We started by talking about how you can care for dry and oily skin, but what if you land somewhere in the middle? People with combination skin generally have regions on their face that have oily and other regions with dry skin, so what’s the best way to take care of it? If you’re not sure which skin type you have, visit our blog that can help you identify your skin type! If you know you’ve got combination skin and you’re ready to learn how to manage it, read on!

What is Combination Skin?

We introduced what is known as the T-zone in our first Skin Goals blog. This describes the part of the face that includes the forehead and runs down the bridge of the nose to the bottom of the chin, making the shape of a “T”. Most people with combination skin experience oilier skin within this T-zone and dryer skin outside of the T-zone. Knowing where your different skin types start and end is half the battle in taking great care of it!

One-Product Solutions

Some people don’t have a lot of time or effort to dedicate to handling their unique skin situation, so finding a one-product solution might work best for them. One-product solutions frequently work best with people who have very minor combination skin, where their T-zone is only slightly oily and the rest of the face is slightly dry. You want to look for light, oil-free hydrating products that also provide mattifying ingredients such as salicylic acid and silica. With a product like this you can keep your dry skin hydrated while reducing the intense sheen of the oily portions of your face. Make sure you avoid oil-based products or products that can make dry skin worse!

Embrace Cleansers, Shun Soaps

It’s common for people with combination skin to have larger pores in their T-zone than the rest of their face, which means those pores can be prone to clogging and acne. Using soaps can introduce particulates that clog pores and create acne, so you want something gentle and simple for your skin. Using a water-soluble cleanser that is gel-textured or lotion-based can remove impurities without leaving your skin feeling tight or greasy. Try getting in the habit of cleansing your skin gently twice each day to keep your skin looking clear and healthy!

Exfoliate Delicately

Exfoliation is a great way to help skin stay healthy and vibrant, but for combination skin it can be a little trickier. Dry skin can generally handle heavier exfoliation, but oily skin can be easily damaged from exfoliating too vigorously. Non-abrasive chemical exfoliants are good options because they can allow you to tune your exfoliation needs to your different skin regions without harming the more delicate oily skin regions.

Wear Sunscreen

This pointer is a trend across all of our blogs because regardless of your skin type you need to wear sunscreen! Make sure you have something with SPF 30 or higher to keep your skin totally safe. You can choose a sunscreen that is lighter and less oily to keep your skin looking supple and clean. Sunburns and skin damage can make your combination skin challenges even worse, so keeping your skin safe in the sunshine is extremely important!

Two-Toned Approach

If your combination skin is very noticeable, you need to take special care to have two separate skincare routines for the different facial regions. Heavier, oil-based moisturizers can work to help the dry regions of the skin, while lighter cleansers work best for the oily regions. Check out our blogs on caring for oily or dry skin for more detail on how to care for each skin type!

Consult With Skinworks

If you’ve got skin goals you need help tackling, the student estheticians at Skinworks can help you improve your game! Contact us to set up an appointment with one of our estheticians to get started. If skincare is something you are passionate about, you can make it a career for yourself Reach out to us to find out information about our esthetics programs and how they can change your life!

*All student services provided under the supervision of a licensed esthetician.