Combination Skin
In order to learn how to take care of combination skin, you first must know what, exactly, it is. You’ll know if you have combination skin if some parts of your face are dry, while other parts are oily. Specifically, you may notice that your T-zone (the central part of your face, including your forehead, nose, and chin) is oilier since your skin’s oil-producing glands are more concentrated there.
Meanwhile, your nose and chin may appear dull and rough because of a build-up of dead skin cells. Your cheeks and the skin around your eyes may also be drier than the rest of your face.
Sound familiar? In that case, you could have combination skin.
A Skincare Routine for Combination Skin
Now that you know how to identify combination skin, you can put together a skin care routine tailored to address your needs. Follow these tips for a happy skin!
- USE A GENTLE FACIAL CLEANSER
As you go about your day, your skin’s surface becomes covered with dirt, excess oils, and impurities. Help wash them away with a gentle facial cleanser twice a day—once in the morning and once at night. The most important factor to consider is that your facial cleanser helps to mattify your oily T-zone without over-drying your cheeks.
Try Amir Cosmetics African Black Soap.
- EXFOLIATE
Exfoliate once or twice a week to slough off 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. 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. If you have combination skin, grab a face scrub that’s suitable for all skin types; after all, you are dealing with two types of skin.
Try Amir Cosmetics Poppyseeds Face Scrub.
- APPLY A MOISTURIZER
Every skin type—combination skin included—needs moisture, so don’t skip out on this step. In terms of the best moisturizer for combination skin, an oil-free moisturizer will be your best bet, as it won’t add any additional slick to your already oily T-zone area.
Try Amir Cosmetics Almond and Tea Tree Face Cream.
Things that can help
- DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE
This is easier said than done. But it’s important to try to keep your hands away from your face if you have combination skin! Your hands carry a lot of invisible dirt, so you don’t want to transfer that to your face, as that dirt could end up clogging your pores.
- BLOT AWAY OIL
If you are dealing with excess shine, blotting papers can help! These papers are easy to fit in your purse and can offer you a quick way to cut back on excess grease mid-day. They’ll temporarily absorb oil without ruining your applied makeup.
- MAKE BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN YOUR BFF
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 (with an SPF value of 15 or higher) each day. If you’re pressed for time, reach for a moisturizer with SPF so that you don’t have to apply moisturizer and sunscreen separately.
Here’s why this skin care step is so important: Spending time in the sun sans SPF protection can cause damage, which can lead to visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles and dark spots down the road. No thanks! Remember to 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.
- TREAT YOUR COMPLEXION TO A FACE MASK
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, making it the perfect technique for combination skin types.
Rice mask and Red Clay are a great choice for combination skin Face Masks.
Amir Cosmetics Founder, Adiato Baldé