Combination skin is pretty much what it sounds like. Your skin can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, particularly in the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin). Many people have this type of skin, and it’s generally luck of the draw based on what you inherited from your parents. Be warned though, using the wrong types of products on other skin types can actually cause combination skin.

With this skin type you can have pores that look larger than normal, blackheads, shiny skin and possibly even dry patches of skin. Balancing out the needs of your skin can be tricky, but we’ve put together some things that you can do (and some things to definitely stop doing) to keep your combination skin in perfect harmony.

How to work with combination skin

• Care for the different needs of each part of your skin – we know it’s annoying but because combination skin is essentially two different things, there sometimes isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. You might have to use a richer moisturiser on the dry areas of your skin, for example, but avoid the oily parts.
• Use a gentle cleanser – an effective, water-soluble cleanser will help remove impurities, debris and make up from the skin without leaving skin feeling dry or oily. A lotion, gel or cleansing milk is usually a good idea.
• Use a night-time moisturiser – again, a gel, serum or liquid texture will work well for your night-time restoration. You can vary the type of moisturiser that you use depending on the area of the face and what your skin needs.
• Mix and match face masks – skip the sheet masks and try out different gel/cream masks on the different areas of your skin.

What not to do with combination skin

• Don’t use harsh products – it can be tempting to “deal” with the oily parts of your skin but with combination skin, you might actually make things worse. Using products that aggravate the skin can dry out the dry parts of your skin and make the oily parts oilier.
• Don’t skip the exfoliation – exfoliation works to remove flaky, dead skin from the drier parts of your face but also helps keep pores fresh on the oily parts of your face. Keep it gentle and choose chemical over an abrasive, physical moisturiser.
• Don’t get stuck in the same old routine - combination skin has the tendency to change with the weather. It’s prone to dry patches during the winter and breakouts and shine during the summer. Switch out your products as needed with the changes of the season.
• Don’t miss the primer when you do your make up – consistency is one thing that’s missing with combination skin. A good quality primer can take the stress out of the situation by smoothing over and evening out your skin before you apply your make up. That way you can ensure that you have a consistent base to start out with.

Skincare recommendations for combination skin

 

Need some help putting together the best skincare routine for your skin type? Try our skin quiz!