What is my skin type? A six-question test you can do at home

Find your skin type at home in one step: cleanse gently, pat dry, wait an hour with nothing on, then press a tissue to your forehead, nose and cheeks. Tight and flaky = dry; shiny all over, oil on the tissue = oily; shine on forehead and nose only = combination; stinging and redness from the cleanser itself = sensitive-prone. Six questions below sort it out.

By Amina, the skincare expert on the SOLEMOSA team · 31 October 2026 · Last updated: 31 October 2026

How do I know my skin type at home?

The method DermNet describes is simple: wash your face, pat it dry, wait an hour, then press a tissue to your forehead, cheeks, chin and nose. No shine and a clean tissue = normal skin. Tight or flaky with a clean tissue = dry. Shiny with oil on the tissue = oily. And many women have combination skin: an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) with normal or dry cheeks.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) sums the types up by how they feel: sensitive skin may sting or burn after products, normal skin is clear and not sensitive, dry skin is flaky, itchy or rough, oily skin is shiny and greasy, and combination skin is dry in some areas and oily in others.

• Dry: tightness after cleansing, light flakes around the nose and mouth, small pores.
• Oily: shine across the whole face before noon, visible pores, blackheads.
• Combination: shine on the forehead, nose and chin only, with normal or dry cheeks.
• Sensitive-prone: stings or reddens from cleansers and products, reacts to weather and heat.

The skin type test: six questions

Answer from your skin this week, not from one day. Each question has four answers; pick the closest even if it is not an exact match.

Dry skin: what does it need?

DermNet explains dryness as a fault in the skin's outer barrier, and lists the everyday causes: low humidity in desert climates, too much air conditioning, soap, products that contain alcohol, and hot water. Dry skin looks dull and rough, and sometimes cracks.

The basics from the AAD: a gentle cleanser without fragrance, lukewarm water rather than hot, and a cream or ointment rather than a lotion, because it adds more moisture, applied straight after patting dry while the skin is still damp. The NHS adds that a moisturiser can go on whenever the skin feels dry or tight, smoothed in the direction the hair grows, not rubbed.

Oily skin: what does it need?

DermNet calls it seborrhoea: the oil glands are more active than they need to be, so the face looks shiny, makeup runs or cakes, and spots can follow. It comes with an advantage the AAD points out: oily skin tends to be thicker and shows fewer wrinkles.

The AAD's basics for oily skin: a gentle foaming cleanser twice a day and after sweating, no scrubbing, and no harsh cleanser, because it irritates and triggers more oil. Products labelled non-comedogenic, a moisturiser after cleansing even though the skin is oily, and a sunscreen without oils or fragrance. Blotting paper pressed, not rubbed, and hands off the face through the day.

Combination skin: what does it need?

Combination skin is the most common pattern DermNet describes: an oily T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) with normal or dry cheeks. One face with two needs, which is why a single strong product for the whole face leaves the cheeks tight and the nose unchanged.

The basic: one gentle base for the whole face (a gentle cleanser, a light moisturiser, sunscreen), with the difference in amount and placement. A fuller layer of moisturiser on the cheeks and a thinner one on the nose and forehead, blotting paper for the T-zone only, and any oil-reducing product on the area that shines, not on the cheeks.

Sensitive skin: what does it need?

DermNet defines sensitive skin by sensation, not appearance: stinging, burning, itching or tingling in response to things that should not provoke it, while the skin can look normal or red. It is very common among women, and in most of them the underlying skin is dry or oily, with the sensitivity on top.

Its basics from DermNet and the AAD: products without fragrance, no chemical or mechanical exfoliants, no long hot showers, a moisturiser on damp skin straight after washing, and one new product at a time, tried on a small patch before the whole face. Redness that is constant or burns belongs with a dermatologist, not with another new product.

Why does my skin type change?

Because the type is how your skin feels now, not a stamp for life. DermNet notes that low humidity, air conditioning, soap, alcohol and hot water all dry the skin, so the same face can be combination in summer and dry in winter or in an air-conditioned office. Age changes it, the cycle changes it, and one product too strong can turn oily skin into skin that feels tight and shines at the same time.

So repeat the test whenever the weather or your products change, and compare the same way each time: the same cleanser, the same hour, the same tissue.

Why is the type alone not enough?

Your type tells you what your skin tolerates, but not what is on it today: exactly where the marks are, whether the pores are wider on the nose or the cheeks, and whether the shine comes from oil or from the wrong moisturiser. That is what the AI skin analysis at SOLEMOSA reads from one clear photo in about a minute: texture, tone, pores, shine and visible spots, each with a score.

After the reading, Amina, the skincare expert on the team, writes to you every day and adjusts your steps to what you tell her about your skin. The type is the starting point; the plan is built on your own skin.