What’s my skin type?

Six quick questions: is your skin oily, dry, combination, normal or sensitive?

  1. 1Start
  2. 2Questions
  3. 3Your type

Your answers move a marker on a skin map. Where it lands, plus a reactivity check, gives your type.

Built on the wash-and-wait testA guide, not a diagnosis

Your skin map

Oil answers move your marker, reaction answers fill the bar. Together they give your type.

Question 2 of 6Finding your type

  1. ✓Start
  2. 2Questions
  3. 3Your type
Your skin map

Oil answers move your marker, reaction answers fill the bar. Together they give your type.

6 answers · a guide, not a diagnosisYour skin type

  1. ✓Start
  2. ✓Questions
  3. 3Your type
Your result

Read from how your skin feels, not from a photo.

What a quiz can’t see

Your map has 2 areas. A scan scores 6 zones.

From your answers2 areas: T-zone, cheeks
From 3 photos in MySkincare6 zones, each on its own

Scan my skin in MySkincare

Free scan: your skin score.
Zone by zone: with a plan.

Everything in this tool, in full

Six quick questions based on the at-home test dermatology providers describe. Your face map fills in as you go.

The 5 skin types

Dermatologists usually sort skin into five types. Four are about oil; sensitive is about how your skin reacts, so it can sit on top of any of them.

Type 01Your result

Oily skin

Signs. Shine, visible pores, blackheads or pimples. Your face feels oily 30 minutes after washing.

Care. Wash up to twice a day and after sweating, with a gentle foaming wash. Pick products labeled oil-free and noncomedogenic, and still use a light moisturizer.

Routine for oily skin Check if a product may clog pores →
Type 02Your result

Dry skin

Signs. Tight, dull, rough or flaky, and it can look ashy on brown and Black skin. Your face still feels dry 30 minutes after washing.

Care. Use a gentle cleanser, keep showers short and warm, and pick a cream or ointment rather than a lotion.

Routine for dry skin Map your face zone by zone →
Type 03Your result

Combination skin

Signs. An oily T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) with normal or dry cheeks. The reverse pattern counts too.

Care. Moisturize the dry spots and go lighter on the oily ones. You may need to treat each zone a little differently.

Routine for combination skin See which zones need what: skin analysis →
Type 04Your result

Normal skin

Signs. Not tight and not oily after washing, with no noticeable dry patches or extra oil.

Care. Wash daily, moisturize morning and night, and wear sunscreen by day. A lotion is enough for most younger people; from perimenopause and age 50, dermatologists suggest a cream.

Check which actives you can mix →
Type 05Your result

Sensitive skin

Signs. Redness, stinging, burning or itching with products or weather. It can come with any oil level.

Care. Choose fragrance-free products, add one new product at a time, and test it on a small spot first, twice a day for 7 to 10 days.

Routine for sensitive skin Plan actives gently: skin cycling →
Not sure?

A dermatologist can tell you

If your answers point two ways, or your skin burns, itches or stays red, a dermatology provider can sort out your type and suggest products, with prescriptions if needed.

Test your skin type at home

The wash-and-wait test, as dermatology providers describe it. No kit needed; blotting paper is optional.

  1. 01

    Wash

    Wash your face and pat it dry. Don’t put anything on afterwards.

  2. 02

    Wait 30 minutes

    Give your skin half an hour to settle, with no moisturizer, sunscreen or makeup.

  3. 03

    Notice how it feels

    Still tight or dry: dry skin. Oily: oily skin. Oily in some areas, dry in others: combination. Neither tight nor oily: normal.

  4. 04

    Blot (optional)

    Press a blotting paper on your T-zone, then your cheeks, for a few seconds. Don’t rub. The more oil it picks up, the oilier that area.

  5. 05

    Watch for reactions

    Redness, stinging, burning or itching point to sensitive skin, which can come with any of the four types above.

Illustration

Reading the blotting paper

ForeheadNoseCheeks
Dry
Normal
Combination
Oily

Darker spot = more oil picked up. Sensitive skin can show any of these patterns.

Sensitive skin

Test new products first

Dermatologists suggest a simple patch test before you add a product to your routine:

  1. Pick a spot about the size of a quarter, where the product won’t be rubbed or washed off, such as the inside of your arm.
  2. Apply it twice a day for 7 to 10 days.
  3. No reaction after 7 to 10 days? Go ahead and use it. A reaction? Gently wash it off and don’t use it again; see a dermatologist if it’s severe.

Your skin type can change

Seasons

Summer and winter

Skin can shift between hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. Low humidity, including from indoor heating, raises the risk of dry skin.

Age

Less oil over time

By your 40s, the amount of oil (sebum) your skin makes drops a lot, which is one reason skin gets drier with age.

Hormones

Puberty, pregnancy, menopause

Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy or breastfeeding can change your skin type, and hormonal change, including menopause, can make skin more sensitive.

Not the same thing

Skin type 1 to 6 is another scale

“Skin type 3” or “skin types 1–6” refer to the Fitzpatrick phototype: how your skin reacts to the sun, from type I (always burns) to type VI (essentially never burns). It tells you nothing about oil.

Find your Fitzpatrick type →
MySkincare

One face scan. Your whole routine, sorted.

This page answered your question. MySkincare starts from your own skin, and the products you already use.

  1. 1
    Scan your face3 photos: front, left profile, right profile.
  2. 2
    See your skin scoreFree6 zones scored separately: forehead, eye area, T-zone, both cheeks, chin.
  3. 3
    Scan your productsIt reads each ingredient list and says: keep it, watch it or replace it.
  4. 4
    Follow your routineMorning and night, checked so your products work together. With reminders.
Scan my face
Free scan: your skin score. Zone by zone: with a plan.
No account needed · Works in your browser · trymyskincare.app

Questions people ask

What are the different skin types?

Dermatologists usually describe five: oily, dry, normal, combination and sensitive. Sensitive is about how your skin reacts, so it can come on top of any of the other four.

How can I tell my skin type at home?

Wash with a gentle cleanser, pat dry and wait 30 minutes without applying anything. Tight or dry means dry skin, oily means oily skin, oily in some areas and dry in others means combination, and neither means normal. Blotting paper shows the oil, but you don’t need it.

Can your skin type change?

Yes. It can shift with the seasons and climate, with hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and with age: by your 40s, skin makes much less oil.

Does oily skin still need moisturizer?

Yes, a light one. The American Academy of Dermatology’s oily-skin tips say to apply moisturizer after cleansing, and a dermatologist it quotes suggests a gel, the lightest kind.

What is skin type 3, or skin types 1 to 6?

That’s a different scale, the Fitzpatrick skin phototype. It sorts skin by how it reacts to sunlight, from type I (always burns, never tans) to type VI (essentially never burns). Type III tans after an initial burn. It says nothing about oil.

Is this quiz a diagnosis?

No. It’s a guide built on the at-home test. If your skin burns, itches or stays red, or you’re not sure, a dermatologist can help you sort out your skin type and routine.

Sources

9 sources · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

  • Quiz built from the at-home test in these sources
How we check

American Academy of Dermatologyaad.org

DermNetdermnetnz.org

  • Sensitive skin (reviewed Sep 2026)

    Stinging, burning or itching out of proportion to what the skin shows; triggers include cosmetics, heat, cold and low humidity; gentle, fragrance-free care, one new product at a time.

  • Skin phototype

    The Fitzpatrick skin types I to VI classify skin by its reaction to sunlight.

Cleveland Clinicclevelandclinic.org

Mayo Clinicmayoclinic.org

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