Understanding your skin type is the first step towards no longer buying products at random. But here lies a common confusion: skin type and skin state are different things, and they are constantly mixed up.
Dermatologists identify 5 types: dry, oily, normal, combination, sensitive. The type is determined by sebum production and is relatively stable. But dehydration and sensitivity are states: they overlay any type. A simple test: cleanse, apply nothing, and assess the skin after 2 hours.
01Five skin types
Dry — little sebum, the skin feels tight, flakes, looks dull. Oily — excess sebum, shine, enlarged pores, a tendency to break out. Normal — balanced, without marked problems. Combination — an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) with dry cheeks. Sensitive — reacts easily with stinging, redness, tightness.
02The "clean face" test
- In the evening, cleanse with a gentle product.
- Apply nothing — neither cream nor toner.
- Wait about 2 hours (or assess in the morning).
- Look by zone: tightness and flaking → dry; shine over the whole face → oily; shine only in the T-zone → combination; even and comfortable → normal.
- An alternative — press a blotting sheet to different zones and look at the light to see where the oil settled.
03Type ≠ state (the main confusion)
Type is about how much oil the skin produces; this is largely genetics, and it changes slowly. Dehydration is a lack of water, not oil, and it happens to any type. Oily yet dehydrated skin is a very common case: dehydrated skin.
Sensitivity is reactivity, and also a state, not a separate "permanent" type: it can overlay dry, oily or normal skin and is often linked to the state of the barrier: barrier repair.
04Common questions
Can skin type change?
Yes. It is affected by age, hormones, season and climate. In winter with heating the skin can become drier, in summer — oilier. So it is worth repeating the test periodically.
I have oily skin — so I don't need to moisturise?
You do. Oiliness is about oil, and the skin needs water. Oily skin suits a light gel cream; skipping hydration often only increases sebum production.
Drawing on dermatological sources:
This material is educational and does not replace a consultation with a dermatologist.