Best Skin Care Routine for Combination Skin You Should Follow
If you experience dryness on some parts of your face, such as your cheeks, while your T-zone (forehead, chin, and nose) tends to be oily, you likely have combination skin.
Combination skin is quite common, but dealing with it is not that easy. Taking care of it is all about a way of balancing what your skin needs in the dry zones with what it needs in the oily areas.
Let’s discover a skin care routine for combination skin, signs or symptoms, steps involved, home remedies, and more.
Table of Contents
What is Combination Skin?
A combination skin is one that includes the characteristics of both oily skin and dry skin. Usually, people with combination skin tend to have drier skin on the cheeks and a more oily T-zone (the parts that include the nose, chin, and forehead). In short, combination skin is all about having a dual personality in terms of your skin.
People with this skin type may deal with problems like sensitivity or tightness in the drier areas of the face and breakouts or clogged pores on the oilier zones.
How Do I Tell If I Have Combination Skin?
Before exploring the detailed skincare for combination skin, it is important to identify the signs and symptoms associated with combination skin. Here are the common signs that will help identify:
- You both have oily and dry areas: Manifests as dry cheeks and an oilier, shinier T-zone.
- Your skin fluctuates with the seasons: Dryness in skin is more pronounced, and skin feels oilier than usual in humid, hot weather.
- Your skin gets oilier throughout the day: Skin feels drier in the morning and gets more oily as the day progresses -especially in the T-zone region.
- It’s difficult to find products that sit well on your skin: Mattifying products make your cheeks feel too dry, while dewy makeup leaves your T-zone overly slick.
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Best Skincare Routine for Combination Skin Steps
The following are the basic skin care steps for combination skin, comprising AM and PM routines:
AM Routine
A morning skincare regimen for combination skin should prioritize protecting skin from environmental stressors such as UV radiation and pollution, while keeping it hydrated and shine-free all day long.
- Step 1: Cleanser
Kick start your day with a gentle, hydrating face wash with balancing ingredients like niacinamide or salicylic acid to control oil production in the T-zone and to keep the drier zones moisturised.
- Step 2: Toner
A alcohol -free lightweight face toner with hydrating ingredients such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid is good for combination skin, which moisturizes dry areas and reduces oiliness in the T-zone.
- Step 3: Serum
If you have combination skin, select a lightweight hyaluronic acid-infused serum that seals moisture without clogging pores.
- Step 4: Moisturiser
Water or gel-based moisturisers are ideal for combination skin routine, providing hydration to dry areas without making the oily zones worse.
Pro tip: To ensure balanced hydration on your face, apply rich face cream to dry areas without aggravating the oily zones.
- Step 5: Sunscreen
Suncare is crucial for combination skin type care. Choose gel-based sunscreens for oily-prone areas, without leaving your skin greasy.
PM Routine
The evening skincare for combination skin helps nourish the skin overnight and balance oil production.
- Step 1: Double cleanse
The double-cleansing method using an oil-based cleanser and a gentle, water-based cleanser thoroughly cleans your pores without over-drying the skin, which is crucial for combination skin.
- Step 2:Exfolation (2 times a week)
Apply a gentle exfoliating gel 2-3 times a week to help smooth skin texture, balance oil production, and refine pores without irritation.
- Step 3: Toner
Use the same alcohol free toner as used in the morning routine to prep your skin for the subsequent skin care for combination skin steps
- Step 4: Treatment (optional)
Retinol-based evening skincare treatment can be good option for combination skin. It helps to minimize breakouts and promote cell turnover without being too harsh on dry zones.
- Step 5: Serum
Applying a lightweight, hydrating face serum at night as part of skin care for combination skin helps keep the dry zones nourished, while balancing the oily T-zone.
- Step 6: Moisturiser
Choose a slightly richer moisturiser in the evening than the one you applied in the morning. For best results, apply a gel-based moisturiser, if skin feels oily in the T-zone, simultaneously applying a thicker cream to the drier zones.
5 Home Remedies for Combination Skin
Combination skincare routine home remedies use natural ingredients to target the specific needs of both oily and dry areas on the face.
1. Banana and Lemon Mask
- For: Oily areas and dry patches.
- How to: Mash one banana and add a few drops of lemon juice to create a paste. Apply to your face for 10-15 minutes before rinsing.
- Why it works: The banana moisturizes dry areas, while the lemon juice’s astringent properties help to control oil.
2. Honey and Aloe Vera Mask
- For: Overall hydration and calming irritated skin.
- How to: Mix honey with fresh aloe vera gel and apply to the face for 15-20 minutes.
- Why it works: Honey is a humectant that draws moisture to the skin, and aloe vera is known for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Cucumber and Honey Toner
- For: Tightening pores and moisturizing.
- How to: Blend one cucumber and strain the juice, then mix it with two teaspoons of honey. Apply with a cotton ball and rinse after it dries.
- Why it works: Cucumber is an excellent astringent that can tighten pores, while honey provides essential moisture.
4. Turmeric and Curd Mask
- For: Exfoliating dead cells and tightening the skin.
- How to: Mix a small amount of dried turmeric powder with curd to form a thick paste. Apply to the face for 20 minutes, then rinse.
- Why it works: Curd moisturizes and helps remove dead cells, while turmeric is known for its skin-tightening and anti-inflammatory benefits.
5. Oatmeal and Honey Scrub
- For: Absorbing excess oil and gently exfoliating.
- How to: Combine ½ cup of ground oats with 2 tablespoons of warm water and 1 tablespoon of honey to make a paste. Gently scrub your face with the mixture for about a minute, then rinse.
- Why it works: Oatmeal absorbs excess oil, calms irritation, and sloughs off dead skin cells, and honey adds a moisturizing boost.
Skincare Ingredients and Their Uses In a Combination Skin Routine
Certain skincare ingredients or actives also play an important role in restoring the balance of both your oily and dry parts of your face, mostly found in your morning, evening,and weekly combination skin routine.
- Salicylic acid: Usually found in hydrating face wash of AM routine and targeted treatments of PM routine.
- Vitamin C: AM Serum routine to regulate oil production and to keep skin smooth and even-toned, and as a night skincare product for UV protection.
- Niacinamide: Regulates oil and strengthens the skin barrier, and is often present in Hydrating AM Cleansers and weekly hydrating mask.
- Retinoids: Widely used in targeted treatments, they are good for combination skin to minimize breakouts and promote cell turnover without being too harsh on dry zones.
- Hyaluronic acid: AM and PM serums to provide lightweight hydration for oily and dry zones.
Do’s and Don’ts to Follow If You Have Combination Skin
To further boost your combination skin care, here are the essential do’s and don’ts to follow :
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Cleanse gently using a gel or lotion-like texture without driving dry zones crazy. | Avoid over-exfoliation as it can lead to skin irritation. |
| Exfoliate 1-2 times weekly, paying attention to oily zones and being gentle on the cheek areas. | Avoid heavy, oil-based foundations, which may worsen oiliness in the T-zone. |
| Apply 2 different moisturizers. One to hydrate the dry areas and another to deal with greasier parts. | Do not forget sunscreen or products with vitamin C at night to protect your skin from UV rays. |
| Treat your combination skin with a weekly skincare routine including an active mask and reparative mask at least 1 time a week. | Do not skip moisturizer. Use it sparingly on oily areas and apply more to dry areas. |
| Adjust skincare with the seasons. | Do not skip any steps in your AM and PM routine. |
Conclusion
Thus, the best skin care routine for combination skin includes striking the perfect balance between hydrating dry zones and regulating excess oil. The key is to select lightweight, non-comedogenic products that provide nourishment to your skin without overwhelming it. By following an AM, PM, or weekly skincare routine infused with the right ingredients or actives, you can achieve the healthy, radiant complexion you wish.
FAQs
Is combination skin oily or dry?
Combination skin is characterized by having both oily and dry areas on your face. Typically, the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) is oily, while the cheeks tend to be dry or normal.
What is the morning routine for combination skin?
A morning routine for combination skin involves gentle cleansing to remove overnight buildup, applying an alcohol-free toner to balance and hydrate, followed by a lightweight serum to target oiliness or dryness.
Does combination skin need moisturizer?
Yes, moisturizer is necessary for combination skin to maintain a healthy skin barrier, provide hydration to dry areas, and prevent overproduction of oil in oily areas.
What is not good for combination skin?
For combination skin, you should avoid harsh, stripping cleansers and toners, heavy or oil-based products, over-exfoliating, and ingredients like drying alcohols, fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and mineral oils.
Is rose water good for combination skin?
Yes, rose water is good for combination skin because it helps to balance the skin by hydrating drier areas and controlling oil in oilier parts like the T-zone.
Can I use toner every day for combination skin?
Yes, you can use a toner every day, twice a day, for combination skin, as long as the toner is formulated to be gentle and hydrating.
Is multani mitti good for combination skin?
Yes, Multani Mitti is good for combination skin because it effectively absorbs excess oil in oily areas while also nourishing and hydrating dry patches, providing a balanced complexion.
Which face pack is best for combination skin?
Charcoal face masks and hyaluronic face packs are best for combination skin types. Both ingredients have antioxidant properties that exfoliate clogs, hydrate dry patches, and balance excess oil.
Which type of makeup is best for combination skin?
Usually, cream blushes and cream eyeshadows work better for combination skin, because they blend easily over dry and oily skin, and provide a natural, hydrated glow.
Is facial good for combination skin?
Yes, facials are good for combination skin, provided the treatment is balanced to address both oily and dry areas simultaneously.
