The quickest way to find a Korean skincare routine for your skin is the Keauty skin quiz. You answer a few questions about your skin and what you want to change, and it suggests a routine built around your answers. If you would rather check by hand first, the steps below show you how to read your own skin type.
What are the main skin types?
Skincare usually groups skin as normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive. These labels describe how your skin looks and feels, not a diagnosis, and the same person can move between them as the seasons change.
| Skin type | What you may notice |
|---|---|
| Dry | Tight, rough or flaky areas |
| Oily | Shine through the day |
| Combination | Oil on the forehead, nose and chin, with cheeks that feel drier or comfortable |
| Sensitive | Stinging, burning, redness or scaling after products |
| Normal | Comfortable, neither tight nor shiny |
How do I check my skin type at home?
Do it after a normal day with your usual gentle routine. Do not strip your skin on purpose, and do not stop a treatment a doctor prescribed. Then notice the following.
- Do any areas feel flaky, itchy, rough or tight?
- Do any areas look shiny or greasy through the day?
- Do the middle of your face and your cheeks feel noticeably different?
- Do products repeatedly cause stinging, burning, redness or scaling?
What does my result mean for a Korean skincare routine?
- Mostly dry signs: choose a gentle cleanser and a moisturizer, and cut back on unnecessary exfoliating. Indoor heating and cold winter air can add to dryness. Browse the dry skin type collection, and if your body feels dry too, see illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream 230ml. Its product page says it suits dry and sensitive skin and is applied after a shower.
- Mostly oily signs: use gentle cleansing and a moisturizer that feels comfortable. Scrubbing and frequent acids are not required. The oily skin type collection groups products for this.
- Different zones: keep one shared base routine and add targeted care to the oilier or drier area. Start with the combination skin type collection.
- Repeated sensitivity signs: simplify and add one product at a time. If reactions keep coming back, ask a professional. The sensitive skin type collection is there when you are ready to shop.
How do I build a simple routine from my result?
A Korean routine can run to many steps, but you do not need all of them. This is the smallest useful version.
- Pick a gentle cleanser that suits the area and how often you wash.
- Add a moisturizer texture you will use every day.
- Use broad-spectrum sun protection as the label directs. In the Nordics that means daily sunscreen from spring through summer, even when the air feels cool.
- Add one optional step for one clear goal.
- Test unfamiliar products and note how your skin feels before you add anything else.
If you prefer ready-made sets, look at the skincare kits. If a new product keeps stinging, read 5 signs your skincare routine doesn't suit you.
What can a skin type quiz not tell you?
A quiz or self-check describes how skin looks and feels today. It is not a validated diagnostic test, and it cannot see your skin. Weather, products and health can all change the result. A result should never override a diagnosis, a prescription or a clinician's advice, and symptoms that persist need professional assessment.
Keauty sells some of the products mentioned here.
FAQ
Does my skin type change during the year?
It can. Skin can change with weather, products and health, so a result is a snapshot, not a label for life. In the Nordics, indoor heating and cold winter air can make skin feel drier, so repeat the check when the season changes or your skin starts to feel different.
How accurate is a skin type quiz?
A quiz is only as accurate as your answers, and it cannot examine your skin. Answer after a normal day with your usual gentle routine, and do not strip your skin on purpose to get a clearer result. Treat the outcome as a first guess and watch how your skin feels over a few weeks.
How do I know if I have combination skin?
Look for oil on the forehead, nose and chin by afternoon, while your cheeks feel comfortable or drier. A shared base routine with lighter products on the oilier zones is easier to judge than a different routine for every area.
Is there a test for sensitive skin?
No quiz can confirm it. Sensitive skin is a lay term with several possible causes, so notice whether products repeatedly cause stinging, burning, redness or scaling. Recurring or lasting reactions are a reason to ask a doctor or pharmacist.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology: skin care basics on a budget
- American Academy of Dermatology: how to test skin care products
- DermNet: sensitive skin is a lay term with multiple possible causes
- DermNet: dry skin signs and contributors
This is general cosmetic information. Skin differs from person to person, so patch test new products and ask a doctor or pharmacist about any skin condition.
