Deciphering Your Skin's Signals - what is it trying to tell you?
Your skin is constantly communicating, sending signals about what it needs. But how do we interpret what it’s trying to tell us?
Breakouts: "I'm inflamed or blocked!"
When your skin breaks out, it’s often signaling inflammation or clogged pores. Some causes include:
- Hormonal changes
- Pore-clogging ingredients
- Stress, diet, or gut imbalances
- Inconsistent cleansing or product mismatch
Dryness & Flaking: "My barrier needs repair!"
If you’re experiencing dryness and flaking, your skin is telling you its barrier is struggling and needs repair, not just simple hydration. This can be due to:
- Over-cleansing or stripping products
- Skipping moisturisers with barrier supports (like ceramides or panthenol)
- Dry weather or harsh actives (such as retinol)
Redness & Stinging: "Something's irritating me!"
Redness or stinging indicates your skin needs gentler care. Common triggers include:
- Overuse of active ingredients (like AHAs, retinol)
- Fragrance or essential oils
- A damaged barrier function
- Sensitivity to a specific ingredient
Shiny or Oily Skin: "I might be dehydrated underneath!"
Excessive shine or oiliness isn’t always a sign to strip oil. Your skin might be overproducing oil to compensate for underlying dehydration. This could be due to:
- Skin trying to compensate for dryness
- Using the wrong moisturiser (or no moisturiser)
- Hormonal shifts
Ultimately, skincare is less about controlling your skin and more about understanding what it’s telling you, knowing which ingredients work (and don’t work) for it. That’s precisely what we do at BeFound – help you decode what your skin is really saying so you can care for your skin with confidence!