The main ones describe your skin’s oil content, which can probably be observed in your mirror. When in doubt, a dermatologist can point you in the right direction. But if you’d like to first try to figure it out on your own, we at Tatcha recommend two simple tests.

The bare-face method. 
All you need to do is wash your face gently, pat it dry, wait 30 minutes, and inspect your face for signs of oil. Then wait another 30 minutes and check again. If your skin remains matte and unoiled, you probably have drier skin; if it gets oily immediately, you probably have oily skin; and if the oil is only local to some areas, you’re likely to have combination skin.

The blotting paper method. 
This one is a little easier, and only requires blotting paper.

1. Gently pat a blotting paper on your forehead, nose, chin & cheeks.
2. Hold the sheet up to the light and examine.

If the blotting paper:

• picked up little to no oil, you have dry skin
• reveals oil from the forehead & nose areas: you have combination skin
• is saturated with oil: you have oily skin.

These two steps cover the main normal, oily, and dry skin types, but there are two others. They’re less easily observable, and yet you’ll probably know if you have them. Sensitive skin, for example, is more reactive than other skin types, and likely to refer to those who are battling breakouts more often than not. Mature skin describes skin that is displaying some of the first signs of aging, from wrinkles to hyperpigmentation.