Dermatologist reveals how to tell which skin type you have - and the best part is that it is completely FREE

A board-certified dermatologist has revealed exactly how you can figure out what your skin type is - and the best part is that it is completely free.

The information was shared by New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss in a TikTok video posted last month, which has since reached almost one million views. 

The doctor, who is the founder of namesake skincare brand Dr. Idriss, is not only a cosmetic expert in 'face, fillers and lasers,' but she often takes to social media to share her skincare expertise with followers.

Sharing some of her wisdom, Dr. Idriss recently revealed how you can tell if you really have oily, dry or combination skin, and how knowing this can actually end up saving you some money. 

New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss is a cosmetic expert in 'face, fillers and lasers'

The dermatologist ran viewers through the different skin types, explaining that if your skin is 'scaly' thirty minutes after washing it, you have dry skin, whereas if it's oily afterwards, you have oily skin

'Here's how you can tell. You're going to wash your face, pat dry, and do nothing,' Dr. Idriss began in the video. 

'If after thirty minutes your skin feels scaly and rough, you are probably dry, meaning your skin is not producing enough oil,' she divulged. 

Dr. Idriss explained that if you can see oil on your skin thirty minutes after washing your face, you do, in fact, have an oily skin type.

'Some of you just can't make up your minds, and that's fine, the middle of your face might be oily and the rest of your face might be rough, you are combination skin,' the dermatologist continued.

'And last, if your skin feels tight and squeaky-clean after thirty minutes, you're probably dehydrated,' she said.

However, she warned viewers not to confuse dehydrated skin with dry skin.

'You can be dehydrated and dry, you can be dehydrated and oily,' she explained.

'Your skin is lacking water and moisture and that is not necessarily a skin type.'

Finally, she debunked a common misconception about different skin types, sharing that there was 'no such thing' as a 'normal' skin type.

'Especially as a woman, if you have hormonal fluctuations, your skin can vary throughout the course of a month,' Dr. Idriss concluded.

In the comments section of her video, some viewers seemed to shocked to learn that their dry skin might not actually be dry, but a result of dehydration instead.

'I'm dehydrated but no matter how much water I drink my skin still feels tight,' one person wrote.

Another agreed, 'I was like "what if it just feels super tight" and then bam, you said it. Feel called out. Dehydrated, always and forever.'

'You mean this whole time I've just been dehydrated?!?!' someone else wondered. 

Others shared their own skincare remedies.  

'To fix dehydrated skin: drink enough water, use a water based cleanser, use a cream with glycerin and an occlusive to maintain that moisture,' a user commented. 

Someone else shared, 'If you have dehydrated skin, focus on hydrating the skin of course. If dry skin, it lacks oil, not moisture.' 

'Especially as a woman, if you have hormonal fluctuations, your skin can vary throughout the course of a month,' Dr. Idriss concluded

In the comments section of her video, many viewers lamented about what type of skin they had

Last November, Dr. Idriss also shared some tips for avoiding dry skin caused by harsh weather.

One piece of advice to viewers was to stop washing your face twice per day. 

'Save the cleanser for the evening and skip it in the morning, because you will be over stripping your skin as the air gets drier, and your skin will hate you for it,' Dr. Idriss said. 

She explained that when looking for a cleanser to use, you should look out for ones that were 'gentle.'

The ingredients in these 'gentle' cleansers should be things like ceramides and glycerin, she explained. These ingredients help to keep the moisture locked in.

'And if your skin barrier is inflamed and feels kind of raw and tight, avoid fragrance in this case,' she warned.