What's my skin type?
Nine questions, two minutes, no wrong answers. We'll work out whether you're oily, dry, combination, or normal — and check for the two things most quizzes miss: sensitivity and dehydration. Everything runs in your browser.
Your quiz result — saved on this device, and to your free account when you're signed in. See or clear it in My Library.
- Building a RoutineYour First Routine Is Three Products, and Two of Them Are BoringEvery beginner guide quietly wants to sell you nine. The physiology wants three — and the most valuable thing a skincare site can give a newcomer is the confidence not to buy things.
- Men's SkincareMale Skin Is Oilier, Thicker and Slower to Wrinkle. One Receptor Explains All Three.The mechanism is not a mystery, and knowing it tells you which men's-skincare claims are load-bearing and which are decoration.
- Dryness & DehydrationDehydration vs Dryness, Bought CorrectlyOne is a shortage of oil, the other a shortage of water, and the products that fix them sit on the same shelf doing opposite jobs.
- Dullness & GlowOne of the Four Reasons Your Skin Looks Dull Has Nothing to Do With PigmentMore products claim to fix dullness than any other concern, which is a strong hint the word means nothing — it is at least four separate mechanisms, and the one nobody sells for is the blood.
How the quiz works
Each of the nine questions probes one observable signal dermatologists actually use to classify skin: how your face feels an hour after cleansing with nothing on it, where shine shows up by mid-afternoon, pore visibility, winter behavior, and how your skin receives moisturizer. Your answers accumulate into separate oil and dryness scores, and a distinct pattern — shine confined to the T-zone with comfortable cheeks — is what flags combination skin, the type most quizzes mislabel as oily.
Two modifiers are scored independently, because they cut across every type: sensitivity (how readily new products sting or redden you) and dehydration (a lack of water rather than oil — the reason skin can feel tight and turn shiny in the same afternoon). Your result links straight into the DermApproved database of dermatologist-informed product reviews, filtered to what's actually rated best for your type.
Common questions
Can my skin type actually change over time?
Yes — skin type is a tendency, not a tattoo. Seasons shift it (many people run drier in winter and oilier in summer), and hormones, pregnancy, menopause, and plain aging all move the needle, since oil production naturally declines over the decades. That’s exactly why this quiz is worth retaking now and then.
What’s the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?
Dry skin lacks oil — it’s a skin type, driven by how much sebum your glands produce. Dehydrated skin lacks water — it’s a temporary condition that any skin type can have, including oily skin. The tell is skin that feels tight but still gets shiny: that’s dehydration, and it wants humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid rather than heavier oils.
Can oily skin also be sensitive?
Absolutely — sensitivity is a modifier, not a competing type, which is why this quiz scores it separately. Oily, reactive skin is common and genuinely tricky: it needs oil control without the stripping cleansers and aggressive acids that set off redness. Fragrance-free, low-irritant formulas matter just as much for oily-sensitive skin as for dry-sensitive skin.
How often should I retake the quiz?
Twice a year is a sensible rhythm — once as winter sets in and once as summer arrives, since climate is the biggest short-term influence on how your skin behaves. Also retake it after any major change: a new medication, pregnancy, a big move, or starting a retinoid can all shift where you land.
Does skin type matter more than my skin concerns?
Think of skin type as the foundation and concerns as what you build on it. Type dictates textures and cleansing habits — the daily infrastructure — while concerns like acne or hyperpigmentation dictate which actives you add. A great routine gets the type-matched basics right first; treatment ingredients work far better on skin that isn’t stripped or suffocated.