skin conditions.
Caroline Hirons, a skincare legend and one of my personal heroes, maintains that cleansing is the most important part of your routine. (Check out her bestselling book, Skincare, if you want to learn everything you need to know about starting a routine. There is an entire chapter and then some.)
Here is a very helpful cleansing guide that breaks down (no pun intended) the difference between “simple” and “active” and how those words translate into cleansers.
I cleanse once in the morning and always double cleanse at night. My first cleanse at night is always with an oil or balm cleanser. Otherwise, the cleansers I use depend on how my skin is feeling.
Many brands have cleanser options for different skin types. Now that you know your skin type, you can also do a Google: “best cleanser for xxx type” or “cleansers for active breakouts” etc. I’ve noted my personal favorites/preferences, but look at the range and pick the best for your skin type/goals.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (normal to dry skin)
La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser (normal to oily skin)
Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion (sensitive skin)
Neutrogena Hydroboost Cleansing Gel (dry/combo skin)
Jordan Samuel Skin The After Show (sensitive skin version available too)
Tatcha The Rice Wash (normal/dry skin)
Renee Rouleau Rapid Response Detox Cleanser (use the second you feel a breakout)
Notes on moisturizer: Pick your moisturizer based on your skin type. All skin types, even oily, need moisture. The type of moisturizer you use might change depending on the season. You might use something lighter during the day than at night.
For oily skin, look for gels (lighter texture) and for dry skin look for creams (thicker texture). For combination or normal skin, look for a hybrid or something in between! Words like “lotion” or “light cream” are good to seek out.
Apply moisturizer on damp skin. Tap water is fine, but you can use a mist if you like to feel fancy. (Misting throughout the day is something that has greatly helped my dehydrated skin.)
Same as cleansers above, brands often have a range and be sure to pick based on your skin type, but here are some recs:
Cosrx Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream (dry, dehydrated, irritated skin)
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream (thick!)
Cerave Moisturizing Lotion PM (lighter than above)
Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel (oily/combo skin)
La Roche-Posay Toleraine Ultra Soothing Repair Moisturizer (dry/sensitive skin)
Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream (dry skin or normal if want a thicker cream)
TULA 24-7 Moisture Hydrating Day & Night Cream (all skin types, lightweight)
Notes on sunscreen: Wear it everyday. It is the last step in your skincare routine before any makeup. I don’t care if it is chemical or physical. SPF 30+. I promise to dedicate a whole issue to SPF one day, but for now: find one you like for your skin type and use it.
If you are doing all three of these things and you are fine with how your skin looks and feels, you're in good shape!
Caroline Hirons
Guidelines For Everyone
Read the whole package: Don't just focus on what a product is called, look at ingredients and instructions for use.
If something is called a “treatment oil” that tells you absolutely nothing. What does it treat? How does it recommend you use it? Some of my favorite products have names that tell me nothing. Remember, skincare is a billion dollar industry and we humans are suckers for marketing! Brands are going to call products whatever makes you the most likely to pick it up in the store.
Skincare terminology varies around the world and is not standardized. For example: In some countries, such as France and Japan, what in the U.S. we recognize as “toners” are called “toning lotions” or even just “lotion”!
Oil goes last: Water-based products go before oil-based products. Think about science! You’ve known how water and oil interact since elementary school and that basic logic applies to your skincare routine. Oil is impermeable! Oil goes last! It keeps moisture in. Please take a look at the ingredients before deciding where the product goes in your routine. Serums are most often water based, whereas oils, as one would assume, are oil-based. Sadly, in recent years, I’ve seen the words “serum” and “oil” used interchangeably, so check your ingredients always.
If you're still not convinced about the order of oil, check out this article that talks about how it is scientifically true, and as a bonus, provides a great explanation of the difference between dry and dehydrated skin.
Medik8 Rapid Action Target Gel, $25: Medik8 is a UK-based skincare brand that hasn’t quite made its way to the U.S. yet, but it will mark my words and get ahead of the trend. I’ve been wanting to get this spot treatment for a while, but it is constantly sold out at the only 2 U.S. retailers: SpaceNK and the Medik8 International Site. I finally snagged it and it is well worth the wait. This quick acting acne spot treatment has 4 powerhouse ingredients (including my fave azelaic acid) and is completely, completely invisible, making it great under makeup. Get on the waitlist.
Necessaire The Body Serum, $45: I’ll admit I thought hyaluronic acid serum for the body sounded gimmicky, but y’all, I feel like a baby seal and I’m never turning back. Apply under lotion wherever you need some extra hydration. Plus, it comes in a pump, which is my all time favorite way of dispensing any product.
Surratt Relevée Lash Curler, $34: Thank you to everyone who participated in my drugstore tryouts. If you aren’t already part of the #stilettoparadise crew on Instagram, the winning combination is L'oreal Lash Paradise Primer and Maybelline Lash Stiletto. I’ve recently taken it one step further by busting out my Surratt eyelash curler and the results speak for themselves (well, they do if you follow me). This curler is an award-winning favorite beloved by makeup artists and beauty editors and I have not once pinched my eyelid.
Tower28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm, $20: I love a multipurpose makeup product, especially one that really does blend equally easily on lips, eyes and cheeks. I’ve been loving this product for a few months now and find myself reaching for it nearly every day. The brand is especially formulated for sensitive skin (the founder has struggled with eczema) and free of every known skin irritant. My very complicated skin type loves it.
