Meet Your Skin
Watch a skin expert explain how to find your skin type, read a label and spot a stressed-out barrier.
Before you press play
These videos are about getting to know the skin you have, not about buying anything. Keep a little note of anything that sounds like you.
Try the bare-face test tonight
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry.
- Don’t apply anything for about an hour (30 minutes is fine if you’re impatient).
- Check in the mirror and with your fingertips:
- Tight, rough or flaky? → leaning dry
- Shiny everywhere? → leaning oily
- Shiny forehead, nose and chin, but cheeks fine or dry? → combination
- Comfortable? → normal
- Red, stingy or itchy? → you may have sensitive skin
Signs your barrier needs a break
- Products that never used to sting suddenly do
- Tight, shiny-but-dry (“cling film”) skin
- New redness, flaking or little bumps
The fix is usually less, not more: a gentle cleanser, a plain moisturiser, sunscreen, and pause the acids and retinoids for a couple of weeks.
🎬 How To Find Your Skin Type And Fitzpatrick Level | Skin Science
by Cassandra Bankson · 12 min
👀 Look out for: Watch for the "bare-face test" - washing, waiting and checking where you get shiny or tight. Also notice the Fitzpatrick scale, which describes how your skin reacts to the sun (useful for sunscreen and for laser hair removal later).
🎬 Your Skin Barrier Is Damaged. Now What?
by Dr Dray (dermatologist) · 12 min
👀 Look out for: Listen for the signs of a damaged barrier (stinging, tightness, sudden sensitivity) and how she simplifies a routine to let skin recover.
🎬 OverExfoliation 911
by Cassandra Bankson · 10 min
👀 Look out for: A cautionary tale! Notice how easy it is to overdo acids and scrubs, and how "more" products often means "more problems".