Understanding Combination Skin: Can Dry & Oily Skin Coexist?

If your skin has both dry and oily areas, you are one among the 60% of people having a combination skin. Combination skin falls somewhere in between rare and common categories that arise due to various reasons like genetics, age, environmental factors, etc. Although it’s tricky to manage, combination skin can be maintained like any other skin type by understanding its needs.

People with combination skin often find it challenging to select the right products for their skin because most products in the market are formulated for dry, oily and sensitive skin. Switching ingredients often can disrupt the skin's natural barrier and lead to a variety of skin problems too. Hence, let's start by looking deeper into the topic of ‘combination skin’ and how to tackle the issues faced through this blog.

What is Combination Skin?

Combination skin is a skin type that exhibits characteristics of both dry and oily skin. Typically in combination skin, the T-zone area (the central part of the face i.e. forehead, nose and chin) tends to be oily and the C-zone (cheek area) is dry.  This can occur due to various reasons including climate, genetics, skin conditions, etc. Individuals with this specific skin type may have issues related to dry skin, such as flakiness and tightness, and oily skin, such as breakouts and clogged pores.

Identifying Combination Skin

Recognizing combination skin is the first step towards effective skincare. Common signs include:

1. Seasonal changes: The climate, weather and environmental factors often affect combination skin. The skin appears oily in summer and dry in winter disrupting the natural skin barrier and sebum production.
2. Oily T-zone and dry cheeks: The oily and dry spots appear simultaneously on the skin provoking ageing signs, acne and inflammation high.
3. Large pores at the center of the face:The sebaceous glands produce excess oil in combination skin, leading to clogged pores, breakouts and acne, especially in the T-Zone area. At the same time, the rest of the skin may experience dry patches or flakiness.
4. Effect of hormonal changes: Women's skin seems incredibly greasy and prone to breakouts throughout the menstrual cycle, and after the period, it returns to being flaky and dry.
5. Flaky scalp: People with combination skin frequently experience flakiness on their scalp, which can also be dandruff in certain cases.

Combination Skin Care Tips

Combination skin is unique and needs a specific skincare routine to keep it healthy. What works for others may not work on combination skin. Whenever it comes to combination skin, remember your T Zone is oily and C Zone is dry. Keep it in mind while applying products to the skin.

• Avoid over-cleansing: Use a gentle chem-free cleanser containing salicylic acid twice a day to remove oil and any impurities that accumulate in skin pores.
  Salicylic acid is best known for its ability to deep clean excess oil out of pores & perfect for oily skin because it keeps pores clean and unclogged. It also prevents future whiteheads and blackheads from developing.
  Fixderma offers a wide range of products containing salicylic acid. Do check out the list.
• Moisturization: Choose a lightweight, effective moisturizer that holds moisture in the skin. A hydrating face mask will simultaneously help the skin's dry areas.
  Check out the dermatologist-approved and lightweight moisturizers that retain moisture and provide long-lasting hydration by Fixderma.
• Hydrating Serums: Incorporating hydrating serums like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, etc will retain moisture and reduce oiliness on combination skin.
  For combination skin, it is recommended to choose ingredients according to the skin needs and concerns. It is best to go for formulations that are dermat-prescribed and are readily available. Fixderma offers a wide range of hydrating serums that are dermat-approved and are a combination of potent ingredients, ready to provide end-to-end solutions for your combination skin woes.
• Sun Protection: Opt for a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher that suits both oily and dry areas. Gel or fluid sunscreens are excellent choices for combination skin.
  Fixderma Shadow Sunscreen range is a readily available option to sun-protect your skin in the most effective manner. Our sunscreen range is non-comedogenic, lightweight, non-greasy, and perfect for every skin type and skin needs. Get your Shadow sunscreen today and shine with confidence.
• Exfoliation: Exfoliation gently removes dead skin cells and prevents clogged pores. Salicylic acid and lactic acid are two common ingredients safe for combination skin.
• Spot treatments using masks: Once a week, using a clay mask on the T Zone will reduce the excess oil content on the face. Add a moisturizing mask to your skincare that will hydrate the cheek and other dry areas.
• Customized skincare routine: Create a personalized skincare routine that addresses the specific needs of combination skin.
• Spot treatments: If you have acne at certain parts of the skin, you can always do spot treatments as they focus on certain areas and do not disturb the dry areas of the skin.
• Non-comedogenic products: Make sure that you use a non-comedogenic product that doesn’t clog the pores on your skin, resulting in breakouts and acne.
• Layering products: Layer products and ingredients start with thinner, water-based products and work your way up to heavier, oil-based ones.
• Fragrance-free products: Avoid products with added fragrance or alcohol to rule out the chances of irritation on both oily and dry areas.
• Stay hydrated: You must keep yourself hydrated, to prevent dry skin and maintain a balanced sebum production.

Managing Combination Skin with Ingredients

It is essential to choose ingredients that take care of your combination skin, not disturbing oily and dry areas. Incorporating non-greasy, hydrating oils like argan and jojoba oil balances oil production on the skin while providing moisture. Here are a few ingredients that will work well on your combination skin:

1. Hyaluronic acid: Ideal for both oily and dry areas of the face, hyaluronic acid can be used after cleanser to reduce signs of aging and hydrate the skin.
2. Salicylic acid: Excess sebum and dirt may clog the pores on the skin and salicylic acid unclogs the pores and regulates sebum production.
3. Lactic acid: A gentle exfoliant that removes debris and dirt from the pores of the combination skin.
4. Vitamin C: Beneficial for combination skin, Vitamin C keeps the combination skin healthy by protecting it with its anti-oxidant properties.

Combination Skin Routine

AM Routine

• Step 1: Cleanse with a gentle cleanser that does not irritate combination skin.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Cloevera and Cucumber Face wash helps not just for cleaning the face, but indeed gives your skin a refreshing glow internally.
• Step 2: Use a lightweight moisturizer on the T-zone and a richer cream on dry areas.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Cleovera cream is a natural skin-friendly cream that is useful in holding moisture.
• Step 3: Ingredient application (hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, Niacinamide etc.)
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma 17% Vitamin-C Face Serum: A glow-boosting daily serum packaged with the goodness of 17% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid.
• Step 4: Sunscreen.
  A broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30+ and zinc oxide that reduces the damage caused by the sun. Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out and reapply every 2 hours.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Shadow A gel is a transparent, non-oily sunscreen for acne-prone skin. This oil-free and gel-based texture is lightweight and provides excellent UV rays coverage for a longer duration of time.

PM Routine

• Step 1: Cleanser to remove any impurities that might clog your pores resulting in breakouts.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Salyzap Daily Face Cleanser is a soap-free anti-acne face wash, designed to effectively combat acne while being gentle on the skin.
• Step 2: Application of hydrating serum.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Anti-Acne Serum is a step-ahead formulation backed by science. Packed with the most potent ingredients for acne, this serum treats acneic skin conditions without imparting any ill effects on the skin.
• Step 3: Moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated.
  At night, you can go for a richer moisturizer on dry areas of the skin that adds to overnight skin renewal.
  Product Recommendations: Fixderma Face21 Cream is a gentle cleansing formula which deep cleanses the skin without stripping away the natural moisture off skin.

Note: You can always exfoliate the skin 2 to 3 times weekly using gentle ingredients like lactic acid. This will keep the skin's oily and dry areas healthy while unclogging the pores on the skin.

Conclusion: Managing combination skin requires a careful approach that addresses the unique needs of both dry and oily areas of combination skin. A balanced, healthy complexion may be attained by incorporating the right products and adhering to a personalized skincare regimen. If you are a person with combination skin, you have to keep check of oily and dry areas of the skin regularly to understand their needs. This may sound challenging but it is something you can achieve.

Instead of applying products all over the skin, go for spot treatments because oily and dry areas need separate care. While you apply products that regulate oil production, make sure not to use any emollient in the T Zone area. Use gentle cleansers and exfoliants that do not strip your skin of natural moisture but help retain the moisture content of the skin. Always go from a water-based formula to an oil-based formula when it comes to ingredient and product application.

Understanding combination skin can be tricky, but following a few tips and using the right products, helps you to develop an effective skincare routine that addresses both your oily and dry skin type. Balancing a combination skin involves keeping hydration, texture, and dryness in check, ensuring your skin stays healthy and radiant.