Knowing your skin type is absolutely essential when it comes to skin care. Not only is it the first step in building your skincare routine, but it also helps you understand your skin's reactions and behaviors so you can best care for it and select the products that will be most effective for your skin. Plus, once you've identified your skin type and found a routine that works for you, you can start introducing products that target your specific skin concerns.

But even if you know your skin better than anyone, it can be difficult to understand what type of skin you have. While oily skin types typically have acne-prone skin and enlarged pores, dry skin types can expect flaky skin, dry patches, and a lack of sebum produced throughout the day. However, combination skin types are a mixture of both – with an oily T-zone and dry patches around the face. Sensitive skin types may experience redness and irritation after applying products with certain ingredients, artificial colors and fragrances and may be more prone to rosacea, eczema and psoriasis. Finally, normal skin types might experience an oily T-zone or dryness at certain times of the year, and pimples rarely appear.

Check out the list below of the characteristics of each skin type to find out what your skin type is!

OILY SKIN

• Your face is shiny or oily in the middle of the day, regardless of the season.
• You often get pimples
• You have visibly enlarged pores

Recommended products:

See all products for oily skin

MIXED SKIN

• The T-zone constantly accumulates fat while the cheek area is always dry
• You had acne and patches of dry skin at the same time
• You have visibly enlarged pores only in the T-zone

Recommended products:

See all products for combination skin

DRY SKIN

• You have dry patches or skin that flakes (the top layer of skin peels off) in the middle of the day
• Your skin rarely looks greasy even at the end of the day
• Skin feels dry, "sticky" or itchy after cleansing

Recommended products:

See all products for dry skin

NORMAL COMPLEXION

• Your face doesn't get oilier or drier throughout the day
• You have excess sebum or dry areas only depending on the season
• It's rare for you to get pimples or have an adverse reaction to cosmetics

Recommended products:

See all products for normal skin

SENSITIVE SKIN

• It often happens that you have irritated or red skin after applying new cosmetic products that contain ingredients such as perfume
• You have skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema or rosacea

Recommended products:

See all products for sensitive skin

Now that you know your skin type, it's time to put together your Korean skincare routine in 10 steps. Read the article How to create your skin care routine from scratch !