Skincare is a very competitive business and consumers hear, read, and see a variety of skincare products for every skin type possible. How do you choose the best skincare products for your skin type? How do you know what skin type you have? Here are a few tips to making smart and educated choices for a healthy skincare regime.

Identify your skin type. The first thing a wise consumer should do is identify their skin type. This is not rocket science and you don't need a consultant or fancy physician to identify what your skin is like. You need a mirror and some good old fashion honesty with yourself. Take a close up look at your clean face in a mirror where the lighting is bright. Look for dry areas, the size of your pores, skin rashes or acne, and color tone. Blot your clean dry face with a Kleenex and observe for oily areas. Look for black heads or white heads, open lesions, and dark areas.

Next, decide if your skin is mostly dry, mostly oily, or a combination of both. You are the best judge of how your skin feels and acts with your daily routine. You know if your skin is oily in the heat of summer and dry in the cold harsh winter. Maybe your skin is only oily around the nose and forehead. Make a note to yourself about what your skin is like before you shop for skincare products.

What to look for in a skincare product?

When you decide to start a new skincare routine, it is always a good idea to shop around for the type of products that best suit your skin type. Most consumers choose products with four main ideas of focus. These include

*Overall cost of the product
*Scent or feel of the product
*Purpose of the product
*Results after using the product

Choosing the product

Regardless of where you shop, choose the products for your specific skincare type. If you have mostly oily skin, choose oil free products suited for oily skin. The same goes for choosing products for dry skin. Those products have extra moisture ingredients to keep your skin from becoming excessively dry. Products for both oily and dry skin are called combination skincare products and are made to address both the dry areas and the oily areas of your skin.

Look for products with natural ingredients, vitamin and mineral ingredients, and products absent of harsh chemicals and alcohols. Harsh chemicals and alcohols may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions for some skincare types.

Price points to consider

Choose the products suited for your skin type in the price range you can easily afford. Keep in mind, although most consumers feel paying more equals a better product, it may not always be the case. Read labels and compare ingredients. You may find a store brand of some skincare products to be equal in quality to higher priced products. Shop online for the same or equal skincare products as well, comparing ingredients, quality, scent, and price. It may take a recommendation from a friend or some research and trial and error on your part to find the right products for your skin type.

Tips to consider for your safety:

*Most products made by the same company are designed to work together. You may have more satisfaction and better results when you purchase the skincare products from the same line.

*When trying a new product, introduce only one new product or line at a time. If you develop an allergic reaction or skin irritation, it will be easier to discover which product caused the symptoms rather than trying several new products at once and figuring out which one caused the irritation.

*Use the products that feel the best for you. What feels good to your friends may make your skin feel dry and itchy. The product will only be as good as it makes you look and feel, regardless of what the marketing hype states.

The main focus of a good skincare product is how it makes you look, how it feels on your skin, and how comfortable you are with the performance and pricing of the products. When you find products that work with your skin type, stay with them for a younger, healthier look and feel, then Enjoy!