A skin archetype is a descriptive framework used to explain recurring patterns in how skin behaves over time.
It focuses on tendencies and responses rather than conditions or outcomes.
What this framework observes
Skin behaviour often follows patterns.
These patterns tend to appear in response to context rather than isolated events.
Common influences include pace, load, recovery, environment, and periods of change.
Skin archetypes sit at this observational level.
What “archetype” means here
In this context, an archetype is not an identity.
It is a recurring pattern used to describe how something tends to respond under certain conditions.
Skin archetypes are not fixed.
They can overlap.
They can shift over time.
What skin archetypes are not
Skin archetypes are not medical categories.
They are not diagnoses.
They are not skin “types”.
They do not suggest treatment.
They do not direct action.
They do not predict outcomes.
Boundaries of this framework
This framework exists to provide language for experiences people already recognise.
It does not attempt to resolve those experiences.
Recognition is sufficient.