Five questions to tell dry, normal, combination and oily skin apart, and whether it is sensitive.
Updated Sep 2026Fill in the fields and press Calculate. Every range comes from the sources listed under the tool.
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Sources
- How to pick the right moisturizer for your skin American Academy of Dermatology
- How to control oily skin American Academy of Dermatology
- How to test skin care products American Academy of Dermatology
- How to apply sunscreen American Academy of Dermatology
How This Skin Type Quiz Works
This skin type quiz asks the five things a dermatologist would ask before anything else: how your bare skin feels an hour after washing, what it looks like by midday, how visible your pores are, how often you break out, and whether new products make it sting, itch or redden. The first four place you on a line from dry to oily; the fifth says whether the type is also sensitive. The American Academy of Dermatology names the same five types, dry, normal, combination, oily and sensitive, and its advice on cleansers, moisturisers and sunscreen differs by type, which is what the result reads back.
The cleanest test is the first question. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, put nothing on it, and wait an hour. Skin that feels tight or shows flakes is dry; skin that is comfortable is normal; a shine on the forehead, nose and chin only is combination; a shine everywhere is oily. The other questions are there because a single morning can mislead: the season, the cycle and the products of the week before all move the answer, and the quiz weighs them together.
- T-zone: forehead, nose, chin
- Cheeks
The Five Types
| Type | Signs | Care basics |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | Tight after washing, flakes, pores barely visible | A cream or ointment rather than a lotion, put on while the skin is damp; a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser; lukewarm water |
| Normal | Comfortable, small pores, few breakouts | A gentle cleanser and a light moisturiser; a cream in winter or after 50 |
| Combination | Shiny T-zone, normal or dry cheeks | Two faces: moisturise the dry areas, go lighter on the oily ones |
| Oily | Shine all over by midday, larger pores, breakouts | A gentle foaming cleanser; a gel moisturiser or none; oil-free or non-comedogenic products |
| Sensitive | Any of the above, and it reacts to new products | Fragrance-free products, and a patch test of anything new before it goes on the face |
Every type gets the same one instruction from the AAD: a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher on all skin that clothing does not cover, about a teaspoon for the face, reapplied every two hours outdoors. It is the single habit with the most evidence behind it for how skin ages, whatever the type.
Why the Type Changes
Skin type is not fixed. In menopause, the AAD notes, skin loses some of its ability to hold water and can get quite dry, so a combination skin at 30 is often a normal or dry one at 50, and the cream that was too heavy becomes the right one. Cold, dry winter air pushes most skin towards dry; heat and humidity push it towards oily. A new answer from the quiz after a season or a decade is the point of taking it again. The page on a skin care routine for women over 40 turns the type into a morning and evening routine, and the guides in the Skin and Ageing section cover what changes after 40 and what shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know my skin type without a quiz?
Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, put nothing on it, and wait an hour. Tight or flaky is dry, comfortable is normal, shiny on the forehead and nose only is combination, shiny everywhere is oily. If new products regularly sting or redden your skin, it is also sensitive.
What is combination skin?
Skin that is oily in the T-zone, the forehead, nose and chin, which carry more oil glands, and normal or dry on the cheeks. The AAD’s advice is to treat it as two faces: moisturise the dry areas and go lighter on the oily ones.
Can skin type change?
Yes. In menopause skin holds water less well and often turns dry, winter air dries skin and summer heat makes it oilier, and hormones shift it across the cycle. Take the quiz again when the season or your skin changes.
Does oily skin need moisturiser?
Not always. The AAD notes that for some people with oily skin too much moisturiser clogs pores; a light gel, or none, is often right. What every skin needs is sunscreen.
Is sensitive skin a type?
It is a quality any of the four types can have: skin that stings, itches or reddens with new products. The AAD’s advice is to test a new product on a small patch of skin for a week or so before using it on the face, and to prefer fragrance-free products.
Sources
- How to pick the right moisturizer for your skin · American Academy of Dermatology
- How to control oily skin · American Academy of Dermatology
- How to test skin care products · American Academy of Dermatology
- How to apply sunscreen · American Academy of Dermatology
- Caring for your skin in menopause · American Academy of Dermatology
This quiz is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.