So you have figured out your skin type but you’re still confused about how to take care of combination skin. Combination skin is usually recognized as having an oily T-zone ( which includes your forehead, nose, and chin) and dry patches or areas (cheeks and jaw) at the same time.
Typically combination skin is characterized by having a mix of oily areas where you’ll see a lot of shine. This is because the glands that produce oil are more concentrated in these areas. You may also experience clogged pores and breakouts in this part of your face.
Since the oil glands in other parts of your face are not as many as the T-zone region, moisture evaporates easily. Also when your water glands are not as productive, your skin will suffer from dehydration. These parts of your face become dry and you may experience flaking and redness.
The level of oiliness and dryness experienced can also be affected by weather conditions. So you may notice more oiliness during summer and extreme dryness in winter months. Combination skin can also be caused by genetics or harsh ingredients which disrupt your skin’s natural balance.
Since combination skin is both dry and oily, this is where things get complicated. It’s possible to come up with a routine that combats excess shine and soothes dry patches. You can’t use a routine that focuses on one problem area. So you’ll need to find the middle ground as there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Characteristics of Combination Skin Types
So how do you take care of combination skin? Well, it essentially boils down to taking good care of your skin. To make sure your skin is neither overly oily nor too dry, use products that work to balance out your skin’s natural sebum production. This balance will allow for consistency across the skin. Regardless of what percentage of your skin is oily and dry, or where they are located on your face— the approach to care for combination skin is the same. Some of the characteristics of combination skin type include the following:
- Oily skin around the chin, nose, and forehead.
- Prone to acne and breakouts especially in the T-zone area.
- Your cheeks, around the jaw and hairline, may have dry or normal skin.
- Flakiness around the dry parts of the face.
- Enlarged pores around chin, nose, and forehead.
Please note that when the skin on your T-zone is oily and other parts of your face dry, it is called Dry Combination Skin. If your face is neither dry nor oily but you have an oily T-zone, it is essentially referred to as Normal Combination Skin.
Skincare Treatments and Routines
Understanding your how to care for your combination skin type is key, because it’ll help you choose the right products that’ll work to balance your skin. You’ll be able to identify what parts of your face need more or less water or oil.
When building a skincare routine, think of your face in sections (that is in terms of problem areas). This will help you determine which products work for different parts of your face. Also, you’ll need to target your skin care treatments, which means you may need to use different moisturizers, cleansers, and masks for each of those problem areas. Products that are oil-free, lightweight, or mattifying are ideal for the oily areas of your face, while moisturizing and hydrating products are perfect for the dry areas.
Below we list an example of a skincare routine you can implement:
- Gentle Exfoliation: Use a gentle scrub for your skin. A scrub will remove dead skin cells while also unblocking your pores. You may be tempted to scrub aggressively when it comes to the oily sections of your skin, but it will make your skin produce even more oil.
- Use a Gentle Cleanser: Use a gentle face cleanser to avoid over-stimulating the glands present in your T-zone. Using skin products with harsh ingredients further dries out your skin. Find products that help bring balance to your skin.
- Moisturizer: Use lightweight, oil-free moisturizers on the oily regions and reserve the use of heavy creams for the dry areas. This will repair the balance of your skin.
- Sunscreen for Protection: Sunscreen is essential for all skin types. UV exposure can be damaging to your skin and cause dehydration. Find a good sunscreen (SPF 30 and above) to help protect your skin from damage.
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