Confused about your skin type? This easy dermatologist-approved trick will help.

We all love skincare. Can't get enough of her. But slapping all those fancy products on our cute mugs without actually knowing what our complexion really needs, is a pretty silly thing to do indeed. Very time-waste-y, too.

Because if you're not sure what kind of personality your skin has, you'll have a pretty hard time fighting some of those common concerns getting around - like blemished skin, ageing, pigmentation and so on. 

Watch: The products and ingredients you need to know about. Post continues below.

Knowing what kind of skin you have is the easiest way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your products and your routine. 

It also makes it a helluva lot easier to know what you're looking for when you're shopping for *more* skincare online at 11:45pm on a Tuesday night.

But look, we know it's easier said than done. Figuring out what category your skin falls under can be a tricky thing to do (the weather and different skin conditions can make things hella confusing). 

Trial and error is one way to suss out what kind of skin you have, but this can obviously be a super irritating game to play on your poor face (and v pricey).

Listen: Pat, rub or dab? Find out exactly how you should apply your skincare on this episode of You Beauty. Post continues below.

And while there are plenty of quizzes you can take on the Internet (we know you like 'em. Seen you on BuzzFeed, trying to find out what Beanie Baby you are, etc.), one of the most effective ways of figuring out your skin type is pretty straight-forward. 

No, really! We're actually kind of embarrassed we didn't do it sooner.

According to leading dermatologist and MD Joshua Zeichner from New York City, all you really need is your sink, a foaming cleanser and some skin on your face.

Ready?

What's the best way to find out your skin type?

Okay! The good bit. 

In a recent Instagram video, Dr Zeichner gave us all a small, cute lesson on how to find out if your skin is oily, dry or combination. 

And it all starts with washing your face.

"First, wash your face with a foaming cleanser to fully remove oil from your skin," said Dr Zeichner. 

So far so good...

"Then wait three hours because that's how long it takes your oil glands to rev up production."

Your skin type is usually determined by the amount of oil/sebum you naturally produce, so while foaming cleansers have a bit of a bad reputation for being super drying and stripping on your skin, they're good for this little experiment cause you'll then be able to see exactly how much oil your skin produces.

Ya with us?

Time to get foamy. Image: Giphy 

“If your full face looks shiny, you probably have oily skin. If you’re only shiny in your T-zone - which is your forehead, nose, and chin - but dry in your cheeks, then you probably have combination skin. And if you don’t see much oil at all, then you probably have dry skin," said Dr Zeichner.

Did you try it? YES? Great.

Now you know what type of skin you have (look at you go!), you'll be able to figure out out exactly which products are best for your complexion. 

Noice!

So, I know my skin type. Now what?

Need a few pointers to start off with? Goodness, we thought you'd never ask!

Okay. If you've been blessed with oily skin, you'll want to focus on building a routine that'll help balance your skin. 

Try opting for a gentle cleanser and choose treatments that hero pore-clearing ingredients like AHAs and vitamin A - they'll help stop pesky blemishes and such. 

When it comes to moisturisers, it's also probably best to go for those kinda lighter lotions over the really heavy creams. 

You confidently applying skincare because you now know your skin type. Image: Giphy 

If you're a dame with dry skin, you're best off using a gentle cream cleanser (for the love of lactic acid, put down that foaming cleanser!) and you'll want to reach for hydrating treatments to add some moisture to your skin - like hyaluronic acid and ceramides. 

Gals with dry skin are also best sticking with those thicker, barrier-repairing moisturisers to help lock all that glorious hydration in.

Got combination skin? You lucky little thing. While it might seem confusing, it's not too hard to deal with - promise! 

You can actually mix and match the products and ingredients above and use them on different areas of your face depending on what your skin needs. For example, you might use a heavier cream on really dry areas and a lighter lotion on the parts that produce a little more oil.

See? Easy as pie! 

Did you try this trick? What's your skin type? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Getty