Issue 30 | What is your skin type?

Understanding Your Skin Type: How to Identify and Care for It

Your skin is as unique as you are, and understanding your skin type is the first step toward creating an effective skincare routine. Whether your skin is oily, dry, sensitive, or combination, knowing your skin type can help you choose the right products to keep your complexion healthy and radiant.

But how do you know which skin type you have? There are five main skin types, each with distinct characteristics. 

The 5 Skin Types

1. Normal Skin

Normal skin is balanced, not too oily or too dry. It has a healthy, smooth appearance with a natural glow. People with normal skin rarely experience breakouts, irritation, or extreme dryness. Pores tend to be smaller, and the skin feels comfortable without being tight or greasy.

Key Features:

• Even tone and texture
• Rarely experiences breakouts or dryness
• Small, barely noticeable pores
• Soft, smooth appearance

How to Determine: Normal skin is the easiest to spot because it doesn’t have extreme characteristics like excessive dryness or oiliness. If your skin feels balanced and comfortable throughout the day, you likely have normal skin.

2. Oily Skin

Oily skin produces more oil (sebum) than normal skin, giving the face a shiny or greasy appearance, especially in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin). People with oily skin often struggle with enlarged pores and are more prone to acne and blackheads.

Key Features:

• Shiny or greasy appearance, particularly in the T-zone
• Enlarged pores
• Frequent breakouts or blackheads
• Skin may feel thick or heavy

How to Determine: If your face looks shiny within a few hours of cleansing, or if you have noticeable large pores and frequent breakouts, you likely have oily skin. Oily skin tends to feel slick to the touch, especially in the T-zone.

3. Dry Skin

Dry skin lacks moisture and oil, which can lead to flakiness, tightness, or rough patches. It may appear dull and feel itchy or uncomfortable, especially after cleansing. People with dry skin may have fine lines and wrinkles more easily visible due to the lack of moisture.

Key Features:

• Dull appearance
• Tightness, rough patches, or flakiness
• Fine lines or wrinkles are more noticeable
• Can feel irritated or itchy

How to Determine: If your skin feels tight, especially after washing, and you experience dryness or rough patches, you most likely have dry skin. People with dry skin may also experience redness or irritation when exposed to harsh weather conditions.

4. Combination Skin

Combination skin is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a mix of both oily and dry skin. Typically, the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) tends to be oily, while the cheeks, jawline, and other areas may be dry or normal. People with combination skin may experience different skin concerns in different areas of their face.

Key Features:

• Oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and dry or normal on the cheeks and jawline
• Larger pores in the oily areas, smaller pores on the dry areas
• May have a combination of breakouts and dryness
• Skin feels unbalanced or uneven

How to Determine: Combination skin is often easy to spot if you experience oiliness in the T-zone and dryness or tightness on your cheeks. Your skin may feel greasy in some areas and dry or tight in others.

5. Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is often reactive and prone to irritation, redness, itching, or burning. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, environmental conditions, or reactions. Sensitive skin may react negatively to certain skincare products, fragrances, or weather changes.

Key Features:

• Redness or irritation
• Itching, burning, or stinging sensations
• Reacts to products or environmental factors (e.g., sun, cold, pollution)
• May be more prone to rosacea or eczema

How to Determine: If your skin feels easily irritated, stings when applying certain products, or becomes red and inflamed with exposure to temperature changes or new products, you likely have sensitive skin.

How to Determine Your Skin Type: A Simple Test

To help determine your skin type, here’s a simple test you can do at home:

1. Cleanse your skin: Use a gentle, non-stripping cleanser to wash your face, removing any dirt or makeup. Pat your skin dry with a towel.

2. Wait and observe: Leave your skin bare (no moisturizer or other products) and wait for about an hour. This will give your skin time to return to its natural state.

3. Evaluate your skin:

• If your skin feels tight, flaky, or rough after an hour, you likely have dry skin.
• If your skin looks shiny, particularly in the T-zone, and feels greasy, you likely have oily skin.
• If you experience irritation or redness, you likely have sensitive skin.
• If your skin feels comfortable in some areas and oily in others, you likely have combination skin.
• If your skin feels balanced, smooth, and even without any extreme dryness or oiliness, you likely have normal skin.