5 Signs You Have Combination Skin

The answer is to see how your skin reacts after using the product. If you find your skin to be more oily, you have oily skin and should consider lightweight, oil-free creams. If you feel your skin is still dry, you have dry skin and should consider a heavier cream with a slightly oily consistency. If you have both cases where your skin is oily in the centre and dry on the cheeks, you have combination skin.

Combination skin is the most common type of skin among women and men and in general, it can be easily maintained once you know its characteristics.

Here are 5 signs you have combination skin:

Dry skin in some areas and oily skin in other areas

As the name suggests, those with combination skin have a combination of both oily and dry skin types. The T-Zone, the area of your forehead from left to right, down the nose bridge to the tip of your nose, and down the centre of your Cupid's bow to the chin, is the oily skin part of your face and collects the most oil especially across the forehead and around the nose.

An easier way to remember this is to imagine a massive "T" on your face. Any other area outside the T-Zone such as the cheeks and jaw area is dry skin and prone to flakiness and dry patches.

You may also find your eyelids to be slightly oily and your eye makeup just slides right off. Apply a matte-finish primer to start then apply your eye color for a radiant and long lasting result. To control oiliness for the T-Zone, you can use oil blotting sheets or blotting powder to get rid of the shininess. For the dry areas, use an emollient-rich moisturizer, being careful not to touch the T-Zone where it'll make the oiliness worse.

When you have combination skin, you will notice that your skin is more oily in the summer months and drier in the winter months, which is expected because weather has a huge impact on skin.

Larger pores around your nose than other parts of your face

You will find that the pores around your nose are larger and more noticeable than other parts of your face. Oil easily accumulates around the nose due to the tight corners and usually across the forehead you'll see an excess amount of oil.

The oil seeps out through these pores around your nose, creating a large opening for dirt and other impurities to go in your skin. If you have large pores, it is highly recommended to exfoliate your skin at least once or twice a week to get rid of the oil, dirt and other impurities that collect in your pores. This will not only minimize pores but also reduce the excess production of oil and redness.

Noticeable blackheads

When your enlarged pores become clogged, blackheads form on your skin. These small bumps appear dark or black on the surface of your skin and are a form of acne. If you are using the wrong product, these blackheads appear more frequently and noticeable. You will see more blackheads on oily areas such as the T-Zone but not so much on dry areas.

To remove blackheads, it is recommended to see a professional aesthetician to extract them during a facial. Warm steam will be emitted on to the skin, opening up the pores and making it easier for blackheads to be squeezed out using the fingers or an extraction tool.

The treated area will be red and sensitive to the touch, but it'll be worth it in the end because your skin will become clean and smooth.    

Breakouts in certain areas

At the same time, you may notice breakouts around the face, especially in the T-Zone. As with blackheads, if you are using the wrong product, breakouts will appear on your skin.

If you are using a product meant for oily skin and you apply it to the T-Zone, this overstimulation of oil will cause breakouts such as pimples, blemishes, dryness, redness, and itchiness in this area. Even close contact of oily hair above the forehead will cause breakouts! Oil-absorbing and matte-finish products work perfectly for only oily areas.

Dry patches and flaky skin can result in areas of dry skin because the product you are using might not be nourishing enough for these areas. A rich, emollient cream with a slightly oily consistency is perfect for those dry spots.   

Shininess all over the face

In general, your face will appear shiny all over but more noticeable in the T-Zone. The excess oil production produces a shiny film over your face and is oily to the touch. When you have combination skin, you will notice this shiny film over your T-Zone after washing your face.

This is common because the warmth of the water opens up your pores and oil escapes through the opening. To minimize the oil seeping out, splash your face with cold water after washing you face to help close up the pores.

What Products Work for Combination Skin?

Because combination skin has both dry and oily areas, you'll need products that balance both sides at the same time or use two products catered to different areas of the face. Products with a light lotion, gel or liquid texture work great for the entire face, whereas emollient boosters, serums or moisturizers work best only for dry areas.

Most products nowadays are formulated for normal to combination skin, combination to oily skin, or dry to combination skin. The Yonka Cleansing Gel is a perfect example of a cleanser suitable for combination skin with a more oily area.  

This Phytomer toner for combination skin can be followed up after cleanser and don't forget to moisturize with Yonka Creme 93. The Eminence exfoliant is an ideal for all skin types and should be used 1-2 times a week to unclog pores and control oil production.

Know your Skin!

Knowing what works best for your skin type is essential to healthy looking skin. If the product works,  a little goes a long way and you'll see noticeable results right away!

To see more what is in store for combination skin, check our online shop. If you are interested in a skin analysis and to find out what is your skin type, contact us for a complimentary skin consultation!