Every routine decision — cleanser texture, serum choice, how rich your moisturizer should be — starts with one question: what is your skin type? Answer six quick questions below and get your type, plus the exact next steps for it. No email required, no products pushed.
How this quiz works
The questions mirror what a facialist assesses in person: how your skin behaves after cleansing, how it handles product, where oil shows up, and how it reacts to weather and new formulas. Each answer maps to one of the five recognised skin types — oily, dry, combination, normal or sensitive — and your strongest pattern wins.
A quiz is a starting point, not a diagnosis. For the most reliable read, confirm your result with our 5-minute bare-face test — the same method dermatologists recommend, and it takes one evening.
What to do with your result
Once you know your type, two guides do most of the heavy lifting: the correct routine order, morning and night, and niacinamide, explained — the rare ingredient that suits every one of the five types.
Our honest take on skin-type quizzes
A quiz is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Your skin can change with the seasons, hormones, travel, stress and the products you use. We suggest retaking this quiz at the start of each season, and comparing the result with the bare-face test in our skin type guide.
If your answers feel split between two types, choose products for the more sensitive of the two. It is easier to add richness or strength later than to calm irritated skin.
When to see a dermatologist
- Your skin stings or reddens with most products, which may mean sensitive skin or a condition such as rosacea or eczema.
- You have persistent acne, flaking or patches that a basic routine does not improve.
- You notice a sudden change in your skin that you cannot explain.
FAQ
Can my skin type change?
Yes. Hormones, climate, age and season all shift it. Retake this quiz when the weather changes or if your usual products suddenly stop working.
Can I have more than one skin type?
Combination skin is exactly that — two behaviours on one face. If you scored closely between two types, treat each zone according to its own behaviour.
Is sensitive skin really a type?
Dermatologists treat sensitivity as a condition that can overlay any type — you can have oily sensitive skin or dry sensitive skin. If you scored sensitive, prioritise barrier care first, then address oil or dryness.
For the clinical baseline on this, see the AAD’s basic skin care guidance.
