HOW TO BUILD A SKINCARE ROUTINE TO MATCH YOUR SKIN TYPE

Discover the best product offerings made just for your skin type, and how to build a skincare ritual that works best for you.

-KEYS SOULCARE

Dermatologist Reviewed by Dr. Renée Snyder

Skincare, like soulcare, is unique. (You’re one of a kind, after all!) There is no one-size-fits-all ritual to nourish your skin and nurture your soul…so, how do you determine which product offerings are best for you?

One way to simplify your search is to know your skin type and build a meaningful ritual around it.

We can take cues from Keys Soulcare dermatologist Dr. Renée Snyder, who taught us all about the importance of an effective skincare ritual.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SKIN TYPE?

Essentially, your skin type reveals what your skin craves and seeks when it comes to cleansing and hydration. These characteristics can change with time depending on age, environmental conditions, hormonal changes, etc.

Let’s get into the four most common skin types, and how to practice good skin care for each one.

4 SKIN TYPES TO KNOW ABOUT

Not sure how to know what skin type you have? Here’s what the five most common skin types are, and what they may look like or feel like. As always, consult your dermatologist if you have questions about your skin’s unique needs.

1. NORMAL SKIN

“Normal skin” is considered the most balanced skin type, meaning it’s not too dry or too oily, normal skin has little to no blemishes, and isn’t overly sensitive to skincare products and ingredients.

2. OILY SKIN

Oily skin types tend to overproduce oil — specifically, sebum. Sebum is known as a naturally occurring oil that can help lubricate and protect the skin, but hormonal changes, genetics, and environmental factors can cause excess sebum. This may lead to clogged, enlarged pores, coarse skin texture, and breakouts.

3. DRY SKIN

Considered the opposite of oily skin, dry skin can underproduce sebum. This makes it difficult for skin to retain critically important moisture, which can lead to skin feeling tight, flaky, or itchy.

Additionally, cold weather, low humidity, hot showers or baths, harsh soaps or detergents, and certain medical conditions can cause skin to feel dry.

4. SENSITIVE SKIN

Sensitive skin is somewhat harder to define; it isn’t a universally recognized medical condition, and you can have both sensitive skin and other skin types. Your skin might be sensitive and dry or sensitive and oily.

Sensitive skin types may experience sensations like itching or burning when a new product is applied topically. Sometimes, sensitive skin arises as a result of environmental factors, like allergens, fragrances, dyes, or other irritants. Understanding what triggers inflammation is key in knowing what kinds of product offerings are right for your sensitive skin.

SKINCARE BUNDLES TO MATCH YOUR SKIN TYPE

To turn your daily habits into sacred moments of personal ceremony, you need the right offerings. Each ritual takes you and your skin to the next level with derm-developed, effective formulas and soul-centered affirmations. (For that inside-out self-care.) Ready for your glow-up? Find your skin type below and discover the ritual created with you in mind.

1. FOR NORMAL SKIN TYPES

These three essentials in the Hydrate + Glow Bundle are your perfect introduction to soulcare, no matter your skin type.

STEP 1: CLEANSE

First, massage away the day’s makeup and impurities with the gentle Golden Cleanser.

STEP 2: NOURISH

Then, pamper skin with the nourishing Skin Transformation Cream with Bakuchiol, which features a soothing, delicate gel-cream texture and calming sage and oat milk scent.

STEP 3: GLOW

Finish with a few pumps of Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum, a niacinamide-rich formula with brightening powers that help give skin a lit-from-within look.

2. BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN TYPES

Oily skin types still need gentle, hydrating ingredients that help bring out the right balance. A go-to skincare routine for oily skin is one that helps refresh skin while helping to control oil in the skin.

The oily skin ritual is a four-step biweekly routine designed to cleanse, refresh, and hydrate oily skin. Here’s how it works:

STEP 1: CLEANSE

Start by gently massaging the Golden Face Cleanser with Manuka Honey onto the face to remove impurities and makeup. Take a moment to enjoy the calming sage and oat milk scent before rinsing away with warm water. Pat dry and move onto the next step in your ritual.

STEP 2: EXFOLIATE

Buff away dull skin with Be Luminous Skin Exfoliating Powder with Lactic Acid. Choose your own texture; the formula’s fine powder transforms into a creamy foam when water is added. Use less water for a deeper physical exfoliation, or more water for a lighter, gentler exfoliation.

STEP 3: PURIFY

Tackle your t-zone with the Harmony Face Mask. Purifying activated charcoal helps to balance your skin’s appearance, and Manuka honey plus gold foil can help boost the look of skin’s radiance. Leave on for up to 20 minutes, savoring both the moment of stillness and the formula’s warm sandalwood scent.

STEP 4: BALANCE + BRIGHTEN

Zinc PCA is the secret oil-tamer in our Promise Facial Serum. The combination of toning zinc and hydrating L-PCA helps control oil and moisture levels in the skin, while niacinamide helps brighten and balance skin’s appearance.

3. BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR DRY SKIN TYPES

The rumors are true. Dry or dehydrated skin types need an extra (or just a little different) kind of TLC. That’s where the Nighttime Bundle for Dry Skin comes in clutch; the formulas help to replenish and refresh dry skin, allowing all the goodness of each formula’s hydrating superhero ingredients to soak into skin overnight.

STEP 1: GENTLE CLEANSE

Wash your face with our gentle Golden Cleanser, which is formulated with glycerin plus Manuka honey, turmeric, and chamomile.

STEP 2: REPLENISH

Rub a few drops of Deeply Replenishing Squalane Facial Oil into the palm of your hand and gently press onto skin with fingertips. This non-comedogenic facial oil is nourishing for dry skin types, but also won’t clog pores.

STEP 3: QUENCH

Wrap up your nighttime ritual with the luxurious gel-cream texture of our Skin Transformation Cream with Bakuchiol. This nightly moisturizer locks in hydration with ceramides while bakuchiol helps plump the look of skin. Massage the cream into the skin of your face and neck using soothing circular motions for a few moments of well-deserved relaxation.

4. BEST SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR MATURE SKIN

Mature skin is thought to become thinner, less elastic, and drier. Wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots may become more prominent, while skin can also become more susceptible to bruising and tearing. Mature skin may also lose its ability to regenerate as quickly.

When it comes to skincare for fine lines and wrinkles, our peptide-packed offerings are the way to go. Take, for instance, the Peptide Power Bundle, a trio designed to visibly improve fine lines and wrinkles for smoother, firmer-looking skin.

(Need the 101 on peptides? We’ve got the guide.)

STEP 1: PLUMP

Reach for the Truly Becoming Multi-Benefit Peptide Serum, which contains a potent combo of visibly firming poly-peptides, multi-weight hyaluronic acid for lasting hydration, and marine bamboo — a seaweed extract that helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines.

STEP 2: HYDRATE

Then, gently massage Firm Belief Smoothing Peptide Cream into the skin. The formula, complete with a special peptide complex and fermented astragalus extract, helps improve the feel of skin’s firmness for a smooth, supple feel.

STEP 3: BOOST

Round out your ritual by softly tapping Radiant Eye Cream with Peptides along the eye area until it’s fully absorbed, which infuses the delicate eye area with a burst of nourishing moisture.

5. FOR A RADIANCE BOOST

If your skin seems to be missing a lit-from-within glow, reignite your inner light with the Radiance Bundle. (Psst…Check out our full line of offerings crafted specially for dull skin, packed with good-for-skin ingredients like brightening niacinamide, hydrating squalane, or exfoliating lactic acid.)

STEP 1: CLEANSE

First, wash away makeup and impurities with a few pumps of our foamy Golden Cleanser.

STEP 2: REJUVENATE

Press a few drops of Truly Becoming Multi-Benefit Peptide Serum onto your skin, and let it absorb for 20-30 seconds before moving onto the final step in your radiance ritual.

STEP 3: GLOW

Using your fingertips, apply one or two pumps of Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum to the face. You can use it as a priming base before makeup, or apply to the high points of the face for a boost of luminosity.

There you have it — five of the most common skin types and curated rituals that can help each skin type feel their best.

Do you know what skin type you have? Share your skin type with us and drop your skincare regimen in the comments.