Knowing your skin type is the foundation of every good skincare routine. Use the wrong products for your skin type and you'll either strip it (too harsh) or clog it (too heavy) — both of which cause more problems than they solve. Get it right, and every product you use works better.
Here's how to identify your skin type accurately, and what that means for building your routine.
The 5 Skin Types
1. Normal Skin
Normal skin is well-balanced — not too oily, not too dry. It has small, barely visible pores, minimal blemishes, and no extreme sensitivity. If you've never particularly struggled with skin concerns and most products work fine for you, you likely have normal skin.
Normal skin is relatively rare and becomes less common with age as hormonal shifts, environmental damage, and reduced natural oil production push skin towards drier or more sensitive territory.
2. Dry Skin
Dry skin produces less sebum (natural oil) than it needs, leading to a compromised moisture barrier. Signs include:
- Tightness, especially after cleansing
- Flakiness or rough patches
- Dull, lacklustre complexion
- Fine lines that are more visible than they should be for your age
- Products absorb quickly but don't seem to last
Dry skin often gets worse in winter (cold air + central heating strips moisture) and better in summer humidity. UK climate can be particularly challenging for dry skin types.
3. Oily Skin
Oily skin overproduces sebum. Signs include:
- Shine, particularly on the forehead, nose, and chin (T-zone), by mid-morning
- Enlarged pores
- Blackheads and frequent breakouts
- Makeup doesn't last — slides off or breaks down throughout the day
- Skin looks and feels greasy, especially later in the day
Oily skin tends to age more slowly than dry skin (natural oils protect the barrier), but the congestion and breakouts require consistent management.
4. Combination Skin
The most common skin type. Combination skin is oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and normal or dry on the cheeks. Signs include:
- Shine and enlarged pores concentrated on the nose and forehead
- Cheeks feel comfortable or occasionally tight
- Breakouts appear in the T-zone but not across the whole face
- One product is never quite right — moisturisers feel heavy on the T-zone but necessary on the cheeks
Combination skin can shift with seasons — oilier in summer, drier in winter.
5. Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is a reactive skin type rather than a texture type — it can be dry, oily, or normal underneath, but it overreacts to products, environmental factors, and stress. Signs include:
- Redness, stinging, or burning after applying products (including water)
- Frequent flushing or visible redness
- Skin reacts to fragrance, alcohol, or certain active ingredients
- Rashes or itching without obvious cause
- Easily triggered by weather changes, heat, or certain foods
Sensitive skin is often associated with a compromised skin barrier — strengthening the barrier with ceramides and gentle formulas is the cornerstone of managing it.
How to Find Your Skin Type: The 2-Step Test
Method 1: The Bare-Face Test
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat dry
- Don't apply any products — no toner, serum, or moisturiser
- Wait 30–60 minutes and observe
What to look for:
- Tight or flaky → Dry
- Shiny all over → Oily
- Shiny on the T-zone, comfortable on the cheeks → Combination
- Comfortable, no particular issue → Normal
- Red, irritated, or stinging after cleansing → Sensitive
Method 2: The Blotting Paper Test
Press clean blotting paper gently against different areas of your face an hour or two after cleansing.
- No oil anywhere → Dry
- Oil from T-zone only → Combination
- Oil from all areas → Oily
- Little to no oil, comfortable → Normal
Can Your Skin Type Change?
Yes — and this is important to understand. Skin type is not fixed. It changes with:
- Age — skin generally becomes drier as natural oil production declines with age
- Hormones — puberty, pregnancy, and menopause all shift oil production and sensitivity
- Season — most skin types get drier in winter and oilier in summer
- Location — moving to a hard water area, a drier climate, or a more polluted city will affect your skin
- Skincare habits — over-cleansing can trigger oiliness; using too-heavy products can cause congestion
Check in with your skin type every season and after any major life change.
What to Use for Each Skin Type
| Skin Type | Key Ingredients | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, peptides, shea butter | Alcohol, strong acids, foaming cleansers |
| Oily | Niacinamide, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, lightweight gel formulas | Heavy creams, mineral oil, pore-clogging ingredients |
| Combination | Niacinamide, lightweight moisturisers, balancing toners | Very heavy creams (T-zone), over-stripping cleansers |
| Normal | Most ingredients — focus on maintenance and prevention | Nothing specific |
| Sensitive | Ceramides, niacinamide, centella asiatica, fragrance-free formulas | Fragrance, alcohol, strong actives (introduce slowly) |
Find Your Starting Point
Whatever your skin type, a simple 4-step routine — cleanser, toner, moisturiser, SPF — is the right foundation. Build from there based on your specific concerns.
