Determining and understanding your skin type is essential when it comes to building an effective skincare regime. And contrary to popular belief ‘sensitive,’ ‘dehydrated’ and ‘mature’ are not skin 'types'.

So let's set a few things straight first:

1. You're born with your skin type but it can alter with time.

2. Skin concerns are not your skin type. They develop as a result of time and/or environmental or lifestyle factors.

3. There are in fact only four true skin types.

Read on to find out how to discover yours and how best to care for what you're born with…

Don't Skip This Step!

Knowing how to properly check your skin type is crucial. Get it wrong and you risk sending your precious complexion into turmoil. Make sure you follow these three steps to help identify your skin type...

Step 1. First, gently wash your face with Crystal Cleanser then rinse with room temperature water and pat your skin dry with a clean towel.

Step 2. After cleansing, leave your skin totally alone for 30-60 minutes. Don’t touch it or apply any skin products, just let it be.

Step 3. Now stand in front of a mirror in a well-lit room and study your skin. Look at the different areas of your face (concentrating particularly on your t-zone) and feel it with clean, dry hands.

Depending on what you see and feel, your skin will fall into one of these basic types…

The Rarest Skin Type Is...

Who said there's no such thing as 'normal'? A normal skin type is not impossible but it is indeed the rarest of the four. But how will you know...?

After doing the bare skin test, your skin will looks and feel the same as it did immediately after cleansing.

What to look for:

- No oily patches

- No obvious pores

- No dry or tight areas

Your sebum levels are pretty stable and your skin is doing a great job of keeping itself balanced and healthy, and technically known as 'normal' skin. Note: Don't be fooled by thinking you can skip the skincare regime. You want to keep your super lucky normal skin clear, youthful and radiant!

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The Most Uncomfortable Skin Type Is...

Any guesses? Dry skin. This skin type is going to be the most uncomfortable after doing the test because it relies on skincare to counteract a lack of sebum to help keep it moisturised.

After an hour of being left bare, dry skin will feel tight and even itchy. It could also look dull and might be flaky around the mouth, nose and cheeks. Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum, Imperial Moisturiser, Night Elixir, Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil are calling you.

And if you're really, really suffering, it has to be Organic Hydration Gel.

The Most Obvious Skin Type...

Oily skin. This will be fairly obvious straight away. Overactive sebaceous glands will make you look shiny and feel greasy to the touch – especially over the forehead, nose and chin.

It might also feel bumpy thanks to blocked, enlarged pores and you’re unlikely to see or feel any dryness. Check in on your regime making sure that you're not overloading your skin and not stripping your skin with over-exfoliation or harsh products.

Surprising fact: Over-production of oil can be balanced by adding a facial oil to your regime! Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil is perfect here.

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The Most Common Skin Type...

Last but certainly not least it's combination skin. A mixture of both dry and oily areas. Combination skin usually shows signs of dryness over the cheeks with varying levels of oiliness elsewhere, but, of course, everybody is different.

Quite simply, if your skin feels tight and uncomfortable in certain areas, and looks shiny in others, you have combination skin. And it's pretty tricky to manage!

The key is sticking to a good, simple skincare routine all over with gentle products to help keep the clashing areas in line. The Six Phase Ultimate Collection is a great way to achieve consistency for your skin.

Recognising your fundamental skin type is a great way to go back to basics and really think about what you put on your skin. The key for all skin types and concerns is to listen to your skin and treat your complexion like royalty.

Just remember, never overreact to changes in your skin. Trying to combat a particularly oily spell by upping the ante with a harsh cleanser, for example, will result in even more oil production to overcompensate for that which you’ve stripped away.

The good news is that all HIGHBORN products are free of parabens and sulphates and have been lovingly created to care for all skin types without stripping away essential oils and moisture.

Tracey x