Know your skin, in three minutes.
Eight quick questions about shine, pores, flaking and how your skin reacts sort you into normal, dry, oily or combination, with a flag for sensitivity. You leave with three ingredients to look for, three to use carefully, and a starter routine for morning and evening.
Eight quick questions, one skin type.
Answer for a normal day, not the morning after a facial or a flare up. You will land on normal, dry, oily or combination, see a flag if your skin runs sensitive, and get three ingredients to look for, three to use carefully, and a starter routine for morning and evening.
Your result
Runs sensitiveLooks for
Go easy on
Morning
Evening
How it works.
- Answer eight questions about shine, pores, flaking and how your skin reacts to new products.
- Get your type, normal, dry, oily or combination, plus a sensitivity flag if it applies.
- Read your starter routine, then move to the full routine builder or the ingredient decoder.
The four types this quiz uses
Dermatology commonly sorts skin into four practical types: normal, dry, oily and combination. A fuller clinical system, the Baumann Skin Type system, maps skin across 4 axes into 16 possible types, more detail than most people need for a daily routine. This quiz keeps 2 of those axes, oil output and reactivity, and uses 8 questions, answered in about 3 minutes, to place you in one of the four types and flag whether your skin runs sensitive.
Two axes, not one line
Oil output and barrier strength move independently. Skin can run oily and still react badly to a new serum, or stay dry for years without ever flaring up. Seven of the eight questions track oil: how your face feels 30 minutes after cleansing, where shine shows by midday, how visible your pores are, whether flaking appears without moisturiser, how often breakouts show up, and how foundation or sunscreen looks 4 hours after you apply it. The eighth question, about your reaction to a new product, feeds a separate sensitivity count. A high oil score with a high sensitivity count still points to oily skin that also needs gentler actives, not a different type altogether.
Why it shifts, and what this quiz cannot tell you
Skin type is not fixed. Hormones move it at puberty, during pregnancy and again around 45 to 55, when oestrogen drops and skin often turns drier. Winter heating strips humidity from the air and can push comfortable skin toward dry within days, while summer heat does the opposite. Starting a retinoid or an acid can also shift the balance within 4 weeks, so it is worth repeating this quiz after any big change to your routine. What it cannot do is diagnose anything. Rosacea, eczema, dermatitis and persistent acne need a dermatologist, not a questionnaire. Pair your result with the steps in the clear skin guide, see how a professional treats each type in the facial guide, and match a mask to the day in the face mask guide.
Frequently asked.
How does the quiz tell dry skin from oily skin?
Seven of the eight questions score oil signals such as midday shine, pore size and how foundation looks after 4 hours. A low score across those points to dry, a high score points to oily, and a wide spread between low and high answers usually means combination.
What does the sensitivity badge mean?
It shows when your answer about trying new products suggests your skin often reacts, with redness, itching or small bumps. It is a note to introduce new products slowly, not a diagnosis of any condition.
Can my skin type change with the seasons?
Yes. Heated winter air lowers humidity and can push comfortable skin toward dry within days, while summer heat and humidity often raise oil output. Retake the quiz whenever the season, or your routine, changes noticeably.
Is this the same as a dermatologist's assessment?
No. This is a 3-minute self-test based on how your skin behaves day to day. Rosacea, eczema, dermatitis and persistent acne need an in person assessment, not a questionnaire.
Why does the quiz ask about the T-zone specifically?
The forehead, nose and chin carry more oil glands than the cheeks, so shine and enlarged pores often show there first. That pattern is what separates combination skin from skin that is oily or dry all over.
Does the quiz store my answers?
Only your last result type is kept in your own browser, so the start screen can remind you next time. Nothing is sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data removes it.
Guides behind this tool
Skin and Cosmetics
Clear skin: five points that count
Skin and Cosmetics
The facial: eight steps, one result
Skin and Cosmetics
Face masks: which one for whatMore tools
This quiz estimates a skin type from self-reported answers. It does not diagnose rosacea, eczema, dermatitis or acne, and does not replace an assessment by a dermatologist. This page is for general information and does not replace medical or professional cosmetic advice.