The Best Everyday Skincare Routine for Your Skin Type

All of us are different: different lifestyles and preferences, different personalities, different skin tones and even different skin types. You might have oily skin, dry skin, or a combination of both with or without a sensitivity factor to mix with it. Your skin type might even change with the age, specific body conditions like pregnancy, very intense exercise, menstrual cycle or even the weather!

So how do we sort through this skin-type madness in order to care of our skin the right way? For starters, let go of the misconception that only oily-skin people get acne. ANYONE can get acne, and EVERYONE and EVERY SKIN TYPE needs a proper skincare routine.

And most importantly--anyone suffering from acne needs to treat it the same way: from the inside, in a safe and natural way.

Step 1: Determine your skin type

You might have oily skin if:

You might have dry skin if:

You might have combination skin if:

Exfoliate: Never exfoliate more than once a week, and always be sure to wear SPF, never exfoliate after sun or wind exposure and never get sun exposure after exfoliating. We recommend exfoliating gently and naturally with natural ingredients based exfoliating masks using foods, such as avocado or papaya, which contain natural enzymes that will "dissolve" dead skin cells without any abrasion.

Moisturize: Look for lightweight, oil-free moisturizers containing ingredients such as water, aloe vera, marine algae, lemon grass extract, willow bark extract and witch hazel.

For dry skin:

Clean: Choose gentle products free of harsh ingredients like salicylic acid, alcohol and benzoyl peroxide, any chemicals you cannot pronounce or have the word "acid" in the name. Use a mild, noncomedogenic cleanser. Or, try massaging in a few drops of olive oil, avocado or coconut oil and wiping away with a cotton ball soaked in luke warm water and a few drops of rose oil or lavender.

For removing makeup prior to cleansing, try massaging in some coconut oil or olive oil and wiping away gently with a damp cotton ball.

If you choose, follow up cleansing with a natural, gentle chamomile astringent; you may also try to use fresh cucumber juice.

Exfoliate:  Do not exfoliate more than twice a month - never after sun or wind exposure; always use at least SPF 30, and a moisturizer after exfoliating. We recommend exfoliating gently and naturally with food type ingredients such as avocado or papaya, which contain natural enzymes that will "dissolve" dead skin cells without any abrasion.

To exfoliate with papaya, mush fresh, ripe papaya and blend with 2 TBS of honey and 1-2 drops of olive oil. Leave on skin for 10-15 minutes, rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Moisturize: Look for richer, noncomedogenic moisturizers, ones that contain, for example, extracts of olive oil, small amounts of jojoba, almond, apricot, grape seed oil, avocado, rose water and oatmeal. You can even try a bit of organic raw shea butter. Just do NOT over-do it. And remember, if you think you also have sensitive skin, note that the only way to treat it is gently. No hot water, no ice cold water, no scrubbing or heavy oily make-up.

For combination skin:

Clean: Avoid harsh ingredients like salicylic acid, alcohol and benzoyl peroxide. Use a mild, noncomedogenic cleanser. Or, try massaging in a few drops of olive oil or coconut oil and wiping away with a cotton ball soaked in warm water and a few drops of lemon juice.

For removing makeup prior to cleansing, try massaging in some coconut oil or olive oil and wiping away gently with a damp cotton ball.

If you choose, follow up cleansing with a natural, gentle chamomile astringent.  

To exfoliation with papaya, mush fresh, ripe papaya and blend with 2 TBS of honey. Leave on skin for 10-15 minutes, rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.

Moisturize: Look for simpler, noncomedogenic ingredients (that you can actually pronounce!) in moisturizers. If you have dry and/or flaky patches that you want to moisturize a bit more heavily, try treating those areas with small amounts of noncomedogenic oils, such as a small amount of coconut oil or olive oil or shea butter.