What skin type do you have? The answer to that question is the basis for many of the beauty products that will work best on your skin. It’s also the key to protecting your skin from the harsh elements.

There are two measurements for skin type, one relates to the quality of your skin and oil production while the other is based on sun sensitivity.

You’ve probably seen beauty products that are labeled for normal, oily, dry, combination or sensitive skin. This refers to what your skin looks and feels like (and just so you know, most people don’t fall into the normal category of perfectly balanced, clear skin- it should really be called abnormally lucky skin!)

Oily skin shines because sebaceous glands produce an overabundance of oil. This type of skin tends to be thick and may be plagued by large pores and blemishes. You’ll need to use a deep pore cleanser and mattifiers to minimize the appearance of pores. 

Dry skin is the result of limited oil production and lack of moisture. It causes the skin to look flaky and dull. People with dry skin are also more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers and skin glazing products are needed to correct dryness and give your face a healthy glow.
 
Combination skin is – you guessed it – a mix of oily and dry skin. Many people fall into this category. Typically, skin will be oily in the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry in the cheek and eye areas. 

Sensitive skin is skin that reacts easily to external factors like beauty products, wind, and pollution. If you have sensitive skin you’ll have to steer clear of products with harsh ingredients, soaps, and fragrances.
 
There’s also something called the Fitzpatrick scale. It measures the amount of pigment in your skin and how it reacts to sun exposure. These factors combined help tell you your risk for skin cancer. 
There are six categories in the Fitzpatrick scale:

Skin Type 1 – ivory skin colour, freckled, always burns, never tans
Skin Type 2 – fair skin colour, usually freckled, often burns, rarely tans
Skin Type 3 – fair to beige skin colour, sometimes freckled, occasionally burns, sometimes tans
Skin Type 4 – olive to light brown skin colour, sometimes freckled, rarely burns, usually tans
Skin Type 5 – dark brown skin colour, rarely freckled, rarely burns, always tans
Skin Type 6 – black skin colour, never freckled, never burns, always tans

Skin Conditions

Skin conditions can be related to skin type, but they aren’t the same; they’re health conditions that affect skin quality and appearance. Rosacea is an example of a common skin condition that affects the types of beauty products that are used.

Lifestyle
Your DNA isn’t the only thing that impacts skin quality and issues. Lifestyle also plays a major role, for instance smoking, frequently swimming in pools and sunbathing drys out the skin. Eating certain foods can make your skin more oily. Water intake is another important factor that affects skin quality, healthy skin requires good hydration.

So, How Important Are Beauty Product Efficacy Ratings?
The research and efficacy ratings noted above can still prove useful despite the uniqueness of our skin. This is definitely true when a product is made to address a specific skin problem that you’re having or is made for your skin type. 
What’s most important is that you pay careful attention to how a beauty product is formulated, the ingredients that are used and the skin type of the testers. This will go a long way in telling you if the product is right for your skin.