Over 80% of people are wrong about their skin type ^(1), so if you want to know your skin type, simple observation is not enough.

You need the reliable and scientific method of skin typing used by dermatologists.

There are several different skin typing systems, but the skin typing system used by dermatologists is the Baumann Skin Typing System with 16 Skin Types. ^(2-23)

For many years the American Academy of Dermatology divided skin types into:

normal

dry

oily

combination

sensitive

However, this skin typing system is outdated.

We now know this is not enough information to prescribe a custom skin care routine to improve your skin type.

With the advances in skin care, the skin typing system needs to look at all 4 barriers to skin health that your skin care routine should address.

Normal skin has:

a strong skin barrier

adequate sebum production

resistance to inflammation

properly functioning melanocytes

age under 30

no aging risk factors

Dry skin has:

a defect in the skin barrier

rough texture

increased risk of sensitivity

less natural protection

dullness

ashy tone in dark skin

Oily skin is better to have than dry skin because it has more natural protection.

Oily skin has:

increased sebum production

clogged pores

difficulty finding a sunscreen

more protection from aging

higher antioxidant levels

Combination skin has:

dryness in cold weather

oiliness in hot humid climates

increased sebum in T zone

different skin care routine needs each season

Another skin typing system that divides skin into 6 types is the Fitzpatrick Skin Typing System.

This skin typing system divides skin into 6 types depending upon how it reacts to sun exposure.

The Fitzpatrick Skin Type System is not good for choosing a skin care routine or skin care products, however it can be used to choose makeup or tinted sunscreen colors.

acne prone

dry

combination

mature

normal

oily

sensitive

However, dividing skin into these 7 types is still not accurate enough to match skin care to skin type.

The Baumann Skin Typing System used by dermatologists divides skin into 16 face skin types based on the presence or absence of 4 skin issues.

4 main issues determine your face skin type:

Dehydration

Inflammation

Uneven pigmentation

Aging

The best way to know what type of skin you have is to take the scientific skin type quiz used by dermatologists to diagnose skin type.

This system divides skin into 16 distinct skin type which can then be matched to a skin care routine.

Find your skin type here.

Most people guess wrong about whether they have oily or dry skin.

We ask questions about how your face feels after washing, how often you moisturizer, and do you prefer heavy moisturizers.

These questions have been shown to accurately predict your sebum secretion levels ⁽³⁾ and tell us if you have oily skin or an impaired skin barrier.

Our skin type quiz also looks for signs of skin inflammation and asks you about habits that lead to skin aging.

Did you know you can be in your 20s and have an aging skin type? Our data from over 100,000 people shows that over 80% of people in their 20s need an antiaging skin care routine.

The only way to be certain about your face skin type is to take the skin type quiz that doctors use in their medical practice to prescribe skin care routines.

You may have been told you have one of these types of skin, however, it is not accurate enough to divide skin into these skin type categories:

Acne-prone Skin Type

Aging Skin Type

Combination Skin Type

Dry Skin Type

Healthy Skin Type

Hypersensitive Skin Type

Mature Skin Type

Normal Skin Type

Oily Skin Type

Sensitive Skin Type

Uneven Skin Type

You can click the above skin type links to learn more about how to tell if your skin type is one of the basic skin types- however-these are skin concerns- not true skin types.

This above nomenclature is outdated.

Labeling your skin with only one skin concern does not take into account all of your skin's issues.

You will have untreated issues keeping your skin from looking it's best if you do not treat all 4 barriers to skin health .

This is why you need to know what your real skin type is. You need to know all of the underlying factors affecting your skin health- not just one.

So make sure you are correct about what skin type you have before you buy any products.

Once you know your skin type you can:

Learn about your skin

Read product reviews from others

Receive educational material for your skin type

Share advice with others that have same skin type as you

When you take the quiz a buy a custom regimen, you will receive personalized information on what to expect and how to know if your skin care routine is working.

Our advice and your results will vary greatly by skin type.

Once you take the quiz to find your face skin type- you will receive

advice on the best skin care routine order for your unique skin type

an email describing your skin type and how if differs from other skin types

Monthly email updates on what skin changes you should be seeing with your specific custom skin care routine

Advice on how to update your skin care routine as your skin type improves

The most important things that you should know about the different skin types are:

Shop by your skin type!

Stop wasting time and money on products that are not right for you.

Different skin types need different skin care ingredients and different skin care routine steps.

Yes! Your skin type can change.

Your skin type can change with any changes in:

skin care products

seasons and climate

hormones

stress levels

vitamins and supplements

diet

consistency of using skin care routine

The goal of getting on the right skin care routine for your skin type is to change your skin to a healthier skin type.

Discover what brands and products are right for you

Build a skin care routine

Shop for products

Learn from our library

Receive relevant and personalized emails about your skin type

Review products for others with same skin type as you

Give better advice to others about skin care

Refer friends and earn money

Earn points with purchases

1. Data on file with Dr. Leslie Baumann MD based o over 200,000 quizzes
2. Baumann, Leslie. “Validation of a Questionnaire to Diagnose the Baumann Skin Type in All Ethnicities and in Various Geographic Locations” Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications 6 (2016): 34-40.
3. Baumann, Leslie S., et al. “A Validated Questionnaire for Quantifying Skin Oiliness” Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications 4 (2014): 78-84.
4. Lee, Y. B., Park, S. M., Bae, J. M., Yu, D. S., Kim, H. J., & Kim, J. W. (2017). Which Skin Type Is Prevalent in Korean Post-Adolescent Acne Patients?: A Pilot Study Using the Baumann Skin Type Indicator. Annals of Dermatology, 29(6), 817.
5. Choi, J. Y., Choi, Y. J., Nam, J. H., Jung, H. J., Lee, G. Y., & Kim, W. S. (2016). Identifying skin type using the Baumann skin type questionnaire in Korean women who visited a dermatologic clinic. Korean Journal of Dermatology, 54(6), 422-437.
6. Lee, Young Bin, Sung Ku Ahn, Gun Young Ahn, Hana Bak, Seung Phil Hong, Eun Jung Go, Chang Ook Park et al. "Baumann Skin Type in the Korean Male Population." Annals of Dermatology 31, no. 6 (2019): 621-630.
7. Ahn, S. K., Jun, M., Bak, H., Park, B. D., Hong, S. P., Lee, S. H., ... & Goo, J. W. (2017). Baumann skin type in the Korean female population. Annals of dermatology, 29(5), 586-596.
8. Baumann, L. (2006). The skin type solution: a revolutionary guide to your best skin ever. Bantam.
9. Baumann, L. (2008, 2012, 2019). Cosmetics and Skin Care in Dermatology. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. 7t, 8^th and 9^th eds. New York: McGraw Hill.
10. Baumann, L. (2020). 14 A Scientific Approach to Cosmeceuticals. The Art of Aesthetic Surgery, Three Volume Set: Principles and Techniques.
11. Baumann, Leslie S. “The Baumann Skin Typing System” in Farage MA, et al. Textbook of Aging Skin Skin. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg (2017): 1579-1594.
12. Baumann, L. (2009). The Baumann skin-type indicator: a novel approach to understanding skin type. Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology, 3rd Edition, Informa Healthcare, New York, 29-40.
13. Baumann, L. (2008). Understanding and treating various skin types: the Baumann Skin Type Indicator. Dermatologic clinics, 26(3), 359-373.
14. Hong, J. Y., Park, S. J., Seo, S. J., & Park, K. Y. (2020). Oily sensitive skin: A review of management options. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 19(5), 1016-1020.
15. Shin, Y. B., Kwon, C. I., Jo, J. W., Jeong, H. B., Moon, Y. S., Jung, E. C., ... & Yoon, T. J. (2018). P199: Baumann skin type in outpatient. ????? (? ???), 70(2), 457-457.
16. Park, J. W., Park, S. J., Park, K. Y., Ahn, G. Y., Seo, S. J., & Kim, M. N. (2019). P062: A study on the correlation of skin types with genetic factors and environmental factors in Koreans. ????? (? ???), 71(2), 354-354.
17. Lee, Y. B., Ahn, S. K., Ahn, G. Y., Bak, H., Hong, S. P., Go, E. J., ... & Goo, J. W. (2019). Baumann Skin Type in the Korean Male Population. Annals of Dermatology, 31(6), 621-630.
18. Ahn, S. K., Jun, M., Bak, H., Park, B. D., Hong, S. P., Lee, S. H., ... & Park, K. (2017). Baumann skin type in the Korean female population. Annals of dermatology, 29(5), 586-596.
19. Choi, J. Y., Lim, J. Y., Kim, H. S., Min, J., Kim, J. I., Seo, H. M., ... & Kim, W. S. (2015). P241: A study on Korean womens skin types by baumann skin type questionnaire. ????? (? ???), 67(2), 501-502.
20. Kim, B. K., Choe, S. J., Lee, S. H., Min, P. K., & Hana, B. (2014). P110: Analysis of Baumann skin type in Korean women. ????? (? ???), 66(2), 355-355.
21. Roberts, W. E. (2009). Skin type classification systems old and new. Dermatologic clinics, 27(4), 529-533.
22. Choi, J. Y., Choi, Y. J., Nam, J. H., Jung, H. J., Lee, G. Y., & Kim, W. S. (2016). Identifying skin type using the Baumann skin type questionnaire in Korean women who visited a dermatologic clinic. Korean Journal of Dermatology, 54(6), 422-437.
23. Lee, Y. B., Park, S. M., Bae, J. M., Yu, D. S., Kim, H. J., & Kim, J. W. (2017). Which Skin Type Is Prevalent in Korean Post-Adolescent Acne Patients?: A Pilot Study Using the Baumann Skin Type Indicator. Annals of dermatology, 29(6), 817-819.