Trying to shop for skincare but unsure which products to pick from the hundreds that are available?

This is a common problem, made even harder by how it’s so easy to be persuaded by clever marketing or attention-grabbing packaging. However, choose skincare products that aren’t right for your skin and you could end up with even more skin problems than those that you’re currently dealing with.

Here’s the good news; Introstem can help. We’ve put together a detailed guide that will talk you through everything that you need to consider when trying to choose new skincare products:

Know Your Skin Type

One of the most important factors to consider when shopping for skincare products is your skin type. Determine what yours is and you’ll find it so much easier to understand what your skin needs in order to look and feel its best.

There are five main skin types, each with its own distinct characteristics. To figure out what yours currently is (skin types can change, so don’t assume that your current skin type is the same as what it was a few years ago), wash your face with a gentle cleanser, such as the Stem Cell Mousse Cleanser. Then, leave your skin bare for about half an hour. After this, take a close look in the mirror to see which of the following categories your skin falls under:

• Dry Skin: when the skin isn’t producing enough sebum, it looks and feels dry. It will also often take on a rough texture, and may sometimes be flaky.
• Oily Skin: when the skin produces more sebum than needed, the extra oil sits on the skin’s surface, giving it a shiny and greasy appearance. Excess oil often sinks into the pores and causes blockages, which is why oily skin is also more susceptible to acne breakouts.
• Combination Skin: sometimes, some parts of the skin produce too much oil while others don’t produce enough. This is referred to as combination skin. You’ll experience symptoms of both oily and dry skin, but on different areas of your face.
• Sensitive Skin: although a number of factors can cause sensitive skin, a damaged skin barrier is usually the culprit. This results in skin that’s easily reactive. If your skin often feels irritated and itchy or looks red and inflamed, then your skin type is likely sensitive.
• Normal Skin: normal skin is very rarely problematic. It produces the right amount of sebum and doesn’t have any glaring skin concerns. If you can relate and your skin doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, then this signifies that your skin type is normal.

Identify the Best Ingredients For Your Skin Type

Although some skincare products may claim that they’ve been designed for a certain skin type, this isn’t always the case. Rather than believing the packaging outright, it’s worth taking some time to identify which ingredients are best suited to your skin type. You can then seek out skincare products that offer these:

Dry Skin

Since dry skin doesn’t produce enough sebum, the skincare products you use need to make up for this. Therefore, some of the best ingredients to look for when dealing with dry skin are:

• Shea butter
• Plant oils
• Vitamin E
• Amino acids
• Sodium hyaluronate
• Antioxidants

You’ll find all of the above in the Introstem Aqua Face and Neck Cream. This moisturizer will immediately leave your skin feeling softer and more supple, reducing the feeling of dryness and roughness.

Oily Skin 

When dealing with oily skin, you need ingredients that will provide hydration without weighing your skin down. Ingredients that also help to rebalance how greasy your skin feels while minimizing the look of large pores and acne breakouts would also be beneficial. Some of your best options are:

• Salicylic acid
• Vitamin A
• Grape seed extract
• Antioxidants
• Glycerin
• Plant stem cells

The Introstem ThermoStem Completion Cream contains all of the above. It’s a fantastic moisturizer that will keep oily skin hydrated and looking matte, without contributing to breakouts.

Combination Skin

Choosing skincare products for combination skin can be a challenge since you have two different skin types to deal with. This means that you’ll need to look for ingredients that will give both your dry and oily areas what they need, without causing the issues in any of those areas to worsen. Some of the best ingredients to seek out are:

• Sodium hyaluronate
• Aloe vera
• Plant extracts
• Plant stem cells
• Non-comedogenic plant oils, such as hemp seed oil
• Vitamin C

The Introstem Stem Cell Facial Toner contains several of those ingredients. Toners can be a game-changer for combination skin as they’ll help to balance out your complexion. Use one regularly and you’ll find that your dry areas won’t feel quite as dry anymore while your oily areas won’t look so greasy.

Sensitive Skin

If your skin type is sensitive, then this means that your skin barrier has been compromised. As a result, you’ll need to look for ingredients that will leave your skin barrier feeling stronger and more resilient. At the same time, ingredients that soothe your complexion and lower the feeling of inflammation would be helpful too. Ingredients to keep an eye out for include:

• Plant oils
• Shea butter
• Vitamin E
• Plant stem cells
• Amino acids
• Peptides

You’ll find a number of those ingredients in the Introstem VitisCell Day Repair Facial Cream. It has been designed to keep the skin feeling protected from environmental damage. This makes it a fantastic choice for sensitive skin.

Normal Skin

If your skin type is normal, this means that you don’t need to be quite as careful when it comes to the skincare products that you use. Your skin is already in great condition, so you need ingredients that will keep it looking this way, such as:

• Sodium hyaluronate
• Plant extracts
• Plant stem cells
• Vitamins
• Peptides

The Introstem Lumi-Cell Collection contains all of the above. This set consists of three products that will enhance your skin’s radiance while keeping it feeling hydrated, soft, and silky.

Identify the Best Ingredients For Your Visible Skin Concerns

In addition to seeking out skincare products containing ingredients that are suitable for your skin type, you’ll also need to identify ingredients that are capable of targeting your main visible skin concerns. Here are a few examples:

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

If you’ve noticed fine lines and wrinkles appearing on your face, this is a sign that your skin’s collagen fibers are weakening. Fortunately, there are several ingredients out there that can restore your complexion’s youthful firmness and smoothness, such as:

• Vitamin A
• Antioxidants
• Sodium hyaluronate
• Peptides
• Squalane
• DMAE

You’ll find the above in the Introstem Stem Cell Anti-Aging Wrinkle Treatment. It’s a fast-acting formula that will instantly erase the look of wrinkles, giving your skin a younger-looking finish.

Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes

The appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes is a common problem. It tends to worsen as a person ages. This is where eye-specific skincare products, such as eye serums and eye creams can help. When searching for one, look for the following ingredients:

• Peptides
• Caffeine
• Sodium hyaluronate
• Vitamin C
• Plant proteins
• Botanical extracts
• Plant stem cells

The Introstem Stem Cell Eye Serum contains all of the above. It’s a great formula for tackling the visibility of dark circles and puffiness. Add it to your daily skincare routine and your eye area will soon look smoother and brighter.

Dehydration

Many assume that dehydration is an issue that only dry skin types have to contend with. Truth is, every skin type can experience it. It’s caused by a lack of moisture in the skin, meaning that the best way to counter the feeling of dehydration is to increase your skin’s moisture levels. Some of the best ingredients for doing this are:

• Sodium hyaluronate
• Glycerin
• Allantoin
• Peptides

All of those ingredients are lightweight but have powerful moisture-binding properties. Give them a try for yourself with the Introstem ThermoStem Serum. Even just one application of this formula will give your skin a plumper and dewier finish!

Learn Which Ingredients to Avoid

When choosing skincare products, not only do you need to know which ingredients to look for, but you also need to know which ingredients to avoid. Here are a few guidelines:

Dry Skin

Anything that dries your skin out even further should be a no-go. Sulfates are one of the biggest culprits, which are often found in cleansing skincare products. Certain hydroxy acids, such as glycolic and salicylic, could also leave your skin feeling drier. Denatured alcohol will have the same effect while dehydrating your skin at the same time.

Oily Skin

It goes without saying that you don’t want oily skin to end up even oilier. So, you’ll need to avoid any pore-clogging ingredients, such as mineral oil, silicones, and petroleum. Certain plant oils, such as coconut oil, are highly comedogenic too. However, don’t avoid all plant oils as there are several, such as jojoba and hemp seed, that can actually help to rebalance how oily your skin feels.

Combination Skin

Since combination skin has features of both oily and dry skin, you’ll need to avoid the same ingredients as both of those groups. This can make it much harder to choose suitable skincare products, although you’ll find plenty of options available from Introstem!

Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, stay away from skincare products containing sulfates, fragrances, and alcohols. These will only further compromise your skin barrier. Hydroxy acids are another common irritant for sensitive skin, as is benzyl peroxide.

Normal Skin

People with normal skin tend to have more freedom when it comes to the ingredients and skincare products that they use. With that said, certain ingredients, such as sulfates, should still be avoided, especially since there are so many better alternatives out there.

Summary

Hopefully, you now have a much better idea of how to choose the best skincare products for your skin. In the end, it all comes down to ingredients. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the ingredients that do and don’t work for your skin type, as well as your main visible skin concerns, and you’ll be able to shop for new products with ease!

Click here to explore more bestselling skincare products from Introstem.