Shhhhh….I’ve got a secret. You don’t have a skin type. You have skin. Skin changes as you age, as the sun rises, as the season changes, as your hormones wax, as your hydration wanes, and because of a million other little things that affect your living, breathing, beautiful shell.

Over the years you’ve been asked (or told) by magazines, makeup artists, salespeople, etc., what type of skin you have – Dry? Normal? Combination? Oily? – as they try and diagnose what products you should use to “treat” your complexion. Here’s my take: forget all about that.

The problem is you’re labeled as “oily” when you’re 22, and then at 45 you’re still hitting up the oil-fighting aisle even though your skin might be dry as a desert, and thus unknowingly perpetuating the problem. My recommendation is to not box yourself into a category, but pay attention to your skin on a daily basis, see what it needs, and adjust your products and lifestyle accordingly and over the long haul.

It is with this philosophy that I created the Kari Gran Skin Care System. The key to our products is versatility (not to mention our unabashed reminders that an overall healthy lifestyle = healthier looking skin). Between the Hydrating Tonic and Essential Serum you can custom create whatever XYZ cream your skin is craving, be it a heavy hydration around the eyes overnight to give those fine lines TLC, or an airy layer of light moisturizer on a hot, humid day.

With this approach, you no longer need a cabinet full of products that purported to “attack” a specialty area (anti-aging! ultra-hydrating!) or rotate with the season – you can create exactly what your skin needs, right from our little black bottles. Here are some ways I personally use it on my skin:

• 3 pumps Hydrating Tonic + 1 pump Essential Serum = My daytime moisturizer for face only.

• 4 pumps Hydrating Tonic + 4 pumps Essential Serum = My nighttime moisturizer for face, neck and décolleté

• 10 pumps Cleansing Oil and 20 minute facial massage prior to removing; the more time the better = seasonal cleansing routine that I do once a week

• 4 pumps Hydrating Tonic = anytime moisture pick-me-up for dry skin or to set mineral makeup

If you are experiencing “trouble” with your skin, before you typecast, I encourage you to take a holistic look at what might be happening – think about hormones, medication, diet, stress, sun exposure, climate, etc. Your skin doesn’t wake up one day shouting “drill, baby, drill” and start pumping out oil for the fun of it – so really staying in tune with your overall health and lifestyle will often provide guidance on how to get the best glow possible.

Not to mention, check the labels on your current products. Alcohol (found in most commercial toners) can dry out your skin and trigger even more oil production. Many daily exfoliating scrubs can damage your skin barrier and cause a backlash, while those thick facial lotions typically only serve to sit on top of your skin and clog pores due to their petroleum oil content.

So, understanding what your skin needs right this moment vs. boxing in to a skin type will help you get that much-sought-after glow today, a month from now, and even a year from now if you continue to monitor and change your routine to follow what your skin is telling you.

–          Kari