Skincare shopping for the combination type can be a little tricky. One must seek formulas that cut shine from the face while ensuring long-lasting hydration. For those unaware, this skin type possesses characteristics of both oily and dry skin. So, you may notice excess sebum on your T-zone, forehead and chin while the cheeks stay relatively dry. Tricky sounds about right, doesn’t it?
But fret no more. We bring you top-notch formulations that ensure a healthy microbiome for combination skin. These cleansers, serums, moisturizers and more target relevant concerns while upholding your skin’s overall health. In a bid to go above and beyond, we also help you with 7 mistakes to avoid at all costs if you have combination skin.
But Before We Get There – What Are The Different Ways To Identify Combination?
If you're struggling to discern whether your skin type is combination (or maybe not), here are some steps you can follow -
1. Examine your T-zone, forehead, and chin closely. If there is a never-ending oil slick on these areas while your cheeks stay dry – chances are your skin type is combination.
2. Since combination skin is characterized by overactive sebaceous glands, you might observe open/enlarged pores on the oily regions. These clogged pores may get further exacerbated, turning into whiteheads, blackheads or acne.
3. Folks with combination skin may face non-uniform sebum production/dry patches during the transitional season. Case in point, during the summer, your T-zone, forehead and chin may get oilier while the cheek may become normal.
What Are The Best Ingredients For The Combination Skin Type
Before we get to the mistakes one should avoid at all costs, here’s a look at all the best ingredients for the combination skin types -
1. Salicylic Acid: The oil-soluble ingredient is a must-have for combination skin. It cuts excess sebum, prevents clogged pores, and helps soothe inflammation.
Try it with: Foxtale’s Acne Control Cleanser with Salicylic Acid
2. Hyaluronic Acid: Hero humectant HA provides intense and long-lasting hydration to the skin, banishing the pesky dry patches and spots. Moreover, topical application of Hyaluronic Acid regulates sebum production on your skin’s oily areas.
Try it with: Foxtale’s Daily Hydrating Serum
3. Niacinamide: The skincare workhorse serves combination skin on multiple fronts. Its topical application blots excess shine and prevents clogged pores, ensuring even, smooth skin. Additionally, Niacinamide maintains hydration in the skin by preventing TEWL or transepidermal water loss.
Try it with: Foxtale’s 12% Niacinamide Serum
4. Lactic Acid: Another stellar addition to your combination skin kit! Lactic Acid gently exfoliates the skin while boosting its hydration. It doesn’t sting or burn on application and is the perfect remedy for blackheads and whiteheads.
Try it with: Foxtale’s Overnight Glow Mask
5. Vitamin C: The powerful antioxidant Vitamin C forms a protective barrier on the skin, averting harmful pollutants, aggressors, and UV rays. Take a few drops of our emollient-rich serum and dab it gently on your face.
Try it with: Foxtale’s Vitamin C Serum
What Are Some Mistakes You Should Avoid For Combination Skin?
If you grapple with combination skin, here are some mistakes you should avoid at all costs -
1. Using harsh, abrasive cleansers: Cleansers that remove gunk and excess oil from the skin can be slightly abrasive to the skin. They marr the barrier, dehydrate the skin, and lead to inexplicable episodes of inflammation or irritation.
2. Skipping on moisturization: Moisturization is non-negotiable for all skin types. A potent moisturizer forms a protective barrier on the dermis to prevent TEWL – ensuring long-lasting hydration. This helps revive the dark spots and patches while regulating sebum product in and around the T-zone, chin, and forehead.
3. Avoiding exfoliation: Your skin (regardless of its type) demands regular exfoliation. The process helps shed dead cells and buildup from the skin, ensuring healthy cell renewal. For combination skin, exfoliation helps unclog pores, cut excess sebum, and remove flakiness from dry areas, administering smooth, radiant skin.
4. Not picking comedogenic products: Since combination skin has a greasy T-zone, forehead, and chin, it is more prone to clogged pores. So, before you make a skincare purchase, check its label for the non-comedogenic value marker.
5. Over cleansing: Over cleansing proves counterproductive to efforts for healthy skin. It dislodges natural oils from the dermis, making oil parts oilier and the dry patches even drier.
6. Wearing makeup to bed: Skin has a circadian rhythm that ensures its repair and rejuvenation activities at night. The process involves shedding dead-dried skin and signaling the healthy regeneration of cells. Wearing makeup to bed hinders this renewal process, leading to dullness, inflammation, clogged/enlarged pores, bumps and more.
7. Using too many formulas: Using too many products in your daily routine doesn’t always equate to great skin. If you want to see visible results, stick to a simple yet effective 5-step routine with result-oriented formulas. Simplify!
Best Skincare Routine For Combination Skin
The key to great skin is simplification. Instead of slathering numerous formulas, stick to a no-fuss, no-frills routine that guarantees result So, here’s how you can build an effective routine with the best skincare products for combination skin.
1. Cleanse: Cleansing helps remove dirt, grime, and other pollutants, ensuring a balanced skin microbiome. For combination skin, use a gentle, pH-balancing cleanser that doesn’t make the skin feel stripped.
Our Recommendation: Foxtale’s Acne Control Face Wash with Salicylic Acid
Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, and Hyaluronic Acid
The Salicylic Acid-infused formula cuts excess oil, unclogs pores, and helps soothe inflammation. Moreover, Hyaluronic Acid in the cleanser ensures long-lasting hydration, rejuvenating dry and rough patches.
2. Treat: After your skin dries, use a result-oriented serum. If your skin is equal parts dry and oily, we recommend ingredients like Niacinamide or Hyaluronic Acid.
Our Recommendation: Foxtale’s 5% Niacinamide Serum
Ingredients: Niacinamide
Topical application of this lightweight serum removes excess oil and prevents clogged pores while preserving your skin’s hydration. The best part? The best Niacinamide Serum in India also doubles as a primer. It adroitly blurs pores and cloaks blemishes to create a smooth, even canvas.
3. Moisturize: Next, slather a generous amount of moisturizer on your skin. For combination skin, you need a lightweight, non-greasy formula that doesn’t clog the pores. Moreover, this offering should be able to strike a balance between oil control and hydration.
Our Recommendation: Foxtale’s Oil Free Moisturizer
Ingredients: Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, and Marine Extracts
The lightweight formula regulates sebum production, prevents clogged pores, and soothes inflammation with use. Moreover, Hyaluronic Acid and Marine Extracts in this gel-based moisturizer ensure multi-level and sustained hydration for the skin.
4. Sun protect: No skincare routine is complete without sunscreen. This powerful formulation shields your skin against harmful UV rays, preventing burns, tanning, pigmentation, and photoaging. Folks with combination skin should opt for a lightweight, non-greasy, and non-comedogenic formula.
Our Recommendation: Foxtale’s Mattifying Sunscreen
Ingredients: Niacinamide and Pro Vitamin B5
Formulated for oily and combination skin types, this sunscreen guarantees formidable sun protection. Niacinamide at the forefront cuts excess oil and prevents open pores while brightening the skin. Pro Vitamin B5 protects the skin against external aggressors and facilitates its prolonged moisturization.
