How to care for combination skin

If, like me, you have combination skin, then you know how frustrating it is having to deal with both oily and dry skin. Finding the right products for this skin type is not easy. If you use products to keep the oil under control, you’ll make your dry areas even drier, while if you opt for very moisturizing products, you may end up with too much oil on your t-zone. For this reason, us people with combination skin are often recommended to use different products on oily and dry zones to take care of the different concerns our skin has. But why does our skin behave like this?

What causes combination skin?

Combination skin is characterized by an oily t-zone (chin, forehead and nose) and dry cheeks. This happens because the oil glands, located mainly on the t-zone, produce too much oil, leaving that area shiny and prone to clogging, which leads to blemishes. On the contrary, water glands (which can be found all over the face), are underproductive, which makes skin become dry and flaky. To take proper care of combination skin, it’s essential to find a balance.

How to care for combination skin

- use a gentle cleanser twice a day. Harsh cleansers only make things worse. Not only they strip too much oil on the t-zone, making your skin believe it isn’t moisturized enough which will trigger even more oil production, but it will also dry your cheek area more. Instead, opt for a gentle cleansers (I prefer those in gel form) that don’t produce too much foam. If the product you’re using makes your skin feel tight or drier, discard it and try something else.

- toners aren’t necessary if you have combination skin, but you can still use them if you want to. Avoid those with alcohol and opt for a water-based toner full of antioxidants and moisturizing ingredients to help skin stay hydrated and in good condition.

- choosing a good moisturizer for combination skin is not easy. Some people may need two different moisturizer, one for oily areas and another for the dry zones, while others will benefit from a moisturizer for sensitive or oily skin. I think the best moisturizers for combination skin are oil-free, chock full of antioxidants, emollients and water-binding agents that keep skin hydrated for hours but with a not too heavy consistency. If you can, choose one with SPF too.

- use sunscreen daily. Just like for any other skin type, it’s essential to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen daily to protect your skin from the damaging sun rays, which can cause wrinkles, sun spots and cancer. Remember to reapply throughout the day.

- combination skin benefits from products with BHA. Combination skin is prone to blemishes and one way to keep them under control is to use serums and toners with Salycilic Acid. This ingredient has the ability to exfoliate not only the surface of the skin, but also inside the pores, which greatly reduces blemishes, blackheads and whiteheads. If you have blemishes on your cheeks, you can use Salicylic Acid on that area too, otherwise only apply the product on the t-zone.

- exfoliate using products with BHA. If you don’t feel like using a product with BHA (Salicylic Acid) daily, you can also use an exfolaint that contains this ingredient twice or three times a week to clear up your skin from blemishes.

- use both oil-absorbing and moisturizing masks. On your t-zone, use masks (like clay masks) that can absorb oil. Just leave them on for about 15 minutes, then rinse off. These will be too harsh on your cheeks so in that area apply moisturizing masks to replenish skin, improve hydration and reduce flaking.

- use oil-blotters. If throughout the day you get shiny patches on your t-zone, simply use oil blotters to remove them without ruining your makeup.

Do you have any more tips on how to care for combination skin?

Tagged as: combination skin, skin, treat combination skin