How To Treat Combination Skin

Combination skin is quite the balancing act. You may have oily areas around your T-zone and dry patches on your cheeks.

But having combo skin doesn’t mean your skin care has to be an uphill battle. In fact, with the right products, you can nourish dryness and banish oily patches like a pro.

So, for those of you with combination skin out there, this post is for you. Follow these tips to make the most of your skin health and quit sweating the small stuff! (Patches, that is.)

See Related: Why Is My Skin So Oily All Of A Sudden?

Care for combination skin

Those with combination skin will all have their individual skin concerns. But here are a couple of helpful tips that can teach you how to control skin that’s both oily and dry.

#1. Start with a gentle facial cleanser

Dirty, excess oils, and impurities all love to tag along to your skin’s surface throughout the day. So it’s only logical to cleanse all of that away for a healthy skin.

But for combination skin types, you’ll want to work with a facial cleanser that’s gentle enough to mattify an oily T-zone without over drying your cheeks. Seems like a tall order but these kinds of cleansers do exist.

Typically, you’ll want to go for a gel based cleanser that can sweep away excess oil production. And also keeps those dry areas of your face moisturized. (Pro tip: pairing with an AHA serum is gold for combination skin!)

#2. Balance your combination skin with a toner

After cleansing your entire face, balance out your skin’s pH levels with a toner. A nourishing one, we might add.

You’ll want to look for formulas that are specifically catered toward combination skin. That is formulas that hydrate dry skin while minimizing oil at the same time.

Besides, toners are great for getting rid of any excess makeup that was left behind. So it’s yet another way of making sure all parts of your face are clean and refreshed.

#3. Exfoliate but avoid over exfoliating

Gentle exfoliation is the key with combination skin. Because you’ll want to scrub away dead skin cells.

But you don’t want to strip your skin’s natural moisture. So look for a natural exfoliator with glycolic acid.

As a chemical exfoliant, this will ensure that the job gets done and all without the harsh scrubbing that physical exfoliants require. Additionally, glycolic acid helps to smooth the skin so you’ll trade a combination skin type for a smooth skin type. Not too bad, eh?

#4. Apply moisturizer often

If you have an oily T-zone, you might be inclined to skip moisturizer. But don’t!

Keeping your face moisturized – even your T-zone – is especially important for maintaining a healthy skin type. When it comes to moisturizers, you’ll want to opt for an oil free, water-based moisturizer that’s light enough on the skin so as not to feel heavy or greasy.

Since cheeks tend to dry out more than other areas, you can give special attention there. But keep it fairly equal as you layer a hydrating moisturizer over your entire face.

#5. Even apply a hydrating face mask

Applying a hydrating face mask isn’t just a great way to spend your Friday night. But it’s also the perfect time to offer your skin some extra hydration while cleansing pores and preventing acne.

You could even try multi-masking where once a week, you apply different masks to different parts of your face. Think of it as a three course meal or a buffet spread. (Or something you’d feel comfortable having on your face…)

#6. Always wear broad spectrum sunscreen

Lastly, you’ll want to apply sunscreen every single day. In fact, everyone with skin should be doing this. (Sunscreen: consider this your personalized advertising moment.)

While spending time in the sun is definitely fun, too much time can lead to early signs of aging as well as UV ray damage. Plus, it can make your skin dry out like a desert.

So, make sure that you become friendly with sunscreen and include it in your daily skin care routine. Your cheeks and T-zone will thank you whether you believe it or not!

Bonus: How To Apply Liquid Foundation

Additional tips for combination skin types

Assuming you’re already following all the tips above, here are a couple more that you can start to implement. We know some of them are hard habits to break (looking at the second item on the list) but your combination skin will thank you for it.

Blot away excess oil

If your T-zone simply won’t quit acting out, then you can absolutely resort to some blotting papers. These papers help to temporarily absorb oil while mattifying your skin.

And all without ruining your makeup. Pretty neat, right?

Avoid touching your face

We know this is a tough one. But by touching your face, you’re introducing loads of bacteria and dirt to your complexion.

And this could lead to clogged pores, acne… it’s just not pretty. Especially if you have combination skin, you’ll want to avoid this behavior.

Use non-irritating soaps

There’s a reason we mentioned using a “gentle” facial cleanser in the beginning. Because harsh soaps can often strip your skin of its natural moisture.

In turn, this can actually trick the skin on your cheeks into thinking that they’re dry. So they overproduce oil to compensate.

Ultimately, you’ll be better off with gentle soaps and cleansers all around. One that respects your skin barrier and its vital moisture and one that doesn’t cause your oil production to go into overdrive.

The bottom line

Figuring out the right skincare routine for your combination skin may take some time. But hopefully with these tips, you won’t have to wait much longer to find what works for you.

And don’t beat up your combination skin for being who it naturally is. It may be finicky at times, but it’s a part of what makes you beautiful. 

Keep Reading: How Often Should You Exfoliate Your Body?

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For over 60 years, Viviane Woodard has represented “The Purity of Skincare”. We are the leading beauty brand for skin care products and promote the importance of good skin hydration. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for skin care tips, product discounts, and more.