5 ways to know your skin type

Oluwabukola Agbeniga is the owner of Nymphe Makeover situated in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State. She answers your different questions on beauty and how to properly make-up. First, she gives an insight into her expertise in the world of beauty. Cheers.

Let's talk skin. What are the types of skins, and how do I determine which one is mine?

Basically, we have four to five skin types and they are normal, oily, dry, sensitive and combination skins. Dry skin is the skin that is flaky. Someone with a dry skin will not have oil on the face. A dry skin usually appears dull, it feels dry and itchy. A dry skin is also sometimes sensitive. Dry skin has patches. Your skin for instance is an oily skin while mine is a dry one. How to know you have a dry skin is basically determined by the weather. If your skin peels when it is subjected to bad weather, then your skin is a dry one.

Another way to know is to test your skin at home. Press your skin hard with your finger and hold it for some time. If the reddish colour on your skin doesn't disappear for a long time that means your skin is most likely dry.

Oily skin is not prone to patches and flakes, but it is prone to pimples. The T-line is always oily and the skin on your body is always fresh. You can know that you have oily skin by pressing a clean mirror on your nose, forehead and cheeks. If you notice greasy stains on the mirror, then, your skin is oily.

We also have combination skin. The combination has to do with dry and oily skin and you can equally have oily and dry skin. And a combination of all the skin types. The skin on my face, for instance, is dry and the one on by body is oily. Some people can have oily skin on their face while the skin on their bodies will be dry. The combination of skin is usually characterised by an oily T-zone area, (which covers the forehead, nose and chin), while the skin around the cheeks, eyes and mouth is normal or dry.

Then, there is the sensitive skin. Sensitive skin is prone to pimples and allergies and it tends to react adversely to cosmetics containing alcohol, synthetically manufactured oil type ingredients, fragrance oils, and artificial colours. Sensitive skin can be dry, normal, or oily. The normal skin is the best of all skin types because it is not too oily or not too dry. It constantly looks plump, moist, and vibrant.

Any make-up suggestion for these different skin types?

For dry skin, before you apply any make-up on your face, apply your moisturiser first. You need to moisturise the face so that the make-up will look perfect. You need to moisturise it before you apply foundation on it so that it won't look too dry and the kind of foundation you use should be oil-based foundation. But for oily skin, you need to use oil mattifier and oil mattifying foundation. Basically, we Nigerians don't follow all these rules but it is very important to follow them. And for combination skin, since the face is oily, use mattifier for the face and for the skin which is dry, moisturise.

How do I know the right make-up colours for me?

Any moment you go to a make-up store, you definitely will meet a professional. But if you don't meet one, all you need to do is ask them if you're allowed to test the products on you. If they allow you, what you basically do is …if you are buying a foundation, you apply two or three shades that are close to your skin tone to your jaw line. You should choose the one that best suits your skin as your colour. That's how you know the right foundation colour for your skin. Same goes with your powder and other products you want to buy.

How do I treat my pimples?

If you have pimples, all you have to do is know what you're reacting to or what's causing your breakout, that is, if you're under a lot of stress, if it is what you're taking in – because you have to treat your inside before you can treat your outside. You should also know if it is environmental hazard that is causing the breakout, etc. So basically, you need to determine the cause of your pimples before you start treating it. For example if you have breakout and you immediately go for facials before determining what's causing the breakouts, you'll realise that the pimples will not go.

So what I will say is that you pay attention to what you're taking in. I believe strongly that your make-up is from the inside, it's not about what you're applying on your face; it's about you being nice, how you're able to relate with people, your charisma. After you have first treated yourself from the inside, you can now treat your skin with antibacterial products like adding disinfectants to your bathing water. You should also reduce your stress level if it's causing your breakouts, and then do facials and you are good to go.

How do I conceal stress from my face?

All you need to do is this: when you wake up in the morning, place two cold tablespoons that you had put into your fridge the night before on your eyes. The next thing you will do is to place sliced cucumber on your face and rinse your face with cold water before you apply anything onto your face.

How do I stay generally beautiful all day?

Well, the first thing you should do is to stay away from stress or anything that will cause stress for you. You should drink plenty of water to hydrate you, and to wash away toxins from your system. You should eat good, balanced food, stay away from the sun as much as possible, smile a lot and sleep well.

Is there a particular time I should not wear make-up?

I will suggest you don't wear make-up when you're going to bed or when you're indoors so that you can allow your skin to breathe. If you're going to make-up at all when you're in the house, you do it minimally.