Did you know that your skin has mood swings? It mirrors what is going on emotionally, spiritually and physically in your life. Listening to what it’s telling you (Is it dehydrated or oily? Stressed or tired?) can help you create a customized plan for restoration inside and out.

Here’s a little “skin mood” guide:

With clean hands, lightly touch each section of your face with your fingertips, including your forehead, cheeks, nose, chin and neck. Observe how it feels and answer the following questions for each section: Does it feel smooth or tight? Dry or slick? Even or bumpy?

• If your skin feels tight and dry, it could be experiencing dehydration and will need more nourishing, richer products. Make sure you are double cleansing and layering on your toner, serum and cream. If your skin is extra-parched, consider double-layering by repeating the process. Experiment at night, and see how your skin feels in the morning.

• If your skin feels slick or bumpy with breakouts, it could be oily. Many people with oily skin think that they must use drying products in order to not break out, but this can actually strip your skin of essential oils. It can also lead to more breakouts because the pores will start to over-produce sebum as a way to compensate. Feed oily skin with nutrients from lighter formulas that don’t clog the pores.

• If your skin is a combination of tight and slick, you have combination skin and will need to treat it with a little more care by using the different techniques above on specific areas.

Check in with your skin often throughout the year because its mood can—and will!—change. Most importantly, in this exercise, you become self-aware of what’s going on with you spiritually, emotionally, and physically.