Alina Fassbinder Written at 29 January 2026

Skin protection guide: Recognising skin types and caring for your skin properly

Our skin is exposed to a variety of stresses and strains every day - both in our private lives and at work. In order to prevent skin damage, irritation or chronic skin diseases, it is crucial to know your own skin type and to protect and care for your skin in a targeted manner. In this skin protection guide, you will learn how to recognise skin types, what care is advisable and what is particularly important for occupational skin stress.

Sechs ineinander verschränkte Hände in unterschiedlichen Hauttönen bilden gemeinsam einen Kreis.

Why is skin protection so important?

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and fulfils a central protective function. It fends off external influences, regulates temperature and moisture and protects against pathogens. If the skin barrier is permanently damaged, this can lead to

dry, cracked skin
Inflammation and eczema
allergic reactions
occupational skin diseases

can occur. Consistent skin protection is therefore not only a question of well-being, but also of health care.

What skin types are there?

Basically, several skin types can be distinguished. Important: The skin type can change due to age, season or external influences.

Normal skin

balanced oil and moisture balance
resistant and elastic
rare irritations

Care: light, moisturising products to maintain balance.

Dry skin

Feeling of tightness, flaking
rough, sometimes cracked
sensitive to cold, water and detergents

Care: moisturising skin care with lipids and protective components.

Oily skin

increased sebum production
shiny complexion
prone to impurities

Care: light, non-greasy skin care products that do not put additional strain on the skin.

Combination skin

oily and dry skin areas
at the same time often in the face or hand area

Care: balanced products that moisturise without being greasy.

Sensitive skin

reacts quickly to external influences
Redness, burning or itching possible

Care: particularly mild, perfume- and colourant-free products.

Nahaufnahme normaler Haut mit feiner Porenstruktur und vereinzelt kleinen weißen Punkten, mittig mit weißem Schriftzug „Normale Haut“.

Nahaufnahme einer hellbraunen, rauen Hautoberfläche mit vielen kleinen, unregelmäßigen Vertiefungen und dem Schriftzug „Trockene Haut“.

Weiße Schrift „Fettige Haut“ auf einer Nahaufnahme leicht geröteter, strukturierter Haut.

Haut mit leicht strukturiertem Teint und der Aufschrift „Mischhaut“ mittig im weißen Rahmen.

Nahaufnahme einer geröteten, leicht strukturierten Hautpartie mit dem Schriftzug „Empfindliche Haut“ im weißen Rahmen.

How do I recognise my skin type?

Typical signs help with the assessment:

Is the skin tight after washing your hands? → Rather dry skin
Does the skin quickly appear oily or shiny? → rather oily skin
Does the skin react quickly to chemicals or cold? → sensitive skin

In a professional environment - for example in industry, trade, care or food processing - skin exposure to working substances also plays a decisive role.

A medical assessment is essential for an accurate dermatological classification.

Which skincare is right for which skin type?

Skin type	Recommendation
Dry skin	rich care with moisturising ingredients
Oily skin	light, quickly absorbed products
Sensitive skin	mild care without irritating additives
Heavily stressed skin	intensive regeneration care after work

Skin types according to Fitzpatrick

In addition to the classic categorisation of dry, oily or sensitive skin, the Fitzpatrick skin type has become established in dermatology. This system classifies the skin according to its reaction to UV radiation. The six skin types provide information on how sensitive the skin is to the sun and how much protection is required - both in the private sphere and when working outdoors.

Diagramm der sechs Fitzpatrick-Hauttypen mit Illustrationen, Farbstufen und Pfeil für Melanin-Index sowie UV-Empfindlichkeit und Hautkrebsrisiko

The 6 Fitzpatrick skin types at a glance:

Type I - Very light-coloured skin Burns very quickly, hardly tans at all. High UV protection required.
Type II - Light skin Burns quickly, tans easily. Also requires high UV protection.
Type III - Medium-light skin Tans evenly, moderate risk of sunburn. UV protection required.
Type IV - Darker, olive-coloured skin Tans quickly and intensively, lower risk of sunburn, but still requires UV protection.
Type V - Dark skin Very rarely sunburns, tans intensively. UV protection still important.
Type VI - Very dark skin Very resistant to UV damage, but not fully protected.

As UV radiation weakens the skin barrier and affects the moisture and lipid content, the Fitzpatrick type plays a direct role in occupational skin protection (e.g. construction industry, outdoor services, logistics, security teams).

WERO product recommendations according to Fitzpatrick skin type

The following table combines the dermatological UV classification with occupational skin protection and hygiene requirements. All products are from the WERO portfolio (skin protection, skin care, cleaning, hygiene).

Fitzpatrick skin type	Characteristic	WERO skin protection	WERO skin care	WERO wax lotion/hand wash paste
Type I - very light-coloured, very sensitive skin	Very quick sunburn, very sensitive, tends to redden	WERO BeeProtect PUR (REF 20743210)	WERO PuraChill (REF 20050014)	WERO PuraSkin (REF 20743010) / WERO Handwaschpaste HandClean Mais (REF 20744910)
Type II - light-coloured, sensitive skin	Burns quickly, reacts to cold/water	WERO HandHero skin protection lotion (REF 20745160)	WERO PuraChill (REF 20050014)	WERO PuraSkin (REF 20743010) / WERO HandFriend hand wash paste (REF 20744810)
Type III - normal to slightly sensitive	Stable barrier, moderate risk	WERO Skin protection lotion BeeProtect Lotio (REF 20745255)	WERO Care Gel RuckZuck (REF 20743610)	WERO Wash Lotion ActiveClean (REF 20050028) / WERO Hand Wash Paste RubStar (REF 20741310)
Type IV - darker/olive-coloured skin	Robust, rarely sunburnt	WERO HandHero skin protection lotion (REF 20745160)	WERO RuckZuck skin care gel (REF 20743610)	WERO Wash Lotion GreenBuddy (REF 20742010) / WERO Hand Wash Paste XtraScrub (REF 20741410)
Type V - dark, robust skin	Very rarely sunburnt, more prone to dryness	WERO Skin protection lotion BeeProtect Lotio (REF 20745255)	WERO HappyHands skin care lotion (REF 20742518)	WERO Wash Lotion FrischeKick (REF 20744010) / WERO Hand Wash Paste XtraScrub (REF 20741410)
Type VI - very dark, resistant skin	Very high UV tolerance, but can become dry	WERO skin protection lotion BeeProtect Lotio (REF 20745255)	WERO ImkaSoft skin care cream (REF 20742560)	WERO Wash Lotion ActiveClean (REF 20050028) / WERO Hand Wash Paste XtraScrub (REF 20741410)