What is Combination Skin?
Traditionally, and throughout the cosmetics industry, combination skin is thought of as simply having oily skin in some areas of your face and dry skin in other areas. Although that’s indeed the way most people (and the cosmetics industry at large) think of combination skin, we also define it as when someone is dealing with more than one concern or skin type. For example, it could be oily skin and sun damage with brown spots or dry skin with patches of rosacea and wrinkles.
Having combination skin that’s a mix of oily and dry areas can be hard to identify and even trickier to treat if you don’t exactly know what you’re experiencing or seeing in the mirror. And perhaps you don’t have combination skin in the classic sense (oily T-zone, dry cheeks), but your skin is more normal—what then? The answers are what this chapter aims to reveal!
Is the Goal to Have “Normal” Skin?
When you hear “normal” described as a skin type, you might envision someone with perfect skin. From that perspective, having normal skin would mean your skin is neither too oily nor too dry, has minimal to no signs of dryness or oily shine, has a smooth surface with no breakouts, blackheads, or visible pores, and has an even skin tone with no wrinkles or visible sun damage.
The problem with this description of normal skin is that such perfect skin doesn’t really exist. It’s the unicorn of skin types! It’s not that some people aren’t blessed with what appears to be flawless skin, but in the long run they too will struggle, at the very least with the unwanted side effects of sun damage or with problems that show up later in life. This is especially true as skin ages, from both the passage of time and cumulative sun damage. [5,7,9]
Everyone will get older and their skin will age to some degree even if they have been diligent about sun protection. Even the most neurotic use of sunscreen and being sun smart can’t eliminate all of the sun’s impact on skin. And think back to the times in our youth when getting tan or accidentally sunburned was something that happened to almost everyone. Remember: Sun damage is cumulative; it begins from the very moments your skin is exposed to the sun without protection and seeking shade—the visual result of this won’t show up until later in life, but there’s no question it will appear. [7,43,44]
Having normal skin ends up being a matter of degree and expectations rather than an actual skin type. It can also get confused with combination skin. For example, just because you see some shine on your nose doesn’t mean you have oily or combination skin, and a little dry skin on your cheeks doesn’t mean you have dry skin, especially if you have normal skin on the rest of your face. Plus, there’s the issue of treating the skin you have now and working to prevent, or at least delay, what you may see on your skin in the future.
Here are some ways to determine if you currently have normal skin:
If you can identify with most of the statements above regarding your skin, chances are good that you’re dealing with normal skin. However, even if you can relate to all those points, you still have skincare needs because, as time goes on, as we mentioned (we do tend to repeat ourselves on important points so please forgive us), everyone accumulates sun damage that causes some amount of wrinkles, brown spots, dryness (especially around the eyes), and so on. [5,7,9] There’s also the likelihood that even those with near-perfect skin will experience occasional breakouts.
Because truly normal skin (meaning perfect skin) is the rare exception rather than the rule, in reality, most of these people are really dealing with what we call “normal skin plus”; that is, normal skin mixed with other issues that are unrelated to skin “type” but rather skin concerns that occur over time. Essentially, your skin may feel normal, but it isn’t perfect, and it is changing as the years march on. These distinctions are why so many people are confused about their skin type and why so many people truly have combination skin.
What Causes Classic Combination Skin?
A variety of factors contribute to the different forms of combination skin, and sometimes it just comes down to the luck of the draw—genetics. Generally, the areas around the nose, chin, and forehead have more active oil glands than other parts of the face. [140] So, from a physiological standpoint, most of us have combination skin!
Combination skin can also be a result of the skincare products you’re using. For example, if you’re using products that contain irritating ingredients, they can stimulate oil production in the T-zone area and at the same time create more dry skin and redness on the rest of the face. [3,4,53] Voilà: You have taken your relatively normal skin and made it combination!
You may also be using moisturizers that are too emollient, making your skin feel oilier and clogging up pores. All the products you use must be appropriate for the different skin types you’re experiencing—even if that means using different products on different parts of your face, particularly if you have what we refer to as “extreme combination skin.”
Extreme Combination Skin
How is “extreme combination skin” different from regular combination skin? Those struggling with extreme combination skin experience an exceptionally oily T-zone, while the sides of the face remain very dry and may also be flaky or feel tight.
Treating this frustrating skin type means approaching your skincare routine strategically. While certain products can be used all over your face (gentle cleanser, well-formulated toner), you may need to spot treat your dry and oily areas with different products, or consider layering lighter products to moisturize the dry areas without making the oily areas feel extra-slick.
Keep in mind that avoiding fragrance and other potentially irritating ingredients is best for any skin type, but it’s essential for getting extreme combination skin in balance—even the slightest irritation will exacerbate the oily areas and, at the same time, make dry areas worse.
What about extreme combination skin with breakouts? In this scenario, breakouts are very frustrating to treat because they can occur in the dry areas, too. Although it seems daunting, you can treat breakouts without making dry areas worse, and without shortchanging your dry areas of the extra moisture they need! See the section on dealing with dry skin and acne in Chapter 10, Healing Dry Skin.
How to Treat Classic Combination Skin
The key thing to keep in mind with combination skin is that it isn’t one size fits all and it isn’t dependent on age. Oil-absorbing or matte-finish ingredients will be a disaster on drier areas of skin, while emollient, thick moisturizers will be a problem over oily areas of combination skin. Depending on the severity of your combination skin, you may have to use different products for different parts of your face, but the following guidelines will help get you on the right path with options that gently balance skin. The goal is unification to the extent possible, so that your combination skin looks and acts more like normal skin (though you may still have concerns like brown spots or wrinkles that can be treated with products added to the core routine below).
Cleanse
Gel-based or mild foaming cleansers are ideal for oily/dry combination skin. Regardless of the texture, it should be gentle; no irritants or fragrance.
Tone
Use an alcohol-free toner filled with a healthy dose of skin-repairing ingredients, antioxidants, and cell-communicating ingredients that normalize skin. A well-formulated toner really can help improve dryness and reduce oiliness at the same time—and won’t make the dry areas drier or the oily areas oilier! Don’t skip this step!
Exfoliate
Beta hydroxy acid (BHA/salicylic acid) is an optimal choice for gently exfoliating combination skin and both the dry skin and oily skin can benefit, albeit for somewhat different reasons. Both skin types need exfoliation, but oily skin needs deeper exfoliation in the pore and dry skin needs more surface exfoliation. When properly formulated, a BHA exfoliant does both, without being drying or irritating. Some people find that using an AHA on the drier areas and BHA on the oilier areas works best for them, so this is something you need to experiment with to see what’s true for you. Opt for exfoliants in gel or liquid form if your combination skin leans more toward oily than dry. If your combination skin leans more toward dry than oily, a lotion form of these products is a better option.
A.M. Sun Protection
A lightweight sunscreen with a soft matte finish or matte feel can work all over the face for combination skin. If your skin leans more toward oily than dry, apply a super-light serum underneath. Over the dry areas, this type of sunscreen can also be layered over a moisturizer and serum. You would use the moisturizer only over the dry areas and the lightweight serum all over. You can use a moisturizing eye cream with sunscreen around the eyes because you don’t want to forget sunscreen there. It shouldn’t be necessary to wear two different facial sunscreens, regardless of how extreme your combination skin is, given that you can layer other products underneath.
P.M. Hydration
Your moisturizer and/or serum shouldn’t feel heavy or greasy and you may need to layer two lightweight moisturizers over the dry areas; doing so ensures that the oil-prone areas won’t become too slick. If you have very dry areas and you find that layering two lightweight formulas isn’t enough, you may need to apply a richer, more emollient moisturizer just to those areas, being sure to blend away from the oil-prone areas, which may be fine with a lightweight moisturizer (gel or lotion) and/or a serum.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS FOR COMBINATION SKIN:
The products below are recommended for classic or extreme combination skin, meaning a mix of oily and dry areas, whether the dry areas are slightly or moderately dry. These products, especially the daytime and nighttime moisturizers, are also worth considering if you have dry skin that’s prone to breakouts, but you may need to use richer cleansers and toners and/or layer lightweight moisturizers (or add a hydrating booster) to keep your skin comfortably balanced.
Cleansers
Toners
BHA Exfoliants
AHA Exfoliants
Daytime Moisturizers with SPF
Nighttime Moisturizers and Serums
Note: The products below may be applied on their own or layered; for example, one of these serums may provide enough hydration for oily areas, but you may need to layer a serum and a moisturizer for the dry areas of combination skin.