What Is My Skin Type? A Beginner’s Guide to the 4 Most Common Types
Understanding your skin type is the first step in building the right skincare routine.Just like choosing coffee—size, milk, strength—figuring out your skin needs some testing too.
Think about how your skin feels after cleansing. Is it tight, greasy, or a mix of both? Does it change depending on the season or the products you use?
Skin type isn’t about how many breakouts you get—it’s about how your skin behaves on a daily basis. Let’s explore the four most common skin types: Oily, Dry, Combination, and Sensitive.
Oily Skin Type
Oily skin produces too much sebum, the oil made by your glands to keep your skin protected. This oil is helpful in many ways but can also lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
How to Tell If You Have Oily Skin
Here are the key signs of oily skin:
Your face looks shiny or greasy, especially in the T-zone. You rarely feel dry or tight, even after cleansing. Pores are large and visible, especially on the forehead and nose.
You’re prone to acne, blackheads, and breakouts. Makeup slides off easily or doesn’t stay put. Skin still feels hydrated without using moisturizer.
Simple Test for Oily Skin
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and wait an hour. Press your finger to your forehead. Rub it against your thumb—do you feel oil? If you see or feel grease, your skin is likely oily.
Benefits of Oily Skin
You may notice fewer signs of aging like wrinkles. Natural oils help keep skin looking plump and youthful longer.Healing from cuts or blemishes may be faster.
Common Myths About Oily Skin
Myth: You don’t need moisturizer.
Truth: Lightweight moisturizers help keep skin balanced.
Myth: Face oils make it worse.
Truth: Some oils like squalane or jojoba can calm the skin.
Myth: You should use harsh cleansers.
Truth: Stripping skin can trigger even more oil production.
Best Ingredients for Oily Skin
Salicylic acid (BHA): Unclogs pores and prevents acne.
Glycolic & lactic acids (AHAs): Remove dead skin gently.
Niacinamide: Balances oil and reduces redness.
Clay masks: Help absorb excess oil.
Ingredients to Avoid
Heavy oils like cocoa butter or mineral oil.Thick creams or emollients made for dry skin. Alcohol-based toners that strip the skin.
Dry Skin Type
Dry skin doesn’t produce enough oil, leaving it tight, flaky, or rough. This skin type needs more moisture to stay comfortable and smooth.
Signs You Have Dry Skin
Your skin feels tight or itchy after washing. Moisturizer is a must, especially after showers. Skin often looks dull, with visible flaking. Wrinkles or fine lines show up earlier.
Your skin gets worse in cold weather. Red or irritated patches may appear from time to time.
Dry Skin Test
Cleanse your face and wait an hour. If it feels tight, rough, or uncomfortable, and you see no oil at all—your skin is likely dry.
Why Dry Skin Happens
Genetics
Harsh weather, especially cold and wind
Aging (skin makes less oil over time)
Over-cleansing or using drying products
Health conditions like eczema
Best Ingredients for Dry Skin
Hyaluronic acid: Draws water into the skin. Glycerin: Hydrates and protects the skin barrier.
Ceramides: Help lock in moisture. Shea butter and natural oils: Nourish and repair dry patches.
Lactic acid: Gently exfoliates and hydrates.
Tips for Managing Dry Skin
Avoid long, hot showers—they dry out the skin. Use creamy, gentle cleansers instead of foaming ones. Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp. Use a humidifier during dry months.
Choose thick creams at night to repair while you sleep.
Combination Skin Type
Combination skin has both oily and dry areas. Usually, the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) is oily, while the cheeks are dry or normal.
This is one of the most common skin types. How to Tell If You Have Combination Skin
Oily T-zone but dry or tight cheeks. Breakouts mainly on the forehead or chin. Makeup slides off some areas but clings to others. Pores are visible in some spots but not all.
Your skin’s condition changes with the seasons.
Why It’s Tricky to Treat
Using products for oily skin might dry out your cheeks. Using rich creams for dryness can clog pores in your oily zone. You have to treat different areas of the face with different care.
Best Ingredients for Combination Skin
Hyaluronic acid: Hydrates dry skin without making oily areas worse.
Niacinamide: Balances oil and soothes dryness.
Gel moisturizers: Hydrate without heaviness.
Gentle exfoliants: Keep skin clear without over-drying.
Tips for Managing Combo Skin
Use oil-free moisturizers on the T-zone.
Apply richer creams only to dry areas like cheeks.
Multi-mask: Clay mask for oily areas, cream mask for dry ones.
Avoid harsh cleansers that dry out your skin.
Sensitive Skin Type
Sensitive skin reacts easily to products, weather, or even water.
It can sting, burn, itch, or turn red with little warning.
Sensitive skin is more of a condition than a type—it can affect oily, dry, or combo skin.
Signs You Have Sensitive Skin
Skin stings or burns when trying new products. Redness or irritation appears often. You flush easily or feel hot after washing. Your skin gets itchy or inflamed easily. You burn quickly in the sun.
Common Triggers
Fragrances and dyes in products
Alcohol or harsh exfoliants
Extreme weather (cold, heat, wind)
Stress or lack of sleep
Over-washing or using too many actives
How to Care for Sensitive Skin
Always patch test new products first. Choose fragrance-free and hypoallergenic formulas. Use calming ingredients like aloe vera, centella asiatica, or colloidal oatmeal.
Stick to simple routines with fewer steps. Avoid scrubbing or harsh exfoliants.
Tip: Sensitive skin often benefits from products made for babies or medically tested skincare lines.
What About Dehydrated Skin?
Dehydrated skin is not the same as dry skin. Dry skin lacks oil. Dehydrated skin lacks water. Any skin type—even oily—can become dehydrated.
Signs of Dehydrated Skin
Skin looks dull or tired. Fine lines appear more noticeable. Skin feels tight or rough, even if oily. It may feel both oily and dry at once.
How to Fix It
Use hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Drink enough water throughout the day. Avoid caffeine or alcohol—they dry you out. Use barrier-repair creams to seal in moisture.
Final Thoughts: Understanding Your Skin = Better Skin
Your skin type is your skin’s natural state. It’s shaped by genetics, environment, age, and hormones. Knowing your type helps you pick the best products for your face.
It also helps you avoid mistakes—like over-drying oily skin or clogging pores with thick creams. Once you understand your skin, you’ll see better results, fewer breakouts, and a more radiant glow.
Remember: your skin type can change over time. Keep checking in with it and adjust your routine when needed.
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
