Hmm, it's the time of the month these little pimples pop out to greet me again. Does that mean I have an oily skin type? Not really. But looking at my current skin condition, I do have several pimples around my face to deal with, and applying dots of V Magic® K Acne Solver on those pimples would do the trick.
Do you catch the difference between skin type and skin condition so far?
Whenever I asked people about their face, almost all of them would start by telling me about their skin type. That could be a very misleading first step which might have contributed to why you have not found the right skincare for you after searching high and low over the past many years.
Our skin type can be influenced by our genes, but over the years, despite what our skin type is, our skin condition changes as a result of our lifestyle habits, our overall well-ness, the food we consume, the environment we live in, and any physical trauma we have experienced.
Take me for example, I probably have a combination skin type by genes, but I encountered a severe serial breakout condition in 2015 due to the sharing of makeup brushes during a group dance performance, and ended up having to resolve it with a Dual Yellow Light laser treatment at a dermatologist clinic, told it was to 'kill' the roots of my acne.
Even though my breakouts were resolved in two months and I soon noticed my nose was so clean (for a short few months) from the usual whiteheads, in later years I believe the laser treatment had changed my skin condition to become sensitive, and the six-month hormonal pills prescribed for me at that time have also been affecting my natural hormonal well-ness until today.
In our search for the right skincare products at each stage of life, our current skin condition is always more relevant than our skin type. Let me tell you a short story about my client, Mia (not her real name), to illustrate the problem with anchoring on your skin type to find your skincare products.
So, Mia has been having ongoing minor breakouts for at least the past 5 years. With a lot of reading online, she gradually grew into believing that she has an oily (acne) skin type. When she finally decided to start her skincare journey with me, during her 1-on-1 facial skin consultation, that was also what she told me first.
As a trained Bio-tech Skincare Adviser, I didn't (and shouldn't) go straight to recommending her a set of skincare products suitable for oily skin types. Instead, I always start by understanding the context of my client's skincare experience, environment, and lifestyle in addition to assessing their current skin condition.
So, I asked what skincare products did she use to understand her context. She was startled for a moment, and then she said, "I will take pictures and show you when I get home." That night, I received the following pictures from her:
No wonder she could not tell me straight what she was using, because she has been using anything - even product names that were too hard to spell or pronounce.
This is a very common scenario for many including myself back then, that we would be willing to invest in and try any recommended skincare products in the hope that this new one at hand would be the answer to our skin problems.
I totally know that feeling. The last batch of skincare product stocks which I determinedly abandoned for V Magic® actually filled up the whole two-panel bathroom mirror cabinet. Was that a waste? Of course, and I don't want to count how much all those cost me. Wouldn't it be better if I donated those to someone who needed them? No, please don't. And if you are on the receiving end of donated skincare products that others abandoned, don't be glad too early. It might be the beginning of your next skin problem cycle especially if these are not the right products for your current skin condition.
Back to Mia's skincare products, if you notice, they were mostly targeting oily skin and breakouts, because she always went to the skincare counter or pharmacy asking for products for her perceived oily skin type.
Upon my assessment of her skin, she was actually in a very sensitive skin condition. Her breakouts were mainly due to clogged pores, which clogged further each time she applied more emulsion and cream products - those of larger molecules. And all the oil-fighting products she was using were also too harsh on her skin, stripping off her much-needed natural oil and thinning her stratum corneum (the outmost layer of our epidermis) which is also the natural barrier protecting our skin from harmful substances, thus making her skin even more sensitive.
It was a terrible downward spiral, and I had to help her put a stop to it. My immediate prescription was for her to stop using any products for two weeks to detox, just washing her face with clean water daily. After two weeks, I then started her on the most basic skincare routine just focusing on doing sufficient cleansing and protection from the UV while stabilizing her current sensitive condition.
She is still in her skin health restoration journey as of this writing, but see how her skin condition had changed in just four days after using only the Brightening Cleanser, Vigor Tonique Soothe Toner, and SPF30 Premium Sunscreen from V Magic®:
That's the power of the right skincare knowledge - and you can be empowered the same way to care for your facial skin, too. Everyone's facial skin is like our fingerprints, each is unique, and thus what works for another person whose skin looks like yours might not work for you.
I love empowering more people to take better control of their skincare choices, that's why I am always sharing skincare knowledge, tips, and advice whenever I encounter people who care about their facial skin.
Now it's your turn to share your skincare stories with me. And if you are open to it, I would be happy to do a 1-on-1 facial skin consultation for you so don't be shy to reach out.