Skin type identification is not complicated or difficult to figure out. Knowing your skin type is the first step to creating a skincare routine with the right products that suit your needs. Internal factors like oil production, hydration, sensitivity, etc. all create different skin types; so naturally each requires a different approach to cater to its unique characteristics. It’s normally easy to figure out how to know your skin type because they’re grouped into five broad categories: normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive. In this guide, we’ll explore these 5 skin types in depth with care tips, how to identify skin type yourself at home, and discuss how your skin might change over time.
1. Dry Skin
As the name suggests, dry skin is that which produces less oil (sebum) than other skin types. Sebum is what hydrates and moisturises our skin, and without this hydration, your skin becomes dull and flaky. Dry skin is also prone to becoming itchy or irritated because of the lack of moisture.
Characteristics: Produces less natural oil, feels tight or rough, appears flaky and dull, visible fine lines.
Care Tips:
• Use rich, hydrating creams or ointments with ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or glycerine (1).
• Incorporate oils or nourishing serums and use gentle exfoliation sparingly.
• Avoid hot showers and harsh soaps.
2. Oily Skin
Our skin naturally produces oil to keep the face hydrated and moisturised. But some people might have excess oil production. Because of this, your face appears shiny, especially in the T-zone, i.e. across the forehead and down your nose and chin. This excess oil can also block your pores, which leads to the development of pimples and blackheads.
Characteristics: Appears shiny or greasy, enlarged pores, most likely to develop acne and blackheads and have breakouts.
Care Tips:
• Use oil-free, non-comedogenic cleansers and moisturisers.
• Niacinamide is effective for oily skin as it significantly helps reduce oil production (2).
• Benzoyl peroxide treatments are also recommended to control breakouts.
• Avoid heavy creams and excessive scrubbing.
3. Combination Skin
Sometimes, your skin is a mix between dry and oily, in which patches or areas of your face will be more oily while the rest of it is pretty dry. So how to know your skin type in this scenario? It’s simply just called combination skin. The dry parts of combination skin can also appear grey, which people often call ashy skin.
Characteristics: A mix of oily and dry or normal areas. Oily T-zone with drier cheeks is common.
Care Tips:
Figuring out a skincare routine for combination skin can be a little tricky, because different kinds of products would work for different people. But in general:
• Use gentle foaming cleansers.
• Moisturise oily areas with light gels and dry areas with richer creams.
• Use acne treatments on oily parts only and hydrate the dry zones plenty.
4. Sensitive Skin
This is the only skin type identification that isn’t based on your skin’s oil production. You can recognise sensitive skin if it’s incredibly reactive and easily irritated. Sensitive skin tends to become red or has a stinging or burning sensation when applying products on it. So you have to be extremely careful about the kinds of products you use, because your skin can be triggered easily by things like ingredients, fragrances, etc.
Characteristics: Easily irritated, red, itchy, burns or stings when using skincare products, reacts to environmental factors like sun or pollution, prone to allergies and inflammation.
Care Tips:
• Choose fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and minimal ingredient products.
• Use soothing ingredients like aloe vera, oat extract, and ceramides.
• Avoid exfoliants and harsh actives unless prescribed.
5. Normal Skin
Normal skin doesn’t face any major concerns. It’s generally well hydrated; not too dry or extra oily; and has a mostly smooth texture. But this doesn’t mean normal skin is completely free from skin problems – there are some days when it’ll be too oily, react against certain ingredients, etc. So it’s important to follow a consistent skincare routine for normal skin too, to maintain its normalcy.
Characteristics: Balanced oil and moisture, smooth texture, small pores, even tone, and no extreme sensitivity.
Care Tips:
• Maintain balance with gentle cleansers and lightweight moisturisers.
• Make sure to use sunscreen daily to protect your skin and keep it healthy.
• Hydrate well and avoid overly harsh products to preserve its natural glow.
How to Identify Your Skin Type at Home
While it’s helpful to get a dermatologist’s opinion on your skincare regime, you don’t really need them to learn about your skin type. There are some easy ways you can figure it out yourself, without having to leave your house.
1. Bare-Faced Method (Wash and Wait)
• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat (don’t rub!) it dry. Don’t apply any creams or products.
• Wait for about 1 hour and then simply observe your skin. Does it feel tight, dry, or maybe itchy? Shiny and oily?
• Normal skin will feel comfortable, not tight or greasy. Dry skin often feels tight and rough. Oily skin will appear shiny, especially in the T-zone. And sensitive skin might redden or feel like your face is burning.
2. Blotting Sheet Test
• A blotting sheet can absorb oil. So take a blotting paper or a clean tissue and gently press it on different parts of your face (forehead, nose, cheeks, chin).
• Hold the blotting sheet up to light to see the amount of oil present on the skin.
• Abundant or too much oil clearly means your skin is oily; minimal oil means dry or normal skin; patchy oiliness means you have combination skin.
How Skin Type Can Change Over Time
Your skin type is largely influenced by genetics, but of course it’s prone to change naturally over time too, because of:
• Age: Our natural oil production tends to decrease with age, often making oily skin become drier.
• Hormonal Changes: Teenagers and pregnant women will experience a lot of oiliness or acne breakouts in skin because of hormonal shifts. Women might notice that especially around the time of their menstruation, their skin will go entirely out of order. But not to worry, that’s just nature.
• Season and Climate: Cold dry winters can dry out skin, hot humid summers might make your skin oily because of the increased humidity and heat.
• Lifestyle Factors: Your diet, stress levels, sleep routine, skincare habits, and environmental exposure all affect skin type and behaviour over time.
• Health Conditions: Illness, medications, or allergies can temporarily (or even permanently) alter your skin’s state.
It’s important to recheck your skin every now and then and adapt your skincare routine accordingly to these changes.
Final Thoughts
Understanding and identifying your skin type – normal, dry, oily, combination, or sensitive – is essential to maintaining healthy skin. Use simple at-home methods like the blotting test and just simply observing your skin to know it better. Tailor your skincare routine to your skin’s unique needs, making modifications over time if needed, and you’ll be able to care for it the right way.
FAQs
Q1. How many skin types are there?
There are 5 skin types; normal, oily, dry, combination, and sensitive. These are mostly determined on the basis of oil production or skin’s reactivity.
Q2. How to know your skin type?
There are simple methods to figure out your skin type. Cleanse your face, wait for about an hour, and observe your skin’s reaction and appearance to determine whether it’s: oily, dry, combination, sensitive, or normal. You can also do the blotting test: dab a blotting sheet or clean tissue on your skin and see how oily it is.
Q3. Which type of sunscreen is best for oily skin?
People with oily skin should use non-comedogenic and lightweight sunscreen formulas. These are formulated not to clog pores, preventing acne breakouts (which is common for oily skin).