Skin Care Routine for Combination Skin
You've heard of normal skin, dry skin, oily skin, and sensitive skin. But did you know that you might have a combination of two or more skin types? Combination skin or mixed skin is the most common skin type.
Many people don't realize that their skin is a combination of two skin types and end up using products created solely for dry, oily, or sensitive skin. Looking after combination skin is not rocket science once you understand what combination skin is and what combination skin type you have – and yes, there are several types of combination skin. Here's more about combination skin and how to treat it.
Table of Contents:
- What Is Combination Skin?
- What Are the Different Types of Combination Skin?
- Oily and Dry Skin
- Oily and Sensitive Skin
- Oily, Dry, and Sensitive Skin
- What Causes Combination Skin?
- You Have Inherited Your Skin Type
- Environmental Factors Influence Your Skin Type
- Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits Can Cause Combination Skin
- Harsh Skincare Products
- Hormones Can Determine the Type of Skin You Have
- How Do I Know If I Have Combination Skin – Eight Telltale Signs
- Types Of Products to Avoid
- How to Treat Combination Skin
- Step 1. Cleanse
- Step 2. Exfoliate
- Step 3: Tone (Optional)
- Step 4. Serums (Optional)
- Step 5. Moisturize
What is combination skin?
Combination skin is a combination of two or more skin types. A person with combination skin typically has an oily T zone – the area of skin covering the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and chin. The rest of the face is dry.
The T-zone is also where the sebaceous glands and larger pores are located, which is why this area tends to get oilier. But this isn't always the case. Some people with combination skin can have dry T-zones while the rest of their face is oily.
Another feature of combination skin is that this skin type is not always constant, and the skin's condition can change during each season.
If you have combination skin, it's not the end of the world – it can be a good thing if managed properly. With proper care, the sebaceous glands produce just enough sebum to keep the skin young and supple. The dry areas are looked after so they don't appear flaky.
What are the different types of combination skin?
Combination skin is often difficult to spot because there are so many variations. Here are the most common types of combination skin:
- Oily and Dry Skin
The main characteristic of this type is an oily T-zone with tightness or dryness elsewhere. People with this combination skin type suffer from occasional and mild breakouts and can benefit from non-drying, pore-unclogging exfoliants, and hydrating antioxidants.
- Oily and Sensitive Skin
People with this skin type mostly have oily T-zones but also suffer from redness or irritation. They have regular acne breakouts and clogged pores. Soothing botanicals and oil-free hydration are best for this skin type.
- Oily, Dry, and Sensitive Skin
People with this type of combination skin often have an oily T-zone and dryness or tightness on the rest of the face. Their skin is also sensitive, becomes red, and flushes easily. They might suffer from acne if they use heavy moisturizers. Calming and gentle products that don't dry out the skin are best suited for this type of combination skin
What Causes Combination Skin?
If you have combination skin, it's most likely that it is caused by one or more of the following factors:
- You Have Inherited Your Skin Type
Genetics plays a significant role in your skin type – whether oily, dry, normal, or a combination. If you have a parent or grandparent who had oily T-zones or battled acne, there is a great chance that the condition has passed on to you.
- Environmental Factors Influence Your Skin Type
Excessive humidity and heat can, over a long time, cause combination skin. During prolonged humid conditions, the sweat glands produce more sweat and sebum than usual, leaving the skin moist. Excessive heat causes skin dehydration, which in turn causes more sensitivity.
- Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits Can Cause Combination Skin
Poor nutrition, smoking, not getting enough sleep, and stress, are all important factors. The lack of vital nutrients prevents detoxification and promotes acne. Lack of sleep and smoking can affect the skin adversely, strip it of essential nutrients and oxidants, and cause blocked pores and acne.
How Do I Know If I Have Combination Skin – Eight Telltale Signs
Combination skin types have particular characteristics. Although this is the most common skin type, it can be challenging to identify. Here are eight signs you have combination skin.
1. Your T-zone tends to be oilier than the rest of your face.
2. You notice that some regions of your face tend to be drier than others at certain times of the year (usually during extreme temperatures like in the summer and winter).
3. When applying sunscreen, your cheeks absorb the cream fast, while your forehead, nose, and chin look slightly greasy. Again, this would depend on which part of your face produces more oil. You might also have combination skin with a dry T-zone but oily cheeks.
4. You suffer from acne, which is concentrated along the T-zone. You probably have combination skin if you have regular acne outbreaks on your forehead, nose, and chin.
5. You most likely have combination skin if you suffer from acne and dry skin.
6. You have dandruff. While this is not a definite indicator, most women with dandruff have to deal with dry, flaky scalp conditions.
7. Blackheads and whiteheads caused by clogged pores can be an indicator.
8. The appearance of larger pores in oily areas – especially around the nose — is a common symptom. The pores in oily areas appear larger when normal pores become clogged with dead skin cells, which in turn cause the pores to enlarge.
Types of Products to Avoid
Combination skin reacts badly to harsh beauty products. You must steer clear of harsh products, especially if you have combination skin that is also sensitive and prone to acne breakouts. But what constitutes a harsh product? Simply put, any product that hurts your skin is harsh.
Products to avoid include:
- Heavy creams.
- Chemicals exfoliants.
- Abrasive products.
- Heavily-scented products
- Parabens and sulfates
- Skin-lighten products (they cause photosensitivity that could cause skin irritation)
How to Treat Combination Skin
Once you understand your combination skin type – whether oily/dry, oily/sensitive or oily/dry/sensitive – treatment becomes easier. The good news is that you don't need multiple moisturizers and face wash to look after the various zones on your face. The better news is that specific beauty products are created for combination skin and designed to treat all areas of your face simultaneously. The trick is to find the right products for your face.
- Step 1. Cleanse
Like any other skin type, your combination skin needs regular cleansing to eliminate excess oil and avoid clogged pores. However, avoid washing your face more than twice a day. Doing so will strip your skin of natural oils and cause dryness. Cleanse your skin before you go to bed to eliminate dirt, pollution, and makeup – all of which can clog up your pores.
- Step 2. Exfoliate
Oily and dry combination skin can benefit from non-drying pore-cleansing exfoliants. Exfoliation opens and clears out clogged pores in oily areas and helps moisture penetrate the skin in dry areas.
Oily and sensitive skin types require a very gentle formula with antiseptic properties. If there are some extremely sensitive areas on your skin that flush or become red quickly, choose a gentle, very effective product containing soothing botanicals, glycolic acid, AHAs, and BHAs. Lactic acid is another ingredient to look out for – it's known to be very gentle on the skin.
You can skip this step by using a gentle cleanser and exfoliating product all rolled into one.
WOW Skin Science Aloe Vera Face Wash with Brush is a gentle cleanser and exfoliator. It cleans, tones, exfoliates, and hydrates your skin effectively without causing dryness or itchiness. Soothing aloe vera extracts refine pores while vitamin-b12-rich green tea extracts restore your skin's natural pH balance and neutralize free radicals. Cucumber deeply and gently tones skin, and the calendula flower soothes your skin while fighting acne-causing bacteria. Hyaluronic acid provides your skin with just the right moisture to keep it soft, supple, and hydrated. The gentle and soft-bristled brush sloughs away dead skin cells ever so gently.
Also, try WOW Skin Science Green Tea Foaming Face Wash With Brush, a gentle daily cleanser that also exfoliates away pore-clogging impurities. The hypoallergenic product bursting with soothing botanicals delivers balanced moisture for oil-free, hydrated, supple, and acne-free skin.
Dab a cotton pad soaked with alcohol and oil-free toner on the acne-prone areas of your skin to remove excess oil without drying out the skin. This step is necessary only if you are prone to excessive acne breakouts.
If you need to use a serum on the dry areas of your skin, pick a soothing product containing niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, known for its oil-balancing and hydrating properties. Vitamin C serums can help brighten your skin, reduce dark spots, and even out skin tone.
Try the WOW Skin Science Vitamin C Serum
, a lightweight serum with hyaluronic acid and age-defying ingredients. Dab and press a pea-sized amount on the dry areas of your face for an overall glow.
Always end your skincare routine with a moisturizer, no matter what combination skin type you have. You can benefit from a light, water-based, hydrating, non-greasy, non-comedogenic, calming moisturizer. Look for formulas that contain ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
WOW Coconut Water Full Cream with Hyaluronic Acid provides the dry areas of your skin with just the right amount of hydration without clogging up your pores. Coconut water is rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals that provide the dry and sensitive areas of your skin with the moisture it needs. Plus, the water's collagen-boosting properties, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins nourish your skin to give it that soft, dewy glow.
WOW Skin Science Aloe Vera Multi-Vitamin Face Cream
is perfect for the dry areas of your skin. Rich in emollients and yet non-greasy, this formula is designed to improve your skin's texture and appearance and reduce and prevent skin aging and damage. Aloe vera extracts soothe the sensitive areas of your skin while d-Panthenol and niacinamide restore your skin's cellular structure. The formula is also packed with sweet almond oil and Moroccan argan oil that moisturize and nourish the skin.
Combination skin is the most common skin type, but it's also one of the hardest to treat if you don't know what your skin needs. Your combination skin requires tender, gentle, highly effective, non-drying, non-comedogenic, and pore-cleansing formulas. Click here for more WOW Skin Science products for combination skin.
Recommended Products to Treat Whiteheads
Activated Charcoal Face Mask
Vitamin C Clay Face Mask
Coconut Perfecting Cream
Hyaluronic Acid Water Gel
