Here’s how you can quickly spot a Combination skin; The T-zone, a term used to describe your forehead, running down to the nose area, all the way to your chin tends to feel oily. Compared to other parts of the body with combination skin, the T-zone can be oily when all other body parts are patchily dehydrated( dry).
Really knowing that you have a combination skin type, an excellent eye in observing your skin’s different texture and feel in such locations soon after washing it is all you need, as you will notice two or more different textures on your face, presenting these sure signs that you have combination skin.
What should I do if I have combination skin?
If you have combination skin, you will now need to develop a suitable skincare routine that includes skincare products known for being gentle to partly oily and dry skin.
A GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER is an excellent way to start with your morning and finishing with it in the evening with a unique evening skin-renewing serum or night cream.
More Reading: Best products suitable for Combination Skin care routines
As a mixed-race girl, I am a victim of genetics, which means washing my face every morning and evening using a gentle facial cleanser is a huge part of my twice a day routine.
The basis of my skincare routine is that every face wash and serums I use must only be facial cleansers and cream that helps to mattify my oily T-zone without while also avoiding face washes that tend to over-dry the skin in the cheek areas.
I also use a good old Micellar water as it is also held with high regard in the forums as an excellent pick for those who have combination skin.
Sadly, finding out the type of products that are suitable for your skin and the skin care routine can be very hard.
But when it comes to knowing how to take care of your skin and the products to use you need to know your skin type first.
Knowing the type of skin that you have can be a little complicated process but for that you need to know the types of skin. in total, there are four skin types: there is combination skin, oily skin, normal skin and dry skin type.
Combination skin is kind of similar to oily skin type. These two skin types differ is such a way that in oily skin there is a shine all over your face while in combination skin only some areas of the skin are dry while others have an oily shine. How do you find out if you have combination skin?
What is combination skin?
Combination skin is a very common skin type. Combination skin is the kind of skin where some areas of your face are oily and some areas are dry. It is generally a mixture of oily skin and dry skin type.
In this skin type, most of the time the forehead, the nose and the chin ae more oiler as compared to the other parts of the skin.
You can notice combination skin if you see that some areas of the face have a shiny appearance while the other areas have dry skin. you can also see that areas like the nose and the chin have a darker appearance.
This is because there might be a build up of dead cells on the skin. when you look at the cheeks you may notice that they are dry as compared to the nose, chin and forehead.
How do you know if you have combination skin?
The first thing to do when finding out if you have combination skin is to notice how your skin and texture feels like.
You can also know that you have combination skin when you have like two skin types on your skin. you will feel like you are dealing with dry skin and oily skin at the same time.
You can know if you have combination skin a lot of ways; for example, if your nose area, the chin and the forehead are oilier as compared to your cheeks and other parts of your face.
Taking note of your pores on the skin can also help you find out if you have combination skin.
When you see that your nose has larger pores as compared to some of the parts on your skin then it can be a sign of combination skin. Sometimes the pores can also be clogged.
After washing or cleansing combination skin, you will notice that the cheeks and other dry areas on the skin feel a little tight while the T-zone area feels refreshed and free of any oils.
When you have combination skin you can also notice flakes and build up of dead cells on the skin.
If you also notice that you only use your moisturizer after you have washed your face then it is also likely that you may have combination skin.
Your moisturizer can feel good for your skin on the cheek area but may make your T-zone (forehead, chin, nose) area uncomfortable.
When you have combination skin the T-zone can also be affected by the weather, for example when it is hot you may see that your T-zone is shinier as compared to when it is hot.
When you have combination skin you can also have flaky areas around the nose, forehead and chin. Sometimes, you can notice that you have dandruff on the skin.
Some of the other signs that you may use to find that you may use to determine if you have combination skin include: You can see some parts of the skin become oily a few minutes after you have washed your face.
When you get breakouts and have dry patches at the same time might also be a sign that you have combination skin.
The common characteristics of combination skin
- Oily forehead, nose and chin
- Dry cheeks and dry eye area
- Breakouts and dry patches at the same time
Combination skin is greatly affected by change in season and by the change in your hormones. For instance, Oily skin during the summer and dry skin when its winter. Oilier T-zone in spring and fall season while the cheeks are dry in this season
What is the cause of combination skin?
Combination skin can be caused because of a lot of factors. The main cause of combination skin is because of genetics. Genes also play a major role in determining the amount of oil that will produced by your skin.
Combination skin can also come as a result of change in hormones. Sometimes the hormones can cause to produce more oil on other parts of the skin and very little oil in some parts of the skin.
Some factors in the environment can also affect the skin type, factors like heat and humidity.
For instance, when you are in humid conditions for a long time you can swat a lot and hence your skin can become shiny and moist. When you are in an area where there is heat your skin can become dehydrated.
How can I take care of my combination skin?
When it comes to taking care of combination skin the key is to balance up the oily areas and the dry areas.
You also need to find a good and proper skin care routine to keep your skin healthy. You should get products that will not add extra oils to your skin and cause your other areas to completely dry out.
The most important products when it comes to taking care of the combination skin include moisturizers and toners. You should ensure that you use a moisturizer that is lightweight and hydrating.
You should also ensure that it is gentle that it can help in balancing up the oily areas and the dry on the skin.
Some of the best moisturizers for combination skin include Missha super aqua water full clear cream, corsx oil-free ultra-moisturizing lotion etc.
These have hydrating ingredients in their formula but do not add extra oils to your skin. When you have combination skin you also want to make sure that the cleanser that you are using is mild.
Since the pores on combination skin are quiet large, there ae some things that you can do in order to make those pores on your nose to be nose smaller.
You can do this by using skin care products that contain ingredients like retinol, beta hydroxy acids or alpha hydroxy acids. This is because these ingredients help in ensuring that your pores do not get clogged on the skin.
In order to reduce the breakouts and dry patches that occur at the same time in combination skin, you can use face masks in order to treat your skin.
You should use an oil absorbing clay mask in order to get rid of the excess oils on the skin and a moisturization mask for the dry parts of your skin.
For combination skin you may also notice other things like dandruff or flakes on the skin.
In order to clear these up you can use prescribed medications like anti-inflammatory creams, antifungal cream or anti-yeast. This is because these flakes can be caused by overgrowth of yeast.
Skin care routine for combination skin
Because you can now easily find out if you have combination skin, here is now a skin care routine for the combination skin type.
1. Cleansing
When it comes to cleansing combination skin. you should ensure that you have chosen a facial cleanser that has a gentle formula.
Combination Skin Flawless Facial Cleanser Green Tea & Acai Berry - by Natural Outcome Skincare, Face Wash and Cleansing Gel for Men & Women - Cruelty Free 8 oz
Features
- ✔ FLAWLESS SKIN - Taking care of an oily t-zone and dry areas for combination skin types is difficult to balance. This brightening cleanser works by clarifying impurities, clean and clear your surface of acne and blackhead, while delivering deep pore, nourishing hydration with its oil based combo of Jojoba and Grapeseed Oils.
- ✔ SIMPLE & STRAIGHT FORWARD! No more guessing at the beauty aisle! If our packaging didn't make it clear, our balancing cleanser is formulated directly for perfecting Combination Skin types. Our goal is to take the confusion and second guessing out of skin care, so you can just enjoy the outcome.
- ✔ WHY GREEN TEA & ACAI BERRY? Green Tea is known to be a natural Healing, Acne Clarifying Treatment. We combined that with Anti Aging Acai Berry super fruit which is rich in Vitamins C and E, and developed our own Natural Outcome - a Flawless Cleanser!
- ✔ OUR CONFIDENCE - Skincare brands should be meaningful in their claims, with that we offer a 100% 30-day money back guarantee if you are not happy with our product.. Plus, you don’t even need to return the bottle - absolutely Zero Risk! Why wait, give this purifying cleanser a try.
- ✔ TRUE & SAFE - Skincare should be pure and gentle to realize an organic glow, our foaming face cleanser is Made in the USA, Sulfate Free, Dye Free, Paraban Free, and Never Tested on Animals - usable on even sensitive skin.
During the day a lot of dirt, extra oils as well as impurities cover up your skin. with a gentle facial cleanser, you can easily get rid of all these impurities.
Gentle cleansers can be used during the day as well as during the night. You should also ensure that the cleanser you have chosen will help to reduce the extra shine around your t-zone while hydrating your cheeks at the same time.
2. Exfoliating
Exfoliating combination skin can be done one to two times in a week. Exfoliating helps in getting rid of the dead cells on your skin.
Urban Skin Rx Combination Skin Cleansing Bar | 3-in-1 Daily Cleanser, Exfoliator, and Mask Smooths, Hydrates, Improves the Appearance of Skin Tone + Texture, Formulated with Salicylic Acid | 2.0 Oz
Features
- ABOUT THE PRODUCT: Featuring ClearTone Advanced Technology, the Urban Skin Rx Combination Skin Cleansing Bar is a hydrating cleanser that improves the appearance of rough, aging skin. Each jar contains one cleansing bar and one exfoliating sponge. This 3-in-1 treatment has a light fennel scent and can be used as a daily cleanser and exfoliator, or as a rejuvenating mask when left on skin for 3-5 minutes prior to rinsing.
- WHY YOU NEED THIS: Formulated with Resorcinol, Salicylic Acid, Hibiscus Flower Extract, and Licorice Root Extract, the Combination Skin Cleansing Bar gently exfoliates skin and helps diminish the appearance of dullness, dark marks, and fine lines and wrinkles. Ideal for dry or combination skin type; not recommended for those with extremely oily skin.
- HOW TO USE: Moisten the included sponge with warm water and run it across the cleansing bar to create a creamy lather. Gently massage onto face using small, circular motions, allowing the lather to remain on the face for 1-2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and gently pat skin dry. Rinse the sponge and wring out excess water. Do not place the sponge back inside the jar. Allow the sponge to fully dry on top of the jar's lid. Avoid contact with eyes. Can be used both morning and night.
- CAREFULLY FORMULATED: This unique cleansing system is backed by our ClearTone Advanced Technology, a proprietary blend of 6 ingredients that work synergistically to improve the appearance of uneven skin tone. SUNBURN ALERT: This product contains a Retinol that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a daily SPF 30 or higher, wear protective clothing and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterward.
- ABOUT US: Urban Skin Rx, an unparalleled line of skincare products for diverse skin tones, was developed by Rachel Roff, a highly successful licensed medical aesthetician, laser technician and founder of one of the country's first medspa and laser centers specializing in darker skin tones. After noticing an inequality in diversity within the skincare industry, she’s spent years formulating high-performance products designed to address the most common concerns of people with melanin-rich skin.
When there are a lot of dead cells on the skin the complexion starts to become dull, therefore exfoliating is a great way to take care of combination skin but you should also ensure that you do not over exfoliate the skin because.
This can cause har to your skin. for combination skin you should get an exfoliator that is good for all skin types because combination skin is a mixture of oily skin and dry skin.
3. Moisturizing
Most people think that combination skin does not require moisturizing but that is not the case. All skin types will require moisturizing.
Combination skin needs moisture therefore ensure that that you moisturize your combination skin.
Bioderma - Hydrabio - Gel Cream - Face Moisturizer - Provides Radiance - for Normal to Combination Sensitive Skin - 1.33 fl.oz.
Features
- Instantly moisturizes and provides radiant appearance
- Absorbs quickly thanks to its gel-cream texture
- Leaves skin feeling fresh and comforted
When looking for a moisturizer for this skin type you should get a moisturizer that is free of oils and will not add an extra shine to the T-zone area.
You should also ensure that it is hydrating for the dry areas on your face. When getting a moisturizer, you should also get those that have mattifying ingredients like salicylic acid.
Conclusion
Combination skin is the kind of skin that has dry areas as well as oil areas on the skin. combination skin can come as a result of many factors including genetics and other environmental factors.
In order to know that you have combination skin there are a lot of characteristics that you can take note of like the when the forehead, the chin or the nose is oily then you may have combination skin.
Other characteristics of combination skin include flaky areas or when your skin is greatly affected by other factors like weather, hormones and environmental factors. Combination skin also requires a lot of care like using cleansers, toners, moisturizers and many more.
