How do I find my skin type? The precise guide from Bergamond & Birch

Proper care doesn't begin with the product, but with a simple question: What kind of skin do I actually have?
Knowing your skin type allows you to choose active ingredients more effectively, avoid irritation, and get more out of every routine.

So that you don't have to guess, we've developed two things:

• This guide – with clear criteria for how you can assess your skin type yourself.

• and our interactive A skin type tester that guides you to a result in just a few questions and suggests suitable B&B routines.

Want to test it right away? Click here for the digital skin type guide: Determine your skin type now

The most important skin types – explained briefly

In dermatology, a distinction is usually made between these basic types:

• Normal skin : appears balanced, fine-pored, rarely has blemishes.

• Dry skin : feels tight, appears dull, is prone to flaking and fine lines.

• Oily skin : quickly becomes shiny, especially in the T-zone, with visible pores and impurities.

• Combination skin : T-zone rather oily, cheeks rather normal to dry.

• Sensitive skin : reacts quickly with redness, burning or irritation.

• Mature skin : shows visible lines, less elasticity, often combined with dryness.

Important: Your skin type isn't fixed for life. It can change due to seasons, stress, skincare, medication, or hormones. That's precisely why a regular check is worthwhile – for example, with our skin type tester.

Step 1: How does your skin feel after cleansing?

The simplest test starts in the bathroom: Cleanse your face with a mild cleanser and wait 20 to 30 minutes – without any skincare products.

Then pay attention to how your skin feels:

• Feeling of tightness, dryness, fine flakes
  → Note on dry skin or disrupted barrier .

• Pleasant, neither too dry nor too greasy
  → speaks for normal skin .

• Fast shine, especially on forehead, nose, chin
  → typical for oily skin .

If you don't want to test this manually every time, you can in B&B Skin Type Tester Answer this exact question in one step – the algorithm will automatically categorize your answer.

Step 2: Look in the mirror – pores, shine, redness

The second step is about what you see – not just what you feel. Stand in front of a mirror in daylight.

Pay attention to:

• pore size

  • Fine and barely visible → more likely normal or dry skin.

  • Noticeable, especially on the nose and forehead → tendency towards oily skin.

• Glow throughout the day

  • Shine only in the T-zone → indication of Combination skin .

  • A broad, glossy shine → rather oily skin .

• Redness & Irritation

  • Rapid redness after shaving, sun exposure, new products → sensitive, often irritated skin type.

Our digital skin type guide translates these observations into clear answer options – you click through, we interpret for you.

Step 3: How does your skin react to stress, weather & products?

Skin is not a static organ – it reacts to everything you do (or don't do).

Typical reactions:

• Winter, dry air from heating, hot showers → often exacerbate dryness and feelings of tightness.

• Summer, high humidity, sports → promote shine and impurities in oily skin.

• Stress, harsh skincare, too many new products at once → promote redness and irritation.

Ask yourself:

• Does my skin burn or itch easily? → Tendency to sensitive skin .

• Does she react calmly, even to changes in the weather? → rather robust, normal skin .

That's precisely why our tester specifically asks for reactions – not just your gut feeling.

Step 4: Age & Care Goals – when is skin considered “mature”?

Mature skin is not a judgment, but a description of its condition. From around the mid-30s, collagen production slows down, the skin loses elasticity, and lines remain visible for longer.

Typical characteristics:

• fine lines, later wrinkles – especially around the eyes and forehead

• less elasticity in the cheek and jaw area

• rather dry, pale complexion

• Possible pigment spots caused by UV damage

If you recognize yourself here, then in our test you don't just have "dry" or "just normal" skin, but for example... "mature, dry skin" – with appropriately adapted product recommendations.

You can find dedicated pages for detailed routines:

• Mature skin – Anti-aging routine with peptides & bakuchiol.

• Dry skin – Focus on barrier structure & moisture.

• Oily skin – Shine control & pore-refining active ingredients.

Step 5: Common mistakes when assessing skin type

Many misjudgments don't arise because the skin is "complicated" – but because a few classic problems keep happening:

1. Overly aggressive cleaning

   • Foam that leaves the skin squeaky clean often destroys the lipid film.

   • The result: Dry skin appears even drier, while oily skin reacts with increased sebum production.

2. Drawing incorrect conclusions from individual pimples

   • A few blemishes do not automatically mean "oily skin" – even dry, stressed skin can become more blemished.

3. Confusing skin type vs. skin condition

   • Skin type: genetic predisposition (e.g., rather oily).

   • Skin condition: temporary (e.g., dehydrated, stressed, sun-exposed).

4. To treat all zones the same

   • Many faces have combination skin: the T-zone is different from the cheeks. Targeted combination products can help in these cases.

Our skin type guide takes these factors into account: It doesn't just ask "dry or oily?", but considers several criteria and combines them into an overall picture.

Practical shortcut: The B&B skin type tester

If you've saved this article, you can already get a pretty good idea of ​​your skin type. It's even easier with our interactive tester:

• 4-5 questions about skin feel, shine, reactions and care goals

• Evaluation in “dry”, “oily”, “combination”, “normal/sensitive” or “mature skin”

• directly matching 3-Step Routines with B&B products

Not in the mood for theory? Start here: To the B&B skin type tester

What happens after the result?

Once you know your skin type, you can build a streamlined yet targeted routine. An example – applied to B&B:

Dry skin

• Gentle cleansing that doesn't dry out the skin.

• Serum with moisture boost and barrier-strengthening active ingredients.

• Rich, but non-greasy cream.
  Learn more in our guide "Routine for dry men's skin" .

Oily skin

• Clarifying, yet pH-friendly cleaning.

• Lightweight serum with niacinamide and antioxidants.

• Non-comedogenic cream with a mattifying effect.
  You can find details in the article. "Care for oily men's skin - a routine against shine" .

Mature skin

• Gentle cleaning that protects the barrier.

• Serum with peptides / bakuchiol for increased elasticity.

• Skincare with hyaluronic acid, lipids and antioxidants.
  The guide is available for this purpose. “Skincare for mature men’s skin” .

You can receive each of these routes as a personal recommendation with specific product links from our tester.

Conclusion: Know your skin type, simplify your skincare routine

Knowing your skin type makes skincare easier, not more complicated.
You don't need ten products – but three that suit your skin and are used consistently.

Save this guide, observe your skin for a few days – and then use the Bergamond & Birch skin type tester to validate your assessment and create a precise routine for you.

Next step:
Switch to the B&B skin type tester now and find your routine .