What is Combination Skin & The Right Skin Care Routine

Before you can learn exactly how to care for your combination skin, first you have to know exactly what it is (and if you have it!). The easiest way to find out if you have combination skin is to check whether parts of your face are oily while others are dry. Most typically combination skin will feature an oily t-zone (this includes your forehead, nose and chin) since your glands that produce oil are much more concentrated there, with the remaining areas of your face usually drier.

Coming to the realisation that you’ve got combination skin? Now it’s time to discover exactly what it looks like. Given oil can be more prevalent with combination skin, you’ll find parts of the face are super shiny at times. Along with the shine in some parts, you’ll probably notice other parts seem rather dull or maybe even visibly rough or textured from dryness and a build-up of dead skin cells. This can even result in flaky skin on your cheeks. Don’t be shocked if your skin has a combination of breakouts in the areas prone to shine alongside these dry patches.

Now, before you jump the gun and diagnose yourself with combination skin, it’s important to note that oily skin types and combination skin are very similar and therefore it’s pretty easy to mix up the two. The key difference between the two lies in the oily areas. If you have oily skin, you’ll notice a wider coverage of shiny, with skin that has a more uniform oily appearance, and often has regular blackheads and breakouts. 

On the flip side, you can tell that you have combination skin when you feel like you’re struggling with two different skin types at the one time. Just like oily skin types, you probably struggle with excess oils, but this is confined mainly to your t-zone. The other areas of your face tend to be a lot drier, especially around your cheeks and eye area.

Now that you know exactly how to identify whether you have combination skin, you can put together a skincare routine tailored to address your varied needs. Follow these tips below for a happy complexion!

1. Cleanse twice daily and be gentle 

A gentle cleanser is the cornerstone to your new combination skin skincare routine and an absolute must each day. Before you start your day, you should be cleansing with something gentle that won’t strip the skin and leave it feeling dry. Before you hit the hay at night ensure all your makeup from the day is removed. Taking off your makeup at the end of the day will ensure that any makeup, dirt and grime aren’t clogging your pores as you snooze, which is exactly what you want to avoid with combination skin. 

2. Lift away those dead skin cells

Make sure you exfoliate once or twice a week to get rid of those pesky dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. A build-up of dead skin cells can make your complexion look dull, so this is a must for combination skin to address the drier areas of your complexion. But at the same time, you don’t want to over-exfoliate—everyone’s skin is different, so it may take some trial and error to determine how much exfoliation your skin can handle. Start slow and build your way up to see what makes your skin happy. For combination skin we recommend a face scrub that’s a jack of all trades and suitable for all skin types. Our favourites? The Sugar Scrubs Purifying Face Scrub loaded with purifying kiwi seeds and all natural sugars for a baby-soft complexion, or the Pure Clay Red Algae Exfoliating Face Scrub to cleanse and exfoliate the skin at the same time. 

3. Moisture is everything 

After cleansing or exfoliating, moisturising your skin and infusing your skin with the hydration it needs is crucial. Just because combination skin can be oily and shiny in some areas, it doesn’t mean you can skip moisturising. A good moisturiser can transform the feel of your skin by restoring hydration balance. Opt for the Revitalift Classic Day Cream for a moisturiser you can use daily that will hydrate without adding extra shine to your oily t-zone. Want a little more moisture? Reach for a night cream that will work while you snooze, leaving you with glowy, supple skin come morning. Reach for the Revitalift Classic Night Cream to complement your day cream.  

4. Keep those hands away from your face

Now we know this one is easier said than done but it’s super important, especially for combination skin! Our hands have lots of dirt and grime that is invisible to the eyes and can clog your pores and exacerbate imperfections and breakouts.

5. Excess shine? Just blot! 

Struggling with excess shine? Reach for blotting papers! These papers are easy to fit in your purse and can offer you a quick fix to visible shine on the go. Press gently against any shiny areas, and they’ll absorb excess oil without ruining your flawlessly applied makeup.

6. Don’t forget the SPF 

This goes for all skin types, not just combination skin: One of the best ways you can care for your skin is by applying a generous amount of a broad-spectrum sunscreen every single day. And we mean it. No matter if there’s rain or shine you are still exposed to UV rays all year round. Sun exposure can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, and increase your risk of skin cancer. The bare minimum? A moisturiser with SPF in it. We love Revitalift Classic Day Cream SPF15 as a starter. Out for long periods of time? Use a dedicated sunscreen and remember to reapply and take other sun protection measures, too—limit your amount of time in the sun, seek shade when you’re outside, and cover up exposed areas.

7. Get masking

Using a face mask is a great way to take care of combination skin—even better if you multi-mask. Multi-masking involves applying different face masks to different areas of your face, to address different issues at the same time. As a key feature of combination skin is different zones with different needs, multi-masking is the ideal technique for combination skin types. Detoxify your t-zone with Pure Clay Detoxifying Charcoal Mask then exfoliate any dull, dry areas with Pure Clay Exfoliating Red Algae Face Mask.

8. Don’t neglect your eyes

Not only can your under-eye area be a dead giveaway that you didn’t get enough sleep, but it can also be dry if you have combination skin. Minimise the appearance of dark circles, under-eye bags or dry patches with a good eye cream. Reach for the Revitalift Classic Eye Cream to hydrate and firm the eye contour.

So, there you have it. Now that you can identify what combination skin is, what it looks like and how to build a skincare routine for your specific concerns, it’s time to start your journey to a happy complexion. Discover our Serum Guide to learn what are the best Serums for your skin type to include in your routine.