Skincare FAQ
Your Top Skincare Questions (with a little Nuria flair)
Your skin texted. It said, “Help, I’m confused.” The world of skin care is constantly buzzing with trendy keywords, ingredient lists, and “miracle serum” promises. So, I’m here to translate, demystify, and answer a few of the most commonly asked questions. And since “clean beauty with purpose” is trending (rightfully so), we’ll also peek at how a brand like Nuria fits into this puzzle.
Let’s start with the easy stuff and beginning of the list of FAQs.
1. How do I even know my skin type?
First things first – at Nuria, we don’t like to stick your skin in a “skin type” bucket because skin is dynamic, your skin concerns are constantly changing, and there are so many contributing factors that can affect how your skin looks and feels… hormones, stress, environmental factors, and transitional skin, just to name a few. But to speak the same skincare language, you’ll usually see “oily,” “dry,” “normal,” “combination,” or “sensitive” on facial skincare products.
Here's how you can figure out where your skin stands: Wash your face at night (with a gentle cleanser), leave your skin bare (no product) for a few hours, then observe:
Does it feel tight or flaky? → Maybe dry.
Does it shine, especially in your T-zone? → Possibly oily or combo.
Some areas tight, some shiny? → Combination.
Red, stinging, irritated easily? → Sensitive.
Knowing your type helps you avoid products that fight the wrong battle (e.g. drying out already dry skin or choosing actives for excess sebum production when you don’t have oily skin).
2. Dry vs. dehydrated – aren’t they the same?
Understanding your skin type and THEN understanding what your actual skin concerns are can help with this mix up. They seem the same, but here’s the difference:
Dry skin = skin type (lack of oils AKA your skin’s production of natural oils, sebum, may be low)
Dehydrated skin = skin condition (lack of water AKA your skin doesn’t have enough hydration)
For dry skin, you want to ensure you focus on gentle cleansing (over-cleansing would remove the protective layer of oil on your skin – try our Refreshing Micellar Water) and strengthening your skin barrier with occlusives that lock in moisture (like moisturizers rich in butters, oil or other emollients – try our Calm Daily Moisturizer with shea butter & cocoa butter).
For dehydrated skin, you want to use products with humectants that add hydration back in (like serums with hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate – try our Moisture Replenishing Serum) and lightweight emollients & hydrating ingredients that seal in moisture (like moisturizers with glycerin and bilberry – try our Revitalizing Jelly Treatment).
BTW, you can have oily or acne-prone skin that’s dehydrated. Wild, I know!
3. What’s the bare minimum, must-have routine?
When you can’t be bothered to do a 7-step ritual or try to achieve the latest TikTok trend for glass skin, jello skin, “insert name here” skin, here’s your minimalist “skincare MVP” ritual:
Cleanser (gentle) → skin should feel sufficiently cleaned without being stripped of natural moisture
Moisturizer with Sunscreen (broad spectrum with SPF 30, at least) → skin should be moisturized and protected from UVA & UVB rays
Yep. That’s it. A simple one-two step of cleansing AND moisturizing with sun protection is as simple as it gets. You can layer in extras like serums or treatments or the occasional masking moment, but these two are your core that you should never skip.
4. How should I update my ritual as my environment or skin changes?
Your skin in winter ≠ your skin in summer. As seasons change, humidity, hormones, and age shift, you may need to:
Swap to heavier or lighter moisturizers
Adjust exfoliation frequency
Add or remove actives or focus on different key ingredients
Treat your routine like a playlist that needs to be shuffled every season. Your Spotify wrapped changes every year, so you should probably remix your skincare as needed.
5. How often should I exfoliate?
Exfoliation frequency depends on your skin’s tolerance and the strength of the exfoliator. If you’re using:
A gentle chemical exfoliant (AHAs, BHAs), you can exfoliate 1–3x per week (or less for sensitive skin conditions) depending on the time of year;
A harsh physical scrub… on your face?! TRICK QUESTION! Physical exfoliants can damage your skin barrier leading to a number of other skin problems. Definitely approach with caution or avoid entirely.
Always test, start slow, and listen to your skin. If you’re leaving your skin red, irritated or stripped of moisture, pump the brakes and reduce how often you’re exfoliating.
If you've made it this far, you deserve a skincare treat.
No, seriously. You are either a skincare novice, expert, or enthusiast that has all the passion for skin and we thank you! Put a mask on your face and indulge in the skin-loving goodies to get your skin glowing, hydrated, and refreshed. The list of skincare questions is endless and we can go on forever! Let us know what else you’d like to see answered – send us a DM on Instagram, @nuriabeauty.
About the author, Jasmin Figueroa
Jasmin is an accomplished formulation scientist and skin health expert who has spent her career listening to consumers and developing products that rock. A founding member of the Nuria community, she loves traveling with her family, chilling with her friends at the beach, and will totally judge you if you don’t wear SPF.