Before shopping for a moisturiser – or any skincare product – you must figure out your skin type, your skin concerns and your skin goals.

Knowing your skin type is crucial for understanding your skin and it's needs.

Skin type is mainly genetic and is a basic programming for how low or high oil production your skin has. We have the same skin type throughout life, but all skin types can be managed with the right skincare.

The 4 skin types are:

Dry – Low oil production

• In dry skin, the pores are typically small.
• Low oil production makes skin feel dry and often tight.
• Skin can look dull, and skincare is not absorbed easily, but "sits" on skin.
• Dry skin is easily irritated and more likely to react to strong skincare products.
• Dry skin kan ha milia and spots.

Normal – Balanced oil production

• Skin has a goof balance of sebum and moisturising factors.
• Skin is neither dry or overly oily, and feels comfortable most of the time.

Oily skin type – Excessive sebum production

• A genetically high oil production.
• The pores in oily skin types tend to be more visible than in drier skin types.
• Skin can appear shin or greasy.
• Oily skin is more prone to acne and blackheads.
• On a good note, this skin type tend to show aging signs later in life!

Comnbination skin – A little bit of both!

• Oily in some areas, dry in others. 
• The T-zone can be oily, while the cheeks are dry.
• This is a very common skin type. 

What about sensitive skin?

Skin sensitivity is influenced both by genetics and lifestyle factors, such as overusing too strong skincare products or long-term stress that affects skin's barrier function.

All skin types can be sensitive, but it's extremely common that dry skin is especially sensitive since it's lower in healthy barrier lipids. 
Skin can also be temporarily sensities, for example if we've had an allergic reaction.

Unlike skin type, which is the permanent predisposition we're born with, the skin condition is where your skin is in the here and now.

Skin conditions are influenced by a range of factors, such as hormones, stress, illness, weather changes or using products that don't suit your skin. Skin conditions change frequently, for example during the menstrual cycle.

Some conditions are more common in certain skin types - acne is most common in oily skin, while dry skin is often reactive and sensitive.

Some common skin conditions are:

Acne and blemishes – Most common in oily skin, but all skin types can get breakouts. The underlying causes of acne are genetics and hormones, and how sensitive our oil glands are to our sex hormones. However, acne can be triggered by lifestyle factors – which is good, because this means that we can also manage it to a large extent with the lifestyle and skincare choices we make!

If your acne is severe, causes scarring, a lot of mental stress or you have cystic acne genetically in your close family, make sure to always consult a doctor to discuss treatment options.

Dehydrated skin – Unlike dry skin, which lacks in oil, dehydrated skin lacks water. Skin feels dry and tight, and simply very thirsty! Dehydrated skin that isn't flooded with enough hydration through skincare might overcompensate and produce more sebum, which can cause breakouts. Dehydrated skin also needs help to recover and repair the skin barrier to prevent moisture loss. 

Rosacea and redness – Rosacea is a very commonc, chronic, inflammatory skin condition that often manifests as redness, flushing and visible blood vessels.

There are four types of rosacea:

• Erythematotelangiectatic (vascular) – Visible redness, flushing, and dilated blood vessels. The symptoms can successfully be managed with targeted skincare, treatments like IPL and lifestyle factors, such as avoiding triggers like spicy foods and UV exposure.
• Papulopustular (inflammatory) – If you are experiencing acne-like breakouts, you may have papulopustular rosacea. Consult a skin doctor who can tell if you have acne or rosacea, since they are treated differently.
• Phymatous rosacea – The skin typically thickens and has a granulomatous texture. This grade of rosacea requires medical treatment.
• Ocular rosacea – Affects your eyes and eyelids, causing them to become red and irritated.

If you suspect that you have rosacea, consult a doctor to get the proper diagnosis.

Other skin conditions are eczema, keratosis pilaris ("goose bumps" under the skin, mostly on arms and legs).

It's common to have several skin conditions at the same time.

If the skin condition mostly is about how skin feels, and how to get it back into the comfy zone, concerns aand skin goals are more about what we want to see in the mirror. Maybe we're annoyed by dark circles under our eyes, enlarged pores, hyperpigmentation or signs of aging. 

When looking for skincare products, you want to think about which concerns you want to address, and what your skin goal is.

Common skin goals are:

• Less visible pores
• Less visible post-blemish marks or hyperpigmentation
• Less visible sun damage
• Less visible fine lines
• Less visible redness
• More even skin tone
• More even skin texture
• More glowy skin
• Of course, our skin goals can have more poetic names such as "glass skin", "mochi skin" or "glazed donut skin". 

The lines between condition and concerns are blurry, but remember to ask your self these three questions when choosing a moisturiser (or other skincare product):

1. What is my skin type?
2. What skin condition do I have right now?
3. What is my main concern right now, and what is my skin goal?

EVERY skin is individual, and skincare is never a "one size fits all!"! You're born into your very unique skin, and your skin condition and concern changes throughout your entire life. SKIN CHANGES CONSTANTLY! This is why it's so important to listen to YOUR skin, and not to get too carried away with all TikTok trend.

Skincare also requires patience! Most skincare product need at least 2 weeks to start working on a deeper level, and often 6-8 weeks are needed to evaluate how a product worked for you.

Since skin fluctuates a lot – especially for menstruating women where skin can go from dry to oily throughout the cycle – it's a good idea to have a few different moisturisers on rotation.

Now that we have established how to find the right moisturiser for your skin, let's look into the differences between Common Clouds moisturisers Cloud Jelly and Moon Balm!

CLOUD JELLY – A super-hydrating, oil-free gel cream

Cloud Jelly is an oil-free, water-based gel moisturiser, which means it won't clog pores in acne-prone skin. It's ideal for skin in need of tons of hydration but not so much oil, such as oily skin, combo skin or dehydrated skin. Since it's soothing and barrier-friendly, it's also a fail-safe daily choice for sensitive skin.

• The gel moisturiser intensely hydrates and soothes redness with (panthenol) vitamin B5, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and centella. 
• It contains with 4% niacinamide to address breakouts, excess oil, enlarged pores, redness and uneven skin tone.
• Cloud Jelly can be used day and night, and can be combined with any other ingredients and products.
• Cloud Jelly can be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women who want to avoid retinol/retinoids and exfoliating acids, but still want to have a results-driven and effective yet gentle skincare routine. 
• Even though it's super-light and oil-free, Cloud Jelly contains ceramides that helps to restore a stressed skin barrier.
• The gel cream has a tiny bit of grip that makes it ideal under makeup and sunscreen. If you find gel moisturisers too sticky, simply apply a smaller amount, and always let toners and serums sink in properly before applying your gel moisturiser since too much hyaluronic acid at once can feel a bit sticky (loved my many, hated by some!).
• With it's focus on hydration, barrier care and overall calm, Cloud Jelly is a great daily moisturiser for almost ALL skin, including skin prone to conditions like acne and rosacea. It's also safe for skin with PD or fungal acne. It's a truly democratic moisturiser – like the white t-shirt of your skin care wardrobe!

MOON BALM – Deep barrier repair moisturiser

Moon Balm is our more intensely nourishing and barrier-repairing cream with high levels of restoring ceramides and fatty acids. Moon Balm suits most skin types, but ideal for dry or dehydrated skin, combo skin, and skin prone to redness and breakouts. It's also suitable for sensitive skin, just like everything else from Common Clouds!

• The balmy-yet-light cream texture is richer – without being heavy! – than Cloud Jelly and instantly wraps your skin in softness.
• Moon Balm soothes and visibly minimises redness with centella, blue chamomille and purslane. The retinol molecule is also clinically proven to reduce redness in the skin.
• It contains emoillients to soften and moisturise skin in need of both hydration and healthy oils.
• A low level of a super-gentle retinol (sodium retinoyl hyaluronte) helps to repair skin on a cellular level, smooth skin texture and prevent breakouts, without any of the irritation associated with retinol.
• Moon Balm is ideal for night-time, when skin hits repair mode. Also, while it won't harm skin, the retinol molecule in Moon Balm will loose some of it's repairing effect in UV-light.
• Since Moon Balm contains a low level of retinol, we suggest using Cloud Jelly instead if you're pregnant or breastfeeding.
• If you're on prescribed acne medication with vitamin A, you should introduce Moon Balm first after you're off your acne treatment. However, if you're acne-prone and not on any acne meds, your skin will love Moon Balm!

BOTH MOISTURISERS...

...are packed with soothing centella, ceramides and hydrating ingredients.
...works over time to keep up a healthy skin barrier.
...are free from fragrance, essential oils and known irritants, so even sensitive and reactive skin can enjoy them!

Cloud Jelly during the day and Moon Balm at night is a match made in heaven to calm, hydrate and balance 💙