SKinFO

I test beauty products and write about my findings, but not every product can make the cut to get a review, so I would like to elaborate on my skin type and conditions that I am targeting when it comes to what kind of product I will feature.

Having trained in beauty therapy, I have learned a lot about skin, and especially a lot about my own. I am in my 30s and I look quite immature for my age. This is mostly genetic and coincidental – I don't have wrinkles yet, but I have freckles to boot.

My skin does not hold water well, so it can sometimes look very dull and crepey. I have adult acne due to hormonal factors. My skin can get greasy in summer and very dehydrated in winter.

Always. Wear. Sunscreen.

Image description: Lara, a pale skinned person looking at the camera from an angle and smiling wildly. She has short, wavy pink hair and is wearing a pair of headphones.

Products that are suited to my skin and what I actually like to use may not always be logically compatible, however, formulas vary and a product designed for a different skin type to mine could just be the product I need at the time.

Skin Specs:

Fitzpatrick: I-II very pale, olive undertone 

Skin Type: Combination of dry cheeks and oily T-Zone
Texture: Average thickness, visible pores in T-Zone, fine lines apparent when dehydrated

Concerns: Nodular acne (hormonal), dry patches and flakiness, fine lines

Conditions: Malar rash (Lupus related erythema across the checks and nose), dermatitis (photo/contact/heat related), dehydration, milia, congestion, papules, pustules

Body: Dry, striae, loss of elastin from weight fluctuation, prone to dermatitis from exposure to sun, heat and fluorescent lighting 

Not having a product formulation bias is also something that resonates with how I choose products. I like natural beauty made from food grade ingredients and botanicals, and I don't have a problem with safe synthetic molecules that some tend to demonise. Ingredients and formulas are what draw me to a product, but I understand that they may not always work.

What happens if I come across a product that doesn't work, even if it is designed for my skin type or concerns? I simply tell it like it is; if the product doesn't work, or under performs, it's not a negativity thing, it's just transparency that I am critical about subjective matters where objectivity is the purpose (we all know that beauty products can be very subjective). If I receive a PR sample of a product I know will not work for me, I will pass it on to friends or family. It's only fair that a product doesn't go to waste sitting in a drawer.

Learn more about the Fitzpatrick Scale here.