How to Diagnose Your Skin: Why Each Quadrant of Your Face Requires a Different Approach

When choosing skincare products, many people assume one routine will work for their entire face—but the reality is, different areas of your face have different needs. The skin under your eyes is far more delicate than your forehead, and your chin may be more prone to irritation or breakouts than your cheeks.

Before applying skincare, you need to diagnose your skin quadrant by quadrant. This means assessing each area individually to determine what it needs and which ingredients or treatments will work best. The key to an effective routine is not overloading your skin with unnecessary ingredients but targeting specific concerns in the areas they appear.

The Four Quadrants of the Face & Their Unique Needs

1. Forehead & Upper Cheeks – Oil Control or Hydration?

The forehead and upper cheeks are part of the T-zone, but how they present can vary significantly from person to person.

• If the T-zone has open pores, congestion, or breakouts: Use a pore-refining serum with niacinamide, salicylic acid, or zinc to regulate oil production and unclog pores.
• If the T-zone is dry, flaky, or tight: Use a hydrating oil-based serum or a barrier-repairing product with squalane, ceramides, or omega fatty acids to replenish lost moisture.
• If the T-zone looks dull or uneven: Use a gentle chemical exfoliant with glycolic acid or lactic acid to brighten and smooth skin without stripping moisture.

2. Under-Eye Area – Hydration, Firmness, or Brightening?

The under-eye area is thin and delicate, making it more prone to fine lines, dehydration, and dark circles.

• If the under-eyes look crepey and dry: Use a hydrating serum or cream with hyaluronic acid, peptides, or squalane to plump the skin.
• If puffiness and dark circles are an issue: Look for an eye treatment with caffeine, vitamin K, or green tea extract to improve circulation and reduce swelling.
• If the area is sensitive or irritated: Avoid strong active ingredients and instead opt for soothing ingredients like chamomile or aloe vera.

3. Mouth & Chin – Sensitivity, Inflammation, or Hormonal Breakouts?

The skin around the mouth and chin is more reactive than other areas. If irritation appears here, it often signals an internal trigger such as an allergic reaction, hormonal imbalance, or digestive issues.

• If the skin is red, dry, and inflamed: This may indicate a food sensitivity, allergic reaction, or compromised skin barrier. Opt for soothing ingredients like aloe vera, centella asiatica, or ceramides to calm irritation.
• If breakouts appear along the chin and jawline: This could be hormonal acne, requiring azelaic acid, tea tree oil, or sulfur-based treatments to regulate inflammation.
• If the skin feels rough and congested: A gentle enzyme exfoliant or clay mask may help clear impurities without over-drying the area.

4. Jawline & Neck – Lifting, Firming, or Hydration?

The jawline and neck are prone to loss of elasticity, sagging, and dehydration, but they don’t require the same treatment for everyone.

• If the skin appears loose or sagging: Consider non-invasive treatments like Radio Frequency (RF) or High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to stimulate collagen production and firm the skin.
• If the neck feels dehydrated or crepey: Apply a deeply hydrating cream with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin to restore moisture.
• If fine lines are developing prematurely: Focus on collagen-boosting ingredients like peptides and antioxidants to maintain skin structure and elasticity.

Why This Approach Works

Many people assume that one product should work across the entire face, but as shown above, each area may require different treatments depending on how it presents. Instead of blindly applying the same active ingredients everywhere, skincare should be chosen based on the skin’s real-time needs.

-Instead of using an entire Vitamin C range, consider whether Vitamin C is needed  for your whole face or just for dull areas that need brightening.
-If your T-zone is oily but your cheeks are dry, using an oil-free moisturiser everywhere won’t be effective—balance is key.
-Keeping the basics simple (cleanser, exfoliator, moisturiser) allows you to focus your treatment products (serums, masks, and targeted creams) on the specific areas that need them most.

Customising Skincare for Your Unique Face

Before choosing skincare products, diagnose your skin quadrant by quadrant to determine what each area actually needs. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, tailor your serums and treatments based on how each section of your face is behaving.

Keep your core routine simple—a good cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturiser provide the foundation for healthy skin. Identify the needs of each quadrant before applying treatments, ensuring your skin receives exactly what it requires. Listen to your skin—if irritation, breakouts, or dryness appear in one area, reassess whether a product is truly suited for that region. Incorporate non-invasive treatments like RF and HIFU for long-term lifting and firming of the jawline and neck, where collagen loss is most noticeable. By treating your face as a collection of unique skin zones rather than a single surface, you can build a highly effective, customised skincare routine that actually works