Summary of Skin Types

The 5 main skin types are normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive. The main factors that differentiate the skin types are the amount of water in the skin, the amount of oil being produced (sebum), and the skin’s sensitivity. It is important to know what skin type you have in order to care for your skin properly because not all products are for all skin types.

1. Normal Skin
   A normal skin type is characterized as not being dry or oily. The skin will rarely appear oily or dry, and if it does it is easy to resolve. The pores are small in size or barely visible and the skin is blemish-free with a mostly even skin tone and few fine lines and wrinkles.
2. Dry Skin
   Dry skin is often characterized by having a tightness in the skin accompanied by dry scaly patches or flaking with nearly invisible pores. Those with dry skin are more likely to suffer from regular irritation to the skin as well as develop premature wrinkles. Dry skin is the result of low amounts of sebum being produced by the skin’s oil glands which can often be hereditary.
3. Oily Skin
   Oily Skin is characterized by dull or shiny skin accompanied with large pores and frequent breakouts. The skin is oily due to the skin’s oil glands producing a high amount of sebum. The pore size expands due to excess oil which leads to blockage in the pores resulting in blemishes and breakouts. This can be caused by genetic factors as well as hormonal changes.
4. Combination Skin
   Typically, combination skin is characterized by the skin having dry flaky patches in some spots and excessive oil in other spots. Combination skin is the most common skin type because it is a combination of two or more skin types. It is more difficult to treat because you are targeting two different skin types at once. The skin is most often the shiniest on the forehead, nose, and chin which is called the T-zone because those areas have the most active oil glands.
5. Sensitive Skin
   Sensitive skin can share the same characteristics as some of the other skin types but with greater amounts of redness and irritation. This skin type is very easily inflamed due to adverse reactions to products in ways such as redness, itching, or burning.

← Timeline