Normal Skin Characteristics

With all of the information out there, knowing your skin type can be a little confusing. Normal skin typically features the following characteristics:

• Nothing too crazy is going on – your skin may experience some dryness or oiliness here and there, depending on the season
• Getting the rare clogged pore or two

In other words, you’re one of the lucky people that won the skin jackpot! Everything mostly works as it should.

How to care for normal skin

The key to maintaining normal skin types is focusing on maintenance, rather than change. You don’t need to use 10 products in your routine, nor do you need to use any specific actives to address particular concerns.

1. ‘KISS’ your routine – Keep It Simple, Stupid

Your morning and nighttime skincare routine can be simple yet effective. Your routine can look something like the below:

• Morning:
  • Cleanse
  • Serum (optional) or moisturiser
  • Sunscreen
• Evening:
  • Oil cleanse (to remove sunscreen and/or makeup)
  • Second cleanse
  • Serum (optional)
  • Moisturiser

You can even double up products, for example using the same serum and moisturiser, day and night.

Recommended products:

• QV Face Gentle Cleanser
• Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster
• Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream

2. If you really want a targeted treatment, focus on antioxidants

Your skin is exposed to harsh elements, every day. It ranges from environmental aggressors, free radicals, smoke, pollution, and of course, the sun. Using a product full of antioxidants help tackle all of these, preventing them from damaging your skin in the form of premature wrinkles, decreased collagen production and more. Some popular antioxidants include:

• Vitamin C – Fights free radical damage while brightening the skin. It also boosts the sun protection from your sunscreen!
• Licorice Root – Contains anti-inflammatory properties to address redness
• Vitamin E – Protects your skin against UV rays and oxidative damage, like air pollution and smoke

Recommended products:

• SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum
• Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum with 1% Ceramide Complex
• Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

3. Don’t skimp on the sunscreen – even normal skin types need protection

Just because your skin is already good, doesn’t mean you can ditch the sunscreen. It’s an essential for every skin type. Without it, you’re exposing your skin to premature aging, which can reveal itself in the form of sun spots, pigmentation, wrinkles and skin sagging.

Find out which sunscreen type your skin prefers. Choose from physical mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide and titanium oxide) or chemical sunscreen (benzophenone, oxybenzone, octinoxate, benzotriazoles, cinnamates and PABAs etc.)

Recommended products:

• Ultraceuticals Ultra UV Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 50 Hydrating
• Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc
• Cancer Council Face Day Wear Moisturiser Matte SPF50+

4. Use a gentle basic moisturiser to maintain the balanced moisture levels of the normal skin

Regardless of your skin type, everyone needs to use moisturiser. Since normal skin is all about maintenance, aim for a gentle moisturiser with reliable ingredients like Glycerin and Vitamin E. If they have additional ingredients like niacinamide (Vitamin B) or ceramides (lipid fats), then even better.

Recommended products:

• CeraVe Daily Moisturising Lotion
• Cetaphil Moisturising Cream
• Ego QV Cream

5. Avoid ingredients that can irritate normal skin

The last thing you want is irritating skin that already naturally performs well. Below are common irritants – that said, look at where they are placed in the ingredients list. Generally the lower down it is, the smaller the concentration. So even if products had some of these known irritants, it may be formulated well enough to be fine on skin.

• Alcohol denat
• Essential oils
• Witch hazel
• Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

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The Edit

• QV Face Gentle Cleanser
• Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster
• Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream
• SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum
• Alpha-H Vitamin E Serum with 1% Ceramide Complex
• Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum
• Ultraceuticals Ultra UV Protective Daily Moisturiser SPF 50 Hydrating
• Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc
• Cancer Council Face Day Wear Moisturiser Matte SPF50+
• CeraVe Daily Moisturising Lotion
• Cetaphil Moisturising Cream
• Ego QV Cream

Need a cheat sheet for other skin types? Read them here.