How to Figure Out Your Skin Type

The most common skincare mistake is using products designed for someone else's skin. Before you buy anything, it helps to know what you are actually working with. The good news: figuring out your skin type takes about thirty minutes and a clean face.

The bare-face test

Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, pat dry, and apply nothing else. Wait about thirty minutes, then notice how your skin feels and looks. That tells you most of what you need to know.

The main skin types

Skin usually falls into one of these:

• •Normal: balanced and comfortable, not noticeably oily or tight.
• •Dry: tight, flaky, or rough, especially after cleansing, and often looks dull.
• •Oily: shiny within an hour or two, especially across the forehead, nose, and chin, and more prone to congestion.
• •Combination: oily through the T-zone but normal to dry on the cheeks. Very common.
• •Sensitive: reacts easily with redness, stinging, or irritation, and can overlap with any of the above.

Why it matters

Your skin type points you toward the right textures and ingredients. Dry skin loves richer creams and oils, like HydraBalm or our Age Well Face Oil. Oily and combination skin often prefers lighter, balancing formulas. Sensitive skin does best with calming, fragrance-free options like Calm Aura. Matching your products to your skin is what makes a routine feel effortless.

Your skin can change

Skin is not fixed. It shifts with the seasons, your age, your hormones, and even the climate you live in. Skin that is balanced in summer can turn dry by January. Check in with your skin a few times a year, and adjust as you go.