What are the common misunderstandings about knowing your skin type?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

Once you decide "I have dry skin" or "I have sensitive skin", you tend to choose products on that basis for years. In Japanese drugstores (Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Welcia, etc.) you will see "for sensitive skin" (敏感肌用, binkan-hada-yō) on shelf after shelf. Yet "sensitive skin" is a term with no medical definition.

What "sensitive skin" actually is

• "Sensitive skin" is not an academic term and has no medical definition. It has no entry in dermatology textbooks, and is generally described as a state in which the skin stings after cosmetics are applied but shows no visible symptoms.
• At the same time, 53.4% of women feel their skin is sensitive (a private survey from the 2020s); other surveys report around 60%, and around 70% among women in their twenties.
• Because the figures include self-reporting, some materials put the rate at 60–70% for women and 50–60% for men.

Something with no definition, that more than half of people fit. That is the reality behind the phrase "skin type".

[Verify] The percentages are based on private surveys (HANA LABO, Naris Cosmetics and others) and the SCCJ glossary. Check the sources and survey years before publication, and name the body that ran each survey.

Misunderstanding 1｜Once decided, it never changes

The same person's skin changes between summer and winter, and with physical condition. Judge by "how your skin is now" rather than by "skin type".

Misunderstanding 2｜Oily on the surface means oily skin

Some people feel oily on the surface yet dry underneath. It also differs from one part of the face to another.

Misunderstanding 3｜The readings from a skin-analysis device are everything

Measurements are a useful guide, but readings move with the time of day and with whether you washed your face just before. Do not decide on the basis of a single measurement.

Misunderstanding 4｜"For sensitive skin" suits everyone

Because there is no definition, the label is a guide and does not show that a product suits everyone. Try any new product on an inconspicuous area first.

Misunderstanding 5｜Skin type explains skin trouble

If redness, itching or eczema persists, do not put it down to your skin type — see a dermatology clinic (covered by Japanese health insurance).

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Sources

• Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan (SCCJ), cosmetics glossary, "Sensitive skin" [化粧品用語集「敏感肌」]

https://www.sccj-ifscc.com/library/glossary_detail/1465

• Japanese Dermatological Association, "Dermatology Q&A" [皮膚科Q&A]

https://www.dermatol.or.jp/qa/

• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Revision of the scope of efficacy claims for cosmetics" [化粧品の効能の範囲の改正について] (Notice Yakushoku-hatsu 0721 No. 1)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11120000-Iyakushokuhinkyoku/kesyouhin_hanni_20111.pdf

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Cosmetics are not medicines and are not meant to diagnose, heal or prevent any condition. If your skin reacts, stop using the product and see a dermatologist.

Sources

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