How to cope with combination skin

Combination skin is basically skin with a split personality.

Your nose, forehead and chin are donning big pores, lots of shine and like to show off a few spots every now and then, whilst your cheeks and the skin under your eyes tend to look flaky, dry and dull.

Thought to be the most common skin type, there are many of us battling combination skin, but fear not because there are plenty of ways to tackle it. Below we take a look at what it really means to have combination skin and how to work with it, rather than against it.

What is combination skin? 

Self-explanatory, combination skin is a bit of everything. You will have fine lines and wrinkles as well as breakouts and greasiness. This can make skincare rather complex.

What causes combination skin?

You can blame your parents for this one. Skin type – whether oily, dry or combination – is considered to be largely genetic. Just like you inherit your hair colour, eye colour and body type, your skin type will be a family affair.

Having an oily T-zone means you will have inherited overactive oil glands in these particular areas, while your dryer patches will have less. In some cases however using the wrong type of product can lead to the overproduction of oil or could cause your skin to dry out and look dull.

What can I do to look after combination skin? 

First and foremost you need to buy the right products. Avoid harsh cleansers with ingredients such as alcohol and soap, which can strip your skin of natural oils. Fragrance free and hypoallergenic products will help to prevent irritation while providing just the right amount of moisture for oily patches. We love Garnier’s Moisture Match Shine Be Gone mattifying day cream (£5.99).

Secondly you need to master the art of exfoliation. This is essential for cleansing pores and removing dead skin cells, but the trick is to apply selectively. Spread your exfoliator lightly over dry patches where sensitivity is increased and focus more on your oily spots. Make sure you use a product that does the job gently and without irritating the skin, such as The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator (£10).

Finally, make sure your make-up is specially designed for your skin type. Some products will clog pores and make your oily T-zone worse, so opt for a lightweight foundation like Clinique’s Pore Refining Solutions (£24), which provides excellent coverage without penetrating your skin too deeply.

Why not give your skin some tender loving care by treating yourself to a professional facial? For more information on the benefits of this pampering skincare treatment, please see our facials page.