How To Take Care of and Treat: Combination Skin

Today I'm going to talk about combination skin. Combination skin can sometimes be a little finicky to treat because you can be combination/oily, which means you can lean towards being more oily, combination/dry, which means you lean a little more towards dry skin or just combination, which is a combo of oily and dry. There might have to be some trial and error in finding the right products to help take care of your skin.

Now, for a cleanser, don't look for something that's strictly for oily skin because it can dry it out real bad, but also stay away from super moisturizing cleansers as well (unless you lean a little towards the drier side). For me, I get combination to combination/oily skin in the later part of the Fall, into Winter, and the very beginning of Spring. A cleanser I absolutely love to use in the winter is Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. Seriously, this cleanser is so fantastic and it's one of the only cleansers that I can use when it's colder outside. Here is a description of what it says on Sephora, "When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever cleanser to balance the two. This gentle, frothy face wash carefully does both jobs without canceling each other out. Skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched." I couldn't agree more with this description. It cleans my skin well, but doesn't leave it parched and dry and also doesn't leave my feeling oily as the day goes on. A little goes a very long way with this cleanser. A little pea-sized drop will do, so it will last you a very long time, and it's only $20, so that's not too bad for a higher end cleanser. A nice drugstore cleanser is Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser. I haven't used this in years, so I don't remember too much how it worked, but I do remember liking it at the time. 

With toners, like I said with dry skin, you can skip unless you absolutely feel the need to use one. A toner I really, really love is Bliss Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner. This toner is so amazing. It keeps my skin hydrated enough in the winter but it doesn't create any grease on my skin either. A good drugstore toner is Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I really think any skin type could use this, but it's just a simple, basic toner to help prep for moisturizer.

Onto moisturizers. This could be tricky depending on which combination skin you have. If you have combo/oily, try Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This stuff is like a cult classic in the world of beauty. If this one doesn't seem moisturizing, try the lotion version instead (which is really geared more toward combo/dry, but hey, it doesn't hurt to test it out). For combo/dry skin, try out Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration. Now I know this sounds like it's for people with totally dry skin, but this one has a lighter texture, so it's not as heavy as a cream. This stuff is pretty expensive too, so for a drugstore moisturizer, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, Combination Skin. I'll admit, in the dead of winter, in like the middle of January, my skin can actually get pretty dry and this is the only moisturizer that hydrates my skin just enough, but doesn't make it an oil slick.

Now for sunblock! Finding a sunblock for combination skin can be a bit tricky as well because it can moisturize the dry areas, but make oilier areas more oily and it can just be really annoying. Unless you wear foundation everyday that's got a high SPF, you're definitely gonna need a sunblock and one I hear good things about is Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40. This can even replace a regular moisturizer if you don't want to layer too much on. this is also a little pricey so a nice drugstore alternative is Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock. I know I recommended this for oily skin, but this can be wonderful for combination skin as well. And there are a ton of SPF levels on this sunblock, so choose which one you like. I prefer the SPF 55. 

Alright, now I really hope this helped anyone who has issues finding products for their combination skin. I know it can be such a pain finding something good. Trust me, that's why I hate my skin most in the winter because it changes almost everyday at that time, and like I said before, it can be trial and error in finding what's right. But when you do find something that works, stick with it. In the end, it'll be so worth it.