ID :  Looks slick and shiny within an hour after cleansing. Oil seeps right through makeup.

Cleanse : Use gel, liquid cleanser or an oily-skin cleansing bar no more than two or three times per day – morning, night and after school or sports. Overwashing won’t stop oil flow and can irritate skin.

Tone : A salcylic acid formula once or twice a day helps reduce oil and keep pores clear.

Moisturize : Choose an oil-free, noncomedogenic (non-clogging) formula. Dot on drier areas only – around eyes, on cheeks – and gently blend. If skin looks or feels slick or oily, you’ve overdone it !

Troubleshoot : Apply a 5 percent Benzoyl peroxide cream or a salicylic acid formula to breakout-prone places to prevent blemishes. Are zits more than an ocassional occurrence? Skip to “Blemish-Prone”, for more clear-up info.

Make up : A water-based, oil-blotting formula minimizes shine. Sheer paper face blotters remove oil and leave make-up intact. Invest in a blotting blush and powder too.

Extra Advice : Be sure hair is totally clean and use only a lightweight lotion conditioner. Your best style bet is to keep your hair off your face !

ID :  Suffers from oil overload, clogged pores and breakouts. Even careful cleansing won’t keep it clear.

Cleanse : Wash with gel or liquid cleanser or an oily-skin cleansing bar no more than three times per day. Stripping skin won’t clear it – hardened oil trapped in pores, not surface grease, causes breakouts. If skin’s ultra-oily, try a medicated soap or cleanser formulated with triclosan, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

Tone : You can follow gel, liquid or bar cleansing with astringent and/or use toner to clean up during the day. However, toners plus drying cleansers or acne medicines may add up to excessive dryness.

Moisturize : Dot and blend a light, oil-free lotion on driest areas only. Stuck on an over drying/moisturizing seesaw? Choose a milder cleanser, like a facial bar instead of medicated cleanser, and try a less-drying medication, such as cream-based instead of gel.

Troubleshoot : Today’s acne medications not only clear up current breakouts but if used twice a day, everyday, unclog pores to help prevent future blemishes. Benzoyl peroxide dries skin (creams are less drying than gels) so start with a 5% concentration, then go to 10% if skin needs and tolerates it. Salicylic acid dries less than benzoyl peroxide so it can be used with more drying-cleansers. Clay masks sop up oil and remove dead surface cells – but they’re no substitute for regular medication.

Make up : Tinted benzoyl-peroxide products deliver light coverage. For more camouflage, opt for an oil-free, non-clogging foundation, like No Shine Oil-Control.

Extra Advice : At-home treatment not working? See a dermatologist. A few appointments to set up a regimen plus checks-in every three to six months may get you in the clear !

ID : Feels tight and dry after cleansing. Cold weather and/or dry air makes it rough and flaky.

Cleanse : A moisturizing cleanser or cleansing bar should leave skin feeling clean, fresh and smooth without dryness. Use a soothing formula twice a day.

Tone : Gently sweep non-alcohol toner over skin with a cotton ball.

Moisturize : Opt for a creamy formula rather than one labeled “oil-free”. Extra assistance – alpha-hydroxy acids help smooth and exfoliate while ingredients such as vitamin E, aloe and panthenol soothe. Apply while skin’s still damp after cleansing to seal in moisture. But dot and blend; don’t glop it on. Skin should feel fresh and moist, not greasy

Troubleshoot : Use a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide cream to spot-treat any blemishes. A moisturizing mask once a week exfoliates and smoothes. All but the creamiest grains over-dry.

Make up : A moisturizing foundation helps protect and soften and delivers the smoothest coverage. Just add cream blush.

Extra Advice : If skin’s superdry, you may prefer to tissue off cleanser rather than rinse. Soothing tissue choice – ultra-soft Kleenex Cold Care with Lotion.

ID : Stays non-oily for hours after cleansing, has small pores, a smooth texture and few breakouts.

Cleanse : Your regimen’s a rinse-off cleansing lotion or a non-drying cleansing bar twice a day. You can cleanse again after gym or any sports.

Tone : Apply a non-alcohol toner in the T-zone only in cold weather, all over when the weather’s warm.

Moisturize : Choose an oil-free, non clogging lotion. Dot on and blend over cheeks and around eyes after every cleansing.

Troubleshoot : Treat occasional blemishes with a cream- or a gel based benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid product. If skin breaks out more frequently, apply a formula like Neutrogena Multi-Vitamin Acne Treatment every day on blemish-prone places. Exfoliate twice a week with a cream based grainy cleanser or non drying mask.

Make up : A light weight, oil-free liquid is your choice.

Extra Advice : Your type’s so carefree you can get lazy. Follow your regimen every day to keep skin as good as it can be !

Sensitive skin

ID : Can react to weather, cleansing and whatever you put on it with stinging, itchiness and redness.

Cleanse : Opt for a lotion cleanser. Make it “fragrance –free” (fragrance is the number-one skin irritant) and non comedogenic. Especially gentle for your type; Neutrogena Non Drying Cleanser. And take it easy ! Scrubbing is skin harassment !

Tone : Toners may be more than your type can take. Try a sensitive skin formula in the T-zone only – but stop if skin gets rough or red.

Moisturize : Look for an oil-free, fragrance-free lotion made for sensitive skin.

Troubleshoot : Get the gentlest form of any treatment; grains in an unscented cream base; fragrance-free, non-drying mask; creamy benzoyl peroxide; or a salicylic acid formula. Dot a dab just in front of your ear, then wait 24 hours to see what happens. Cool it on any product that doesn’t agree with skin – your skin won’t get over it. Avoid using fragrance near your face, not just perfumes and lotions, but hair products like scented shampoo, conditioner and stylers.

Make up : A hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free formula.

Extra Advice : Got a skin reaction you can’t handle? Take rashes or very rough, red, irritated skin to your M.D.

ID : It’s got a split personality – dry and maybe flaky at the edges and oily down the middle.

Cleanse : Use a mild liquid cleanser for your entire face two or three times a day to prep oily parts for toning without stripping dry areas.

Tone : Follow cleansing with salicylic acid astringent on the T-zone only. Take along astringent pads for during-the-day degreasing, again on T-zone only. Use no more than twice daily or skin can flake !

Moisturize : Your formula should be oil-free and non-clogging. Smooth only on dry areas after cleansing.

Troubleshoot : You can use creamy grains or a clay mask twice a week to exfoliate the T-zone. Troubled by breakouts in oily regions?

Make up : An oil-free, shine-blotting formula suits your T-zone and will work for dry areas too, if you moisturize first. Prize shine-fighter: Origins Zero Oil Instant Matte Finish for Shiny Places applied under make up.

Extra Advice : OK, a complicated balancing act can seem like a total bummer. But stay with it and you’ll see real results.

GREAT SKIN RULESEverybody’s Basics

keep it simple. Too many products can irritate and having too many steps may tempt you to skip it all.

keep it up. If you want great skin, care for it each day. Sporadic care won’t do it.

keep it gentle. Scrubbing and over drying leaves skin rough and red. Like, don’t fight with your face.