Start with Your Skin Type
Start with your skin — not your shelf.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by skincare advice — “use this,” “avoid that,” “everyone needs this serum” — you’re not alone. Most skincare advice skips the most important step: understanding what your skin actually needs. And that begins with understanding your type — not as a fixed label, but as a pattern of behavior.
Why Skin Types Still Matter
Skin types aren’t about putting you in a box. They’re a starting point — a lens through which you can observe how your skin behaves, responds, and adapts over time. When used correctly, skin typing becomes a flexible diagnostic tool, not a rigid identity.
That’s the approach we take here.
We don’t treat skin types as static or mutually exclusive. Instead, we teach them as dynamic combinations of oil production, hydration levels, texture, and reactivity. This allows you to match care strategies to what your skin is actually showing you — today, not ten years ago.
Understanding your skin type helps you:
- Identify which product formats are more likely to work (or backfire)
- Choose ingredients that align with your skin’s current behavior
- Recognize when something is off — and how to adjust
- Avoid wasting money and energy on one-size-fits-all solutions
Beyond Labels: Skin Types as Patterns
Traditional skin typing models divide us into categories like oily, dry, sensitive, or combination. But most of us don’t fit neatly into one label. And skin changes — with hormones, weather, stress, diet, medication, and age.
That’s why we take a pattern-based approach.
Here, skin types are treated as observable constellations of traits. You might have dry cheeks and an oily T-zone. You might be breakout-prone but dehydrated. You might be sensitive but not dry. That’s not “wrong” — it’s just real skin.
So don’t panic if you relate to more than one type. You’re not broken. You’re human, like the rest of us.
How to Use This Page?
This is your starting point for personalized skincare.
Below, you’ll find six core skin types — each with a brief description and focus area to guide your care. If you already know (or suspect) your type, dive right in. If you’re not sure, try our Skin Type Finder to decode your skin’s current signals.
Each skin type page is a starting point — not a destination.
When you click Explore This Type, you’ll enter a structured hub with five focused sections:
- Traits & Characteristics: How this skin type typically behaves (and how it varies)
- Skincare Focus: What to prioritize, adjust, or avoid in daily care
- Skincare Pillars: How cleansing, moisturizing, sun protection, and treatment look for this type
- Format Navigator: Which textures, delivery forms, and packaging make the most sense
- Ingredients Navigator: What to seek out, use cautiously, or skip altogether
You can move through these five sections at your own pace — or skip to what matters most right now. Everything is written to be clear, practical, and rooted in evidence — no hype, no fluff.
This isn’t about labeling skin as “good” or “bad” skin — it’s about responsive, thoughtful care.
Normal Skin Type
Sebum production is well-regulated, and the skin barrier functions optimally. Skin feels smooth, even-textured, and shows minimal reactivity or visible pores.
Skincare Focus: Maintain equilibrium with gentle cleansing, lightweight hydration, and regular broad-spectrum sun protection.
Dry Skin Type
Low sebum levels and compromised barrier function lead to dryness, flaking, rough texture and tight feel. Skin often appears dull.
Skincare Focus: Prioritize deep hydration, barrier support, and replenishing emollients to prevent long-term dryness and reduce tightness.
Sensitive Skin Type
Prone to stinging, redness, or discomfort from products, climate, or even touch. Skin often feels reactive, thin, and fragile, with a compromised skin barrier
Skincare Focus: Minimize potential triggers and support barrier strength with calming, fragrance-free, non-irritating care.
Combination Skin Type
Feels oily in some areas (typically T-zone) and dry or normal in others. Can show visible pores and occasional breakouts while still feeling tight or dehydrated in spots.
Skincare Focus: Balance is key — combine lightweight hydration with targeted, spot treatments. Adapt care to different zones rather than treating the whole face the same.
Oily Skin Type
Produces excess sebum across the face, especially in the T-zone, cheeks, and around the nose. Skin may appear shiny, with visibly enlarged pores and a tendency toward breakouts.
Skincare Focus: Focus on gentle sebum control without over-stripping the barrier of skin lipids. Use lightweight, non-comedogenic formats and support barrier health to avoid rebound oiliness.
Acne-prone Skin Type
Characterized by persistent congestion, inflammation, and frequent breakouts. May overlap with oily or sensitive traits and often shows reactivity to specific ingredients or formats.
Skincare Focus: Focus on clarity, not aggression. Choose barrier-friendly actives, avoid stripping cleansers, and prioritize consistent, non-irritating care to reduce flare-ups and support healing.
Not just one type? That’s okay.
Skin often behaves like more than one type at once — that’s why our model embraces patterns, not fixed boxes.
Want to Go Deeper?
Understanding your skin type is just the beginning. To truly care for your skin with intention, you need a bigger map — one that connects structure, behavior, ingredients, and context. That’s exactly what Skin Types Decoded was built to do.
In over 400 pages, the book lays out a complete framework for:
- How skin layers function and interact
- What actually defines a skin type
- The four foundational skincare pillars (cleanse, moisturize, protect, treat)
- Why ingredient-function-format logic matters more than product hype
Learn how your skin truly behaves, why types are just patterns (not boxes), and how to approach care with flexibility, not formulas.
Want the full roadmap? Skin Types Decoded lays out the complete framework — so you can care for your skin with clarity, not confusion.