Dry skin naturally produces less sebum, which means it has less of the oily material that helps lubricate and protect the skin.

If you have dry skin you might notice:

• Tightness after cleansing
• Rough or flaky patches
• Dullness
• Fine lines appearing more obvious when your skin is lacking moisture
• Skin becoming particularly uncomfortable in cold or windy weather

Dry skin naturally produces less sebum, the oily substance that helps lubricate the skin and contributes to its protective barrier. If your skin is dry, you may notice persistent tightness, rough or flaky areas, dullness and fine lines that appear more obvious when your skin is lacking moisture. Cold temperatures, wind and central heating can make these symptoms particularly noticeable - something we are rather familiar with here in Scotland!

One of the reasons botanical oils feature so prominently in Raven formulations is that we don't see oil as something skin should automatically be stripped of. Plant oils contain different profiles of fatty acids and other naturally occurring compounds, which means carefully selected oils can be extremely useful for nourishing dry skin and supporting the skin barrier.

For dry skin, we generally favour a combination of water based hydration and lipid rich nourishment. Ultra Hydrating Serum provides lightweight hydration while Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil can be layered afterwards to nourish the skin and help reduce moisture loss. Rather than simply covering dry skin with something heavy, you're addressing two different parts of what it may need.

• But Is Your Skin Definitely Dry?

Dry skin lacks oil, while dehydrated skin lacks water. Dry skin is an underlying skin type, whereas dehydration is a temporary skin condition. This means absolutely any skin type can become dehydrated, including oily and combination skin.

This is one of the most important distinctions to understand when identifying your skin, because dry and dehydrated are often used as though they mean the same thing.

Dehydrated skin may feel tight or uncomfortable while simultaneously looking shiny. You might notice dullness, fine dehydration lines or skin that seems to absorb hydrating products unusually quickly. If your skin feels tight but produces plenty of oil, don't automatically assume you need a stronger cleanser or more products designed to remove sebum. Your skin may actually be asking for more water and better barrier support.

This is also why hydration isn't something we reserve for dry skin at Raven. A lightweight hydrating serum can be incredible useful across several skin types.

Oily skin produces more sebum, which usually becomes most noticeable as the day progresses. You may see shine across much of the face, more visible pores, a tendency towards congestion or blemishes, and makeup that slips or separates more easily. You may also find that oil returns relatively quickly after cleansing.

Our approach is to work towards balance rather than squeaky cleanliness. Rescue Serum is one of our Raven heroes for oily, blemish prone and congested complexions. We formulate it with ingredients including blackcurrant, hemp, nettle, papaya and marine algae to support skin that is prone to congestion without treating oiliness as something that needs to be punished into submission.

Remember though, oily skin still needs hydration, nourishment and a healthy skin barrier. Removing every trace of oil isn't the goal.

Combination skin is exactly what it sounds like: different areas of your face have different needs. Usually, the forehead, nose and chin produce more oil, while the cheeks can be more balanced, dry or sometimes sensitive. You might experience congestion in one area and flakiness in another, which can make choosing skincare especially confusing.

Combination skin is also a very good example of why we don't believe skincare needs to follow rigid rules. You don't necessarily need to treat every centimetre of your face identically. A lightweight serum can be applied across the whole face, while the amount of facial oil you use can be adjusted according to where your skin needs additional nourishment.

Skin Saviour Facial Oil was created with balancing botanical oils including sea buckthorn, poppy, lunaria, hazelnut, rosehip, jojoba and avocado. With combination skin, you might use only a small amount or concentrate it on the areas that need it most. Your routine should adapt to the needs of your skin rather than forcing your skin to adapt to your routine.

As we get older, collagen and elastin levels change, natural oil production can reduce and the skin may become less efficient at retaining moisture. You might notice increasing dryness, changes in texture, fine lines, wrinkles, reduced firmness or greater sensitivity. None of this means, however, that mature skin automatically becomes dry. You can have mature oily skin, mature combination skin or mature sensitive skin, and yes, you can still get spots.

Our approach to mature skin is therefore centred on hydration, nourishment, antioxidant support and maintaining a healthy skin barrier, rather than trying to wage war on ageing. Spellbind Serum combines nourishing botanical oils with bakuchiol and was formulated for skin that benefits from additional support for visible signs of ageing. Solstice Rejuvenating Facial Oil provides richer nourishment for mature complexions that are also becoming drier.

Healthy looking, comfortable and resilient skin is a much more interesting goal to us than pretending time isn't passing.

Sensitive skin can exist alongside dry, oily, combination or balanced skin. It may show itself through redness, stinging, burning, itching or frequent reactions to skincare, while changes in temperature and environment can also trigger discomfort.

There is, however, an important difference between skin that is naturally sensitive and skin that has become temporarily sensitised. If your skin was previously fairly resilient but has suddenly started objecting to everything you put on it, think about what has changed. Over exfoliation, strong active ingredients, harsh cleansing or simply introducing too many new products at once can disrupt the skin barrier and make previously comfortable skin much more reactive.

When that happens, adding another active ingredient isn't always the answer. Sometimes skin needs less rather than more. This idea sits at the heart of how we formulate at Raven. We'd rather create multitasking products that genuinely earn their place in your routine than encourage endless layering simply for the sake of having more steps.