Q: I am not sure if my skin falls under the acne-prone or sensitive type, or a combination of both. I experience redness, itching, peeling, small bumps and pimples on the cheek, forehead and jaw line. What skincare regimen would you recommend?

A: Dr Elias Tam, a consulting adviser for American natural skincare brand Clinelle, suggests you consult a doctor instead of self-medicating with products that may help some of your problems while aggravating others.

Hormonal imbalance and the use of steroids can also cause acne, he says.

The itching, redness and peeling suggest that you may suffer from dermatitis or skin inflammation, which may be due to several reasons such as eczema, exposure to irritants or allergies, he adds.

Once you have your diagnosis, it might be a good idea to stick with products that are gentle and free of potential irritants, such as Clinelle's Caring Milk Cleanser ($17.95), which contains botanical extracts and is free of artificial colouring, fragrance and alcohol.

You can also consider a customised product such as skin supplement bar Skin Inc's My Daily Dose (above; $178 for a blend of three serums).

This is a customised mix of the brand's selection of serums, which is concocted after your skin is analysed.

Managing director Sabrina Tan says you might benefit from a mix that contains the Ceramide serum (which helps reduce the roughness caused by dryness on the surface of your skin) and the Licorice serum (which soothes the skin to reduce redness and inflammation).

Another signature customised treatment by Skin Inc is its infusion process ($198), which uses No-Needle Mesotherapy technology to infuse suitable active ingredients into the dermis layer, helping to heal skin and prevent further damage.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.