Where Definitions Live
This site does not host official skin archetype definitions. This page explains where they are and why the separation exists.
The canonical reference
All authoritative descriptions, formal definitions, and fixed reference material for the six skin archetypes are maintained at skinarchetype.com. That site contains the canonical definitions this site intentionally avoids reproducing.
If you are looking for the official description of an archetype — its canonical definition, biological theme, pattern description, or formal scope — that is where to go.
How this site relates to definitions
This site does not reinterpret, simplify, or translate canonical definitions. It examines how archetypes are commonly discussed, frequently misunderstood, and described in practice — which is a different thing.
The archetype pages on this site describe how patterns are talked about, what language surrounds them, and why certain descriptions feel recognisable. They are not condensed or alternative versions of the canonical definitions.
Why definitions are kept separate
When definitions and interpretation occupy the same space, interpretation tends to harden into authority. Discussion that should remain exploratory starts carrying the weight of official classification.
Keeping definitions elsewhere allows this site to stay genuinely descriptive — to explore ambiguity, overlap, and misidentification without those explorations being mistaken for corrections to the canonical record.
This is not a workaround. It is a structural decision that shapes what this site can do.
Framework documentation: skinarchetype.com/framework/