How to Find Your Skin Type: Oily, Dry, Combination, Normal or Sensitive

5 min read · Updated 11 October 2026

Almost every skincare recommendation starts with "depending on your skin type" — yet many people have never worked out what theirs is. Your skin type describes how much oil your skin produces and how it behaves through the day. Knowing it saves money on products that were never going to suit you.

The five skin types

Normal: balanced oil and moisture, few breakouts, small pores, rarely feels tight.
Oily: shiny by midday, especially on the forehead, nose and chin; visible pores; more prone to blackheads and acne.
Dry: feels tight after washing, may flake or look dull, fine lines show more easily.
Combination: oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) with normal or dry cheeks. This is the most common type.
Sensitive: reacts easily with redness, stinging, itching or rashes. Sensitivity can occur alongside any of the other types.

The bare-face test

Wash your face with a mild cleanser, pat it dry, and apply nothing. Wait about an hour without touching your face, then look in natural light and press a clean tissue gently on different areas.

Oil on the tissue from all areas and a visible shine: oily skin.
Oil only from the forehead and nose: combination skin.
No oil, and your skin feels tight or looks flaky: dry skin.
Little oil, comfortable and smooth: normal skin.

Skin type can change

Skin type is partly genetic, but it shifts with age, hormones, climate and medicines. Many people find their skin is oilier in humid summers and monsoon, and drier in winter or air-conditioned offices. Oil production also tends to fall after the age of 40. Re-check your skin type once a year, or whenever your skin starts behaving differently.

Do not confuse skin type with a temporary condition. Oily skin can still be dehydrated, and any type can become irritated after over-exfoliating.

Choosing products for your type

Oily: gel or foaming cleanser, light oil-free gel moisturiser, matte or gel sunscreen. Look for "non-comedogenic" on the label.
Dry: cream or milky cleanser, richer moisturiser with ceramides, hydrating sunscreen.
Combination: gentle gel cleanser, light moisturiser all over with an extra layer on dry areas.
Normal: most gentle products will work; focus on daily sunscreen.
Sensitive: fragrance-free, short ingredient lists, and patch-test every new product on your inner arm or jaw for a few days first.

When to see a dermatologist

Your skin reacts to almost every product you try.
You have persistent redness, flushing or visible blood vessels — this may be rosacea.
Itchy, scaly patches keep coming back.

Curious how your skin scores right now?

A free AI scan maps all five concerns across your face in about 30 seconds.

This guide is general educational information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See our medical disclaimer.