Did you know that different skin types respond differently to ingredients in your skincare? 

It can be particularly tricky to find out your true form of skin because it can change over time and can be influenced by the environment, hormones, and your diet. 

There are a huge number of products on the market that focus on oily skin, dry skin, or even sensitive skin, but how do you figure out what skin type you have?

Dermatologists have discovered different ways that will help you find out which skin type you have out of normal, oily, dry, combination, and sensitive. It’s pretty simple, you can just find out your skin type by observing your skin closely. Before we do that, let’s take a look at different skin types. 

The 5 Common Skin Types

1. Normal Skin

Normal skin is sometimes referred to as EU dermic skin. This means that it’s well-balanced. It’s not too sticky nor too dry. Natural skin appears to have healthy pH and sebum output levels.

How do you define a normal skin? 

  • Smooth textures 
  • Fine pores 
  • No sensitivities 
  • No blemish. 
  • Few to none of the breakouts 

How to Take Care Of Normal Skin Type 

Your skin needs regular care no matter what skin type you have. But, if you have normal skin, you don’t need to incorporate too many products in your skincare routine. However, it could be a good idea to stay healthy, hydrated, and adopt a simple skincare regimen including a face wash, toner, moisturizer and sunscreen.

2. Oily Skin

Your skin secretes natural oils to keep you moisturized, but for people with oily skin, this process can be overdriven, particularly if you have larger pores. The larger the pore, the more active the oil glands tend to be, and the more active the oil glands, the more they secrete. 

What is the cause of Oily Skin? 

Hormonal transition- Hormonal imbalances during puberty or pregnancy can lead to oily skin. 

Climate change- If the weather is humid or hot where you live, it’ll most likely result in oily skin. 

Genetics- Look around you, do members of your immediate family have oily skin? If the answer is yes, you most likely have it too! 

Major Pores- Wide pores have a propensity to create more sebum.

Too Much Exfoliating- Often, what you think contributes to the glow of the skin can actually be the cause of a loss of skin health. Exfoliating too often or too hard can stimulate the development of sebum. Using harsh chemicals that are not appropriate for your skin type may also lead to oily skin.

3. Dry Skin

The first indication that you’ve got dry skin is if it looks dull and dead. 

Dry skin looks dull since it is always coated in a layer of dead skin cells. Light reflects these rough skin cells in all directions, while if the skin is hydrated, it has a smooth surface that reflects light uniformly and thus appears more radiant. 

How do you classify dry skin? 

  • Flaky, rough skin
  • Irregular texture
  • Itching
  • Skin feels stressed 

What’s the cause for dry skin? 

Genetics- If anyone in your family has dry skin, you’re likely to have it too. 

Season- Dry skin is more common in dry climates and the winter season due to lack of moisture. 

Long shower- If you spend a lot of time in the shower, it can tear your skin off the necessary oils. This helps to dry the skin. 

Age- As you get older, the development of sebum in your skin decreases. This can lead to flaky skin.

4. Combination Skin

If you have combination skin, your skin will feel dry or normal in some areas but oily in others, like the T-zone, consisting of the nose, forehead, and chin. A lot of people have this kind. It might need slightly different treatment in different areas. 

How do you classify combination skin? 

  • Dry cheeks and oily T-zone
  • Breakouts in the T-zone, the chin, and the nose
  • Sensitive cheeks

What causes combination skin? 

Genetics- If any of your parents and other family members have a mixture of skin, you might have it as well. 

Products- Often harsh products can cause a change in the type of skin and lead to excess sebum development in the T-zone. 

Climate- Depending on climate change, you can see a change in your skin type. For example, summers can make your skin oily. Your skin can feel dry in the winter months.

5. Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is susceptible to inflammation. People with sensitive skin may have acne, rosacea, or contact dermatitis, a red, itchy rash type. Sensitive skin may also be particularly vulnerable to stinging or burning, she said. 

People with sensitive skin may have overreactions to such ingredients, and that is why they should avoid unnecessarily harsh compounds in all their beauty products beyond skincare. People with acne, for example, can avoid isopropyl myristate, a common ingredient in hair conditioners. 

How do you recognize Sensitive Skin? 

  • Skin feels itchy and tight 
  • Sections of the body have rough textures 
  • Becomes oily during the summers 
  • Get dry in the winters 
  • Turns red after a hot shower
  • Feels itchy when wearing tight clothing 
  • Flushes instantly after eating spicy foods 

Are allergies the same as skin sensitivities? 

Allergies are more severe and can also cause trouble breathing and nausea. If you are allergic to dust, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your skin is sensitive. 

You may be allergic to a common ingredient in skincare, but your skin may not be responsive. It may be able to adapt to other products that do not contain that ingredient. However, if you have sensitive skin, your skin will most likely respond to tough chemicals and skin products.

Ways To Find Out Your Skin Type 

There are a few ways to find out your skin type, these are explained below for you: 

1. Examine Your Skin For A Day

The best way to find out your skin type is to see how it looks on an average day from morning to night.

Your skin will feel sticky and shiny all day if you have oily skin. 

For combination skin, your T-zone comes out shimmering and the rest of your face feels matte. 

For normal skin, you will have slight oil and flaccidity on your skin or none at all. 

Your skin can feel itchy and red and inflamed in case you have allergic skin. 

Reminder: Dehydrated skin is not a type; it is a separate disease. You may have dehydrated skin that is also oily, mixed, or both of the above.

2. Try The Wash Test

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and do not apply any cream or makeup. Wait 30 minutes to see how the skin feels. Take a few strips of tissue paper and stick them to your forehead, nose and your cheeks. If all the strips fall off immediately, you have dry skin. You have oily skin if all the strips stick to your face immediately and you have a combination skin if some of these strips stay attached and the others fall off. Some people may also observe extreme dryness or itchiness after 30 minutes, if this happens to you, you may have sensitive skin or extremely dry skin.

Try this test when your face feels reasonably cool, which means that it’s not hot red when you run or sting from a fruit-enzyme peel or feel tight when you shovel snow off the walk. A day-long test like this does not make sense if you shower midday after a quad-killing indoor cycling session or if you are exposed to irritants such as wind, bad weather, or a raging sun on your evening ride. 

3. Get your photo taken

Your dermatologist may have some photographic methods to help you further determine your skin type, if necessary. 

The 6 Skin Care Fundamentals

No matter what kind of skin you have, these tips will keep you looking the best.

  • Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks all UVA and UVB rays. 
  • Evite intense sunshine and wear a hat and sunglasses. 
  • Don’t smoke.  
  • Keep hydrated. 
  • Wash your face gently but thoroughly every day and don’t wear makeup to your bed. 
  • Moisturize.

Now that you have more information about the various skin types, go ahead and determine your own skin type. Knowing your skin type will help you define your skincare regimen. There are some basic products that every skin needs but you can add more products with different ingredients depending on what your skin needs. For example a person with acne prone skin might want to use toners with niacinamide or products with BHA.