Combo Skin means your skin is both oily and dry. The best of both worlds, right?
Many people believe they have a combination skin type.
With combination skin you may see oil in your forehead, around the nose and your chin, an area that's known as the T-zone (see below).
However, there have been studies that show oil production is naturally heavier in these areas, which is just another reason why self assessment regarding skin type is fairly difficult to do.
When it comes to combination skin, you may also see oil in the jaw line. This is known as reverse combination skin (check that one out below).
Some signs that may be indicative of combination skin are having the following in only certain areas:
- Pores that look larger than normal, because they’re more open
- Blackheads
- Shiny skin
- Dry patches
- Tightness/Dehydrated feeling skin
However, these could also be potential indicators of other underlying conditions and there is so much to take into account when analyzing skin type, so it's always best to work with a professional.
A variety of factors can contribute to combination skin. It could be the luck of the draw, where you just have it due to genetics.
However, it could also be the products you are using are making it worse or causing it all together. And in that case, your not dealing with combination skin, your dealing with a combination of skin barrier damage, dehydration and other issues.
As you might already suspect, if you’ve read any of my other blog posts or have watched any of my videos, using products that contain the wrong or skin-aggravating ingredients will inevitably dry out some areas of your face while stimulating oil production in other parts (especially around the nose).
If you’re using the wrong products, you might actually be causing your combination skin. If you use the right products, you may still have some excess oil production, but you should see a balance in oil, a regulation of the skin barrier, and you won’t have dry, rough skin underneath excess oil.
Ok. So, let’s talk about oil first.
Contrary to popular belief. Oil is not the enemy. And drying your oil out will make it worse. Oil actually keeps your skin soft, helps to protect your skin and helps you age less quickly.
Plus, an incredibly easy answer to maintaining oily skin is consistently following a skincare routine that works to keep the health of the skin barrier intact and functioning well.
Ok. Now for the dry parts.
While dryness can be easier to deal with than oil in some ways, it can also cause a lot of damage to the skin. Dryness aka dehydration is one of the leading causes of aging (sorry, dry skin friends!) However, if you maintain it well, it’s all good!
Are we seeing a pattern here? Good, consistent maintenance with an excellent skincare routine is key to any skin type.
The key thing to keep in mind with combination skin is that it's more about regulating the health and functioning of the skin barrier than it is "dealing with your combination skin".
Ensuring you're not causing a compromised skin barrier because you're trying to deal with regulating your combination skin is important. When you have a compromised skin barrier, your products are less effective and you don't get the results you are looking for. Additionally, dysbiosis with the skin barrier is the cause of many other underlying skin conditions such as acne or rosacea.
So don't worry, friends, you don't need separate products for everything as someone might have told you in the past.
A solid, easy, high-performing skincare routine is all you need!
Read more about how you can maintain your combination skin well here.
Want to start your skin health journey? Book a Skin Health Transformation Session here!
