What’s the Difference Between Oily, Normal, Dry, Sensitive, and Combination Skin?

Much like every individual, their skin type is also unique. All skin types can benefit from daily cleansing and moisturizing, but different skin types—which include oily, dry, normal, combination, and sensitive skin—have different needs.

That’s why understanding your skin type is the first step in properly caring for it. But how do you know what type of skin you have?

5 Primary Types of Skin

Each skin type has its own set of unique characteristics and needs that can affect the look and feel of your complexion. By first understanding what type of skin you have, you can begin to make informed decisions giving your skin the customized skincare and protection it needs now and for years to come.

We’re covering all the basics about how to identify your skin type below, plus tips for choosing the ideal skincare products and routines for each type.

Oily Skin

Oily skin is characterized by a shiny and a greasy feeling especially throughout the T-zone (Forehead, Nose and Chin) Oil skin produces an excess of sebum. As pores get enlarged, they produce oils in excess that sometimes even coagulate in pores giving rise to black and white heads. A perfect oily skin care routine should feature a gentle, foaming cleanser that removes dirt, excess oil, and impurities but doesn’t get too rough to disturb skin balance. And a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that provides your oily skin with essential hydration but in a limiting manner.

Keep in mind that just because oily skin produces more natural oils, this doesn’t mean that it requires any less moisture than other skin types. Supporting oily skin comes down to choosing the right ingredients that nourish and hydrate, without clogging your pores or triggering breakouts.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is the opposite of oily skin type. Dry skin produces fewer natural oils than any other skin type. It is characterized by low moisture retention, flaking of the skin, cracked appearance, and rough skin texture. The ideal skincare routine for dry skin would be a gentle, soothing, and hydrating ingredients that help maintain the skin’s protective moisture barrier.

Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is often referred to as a skin type, but it’s possible to have oily sensitive skin, dry sensitive skin, or normal sensitive skin. Regardless of which type of skin you have, if you have sensitive skin, it may appear red and feel like it's burning, itching, or dry. These symptoms may be related to having skin that is more vulnerable to external irritants and may be triggered by certain ingredients like dyes or fragrances as well as environmental factors.

The perfect skincare routine for sensitive skin begins with carefully identifying what triggers your sensitivity and avoid cleansers, moisturizers, or other products containing those specific ingredients. You can also alter your environment to reduce your exposure to triggering agents.

Normal Skin

As the name suggests, normal skin doesn’t associate itself with any specific malady. The sebum production, moisture availability, and absorption are largely balanced out. To identify normal skin type monitor facial-T and notice lack of dryness and excess oil production.

The perfect skincare routine for normal skin includes a gentle cleanser followed by moisturizer and chemical-free masks for a greater push to glowing skin.

Combination Skin

Combination skin includes areas that are dry as well as oily with the T-zone commonly being oily, and the cheeks being either dry or normal. This skin type can vary during different seasons of the year, and due to various factors, such as stress or hormone fluctuation. Effective cleansing and hydration are key to care for skin that's oily or normal in some places and dry in others.

The needs of our skin changes over time, hence, taking necessary steps to identify its needs is crucial for it to function properly and look the best. Knowing your skin is important to determine what products to use on it and how to address your skin concerns and issues like acne and dark spots. So, take some time to develop a suitable skincare routine for your skin.