How to Take Care of Combination Skin

As we know, our skin reacts according to the environment in which it finds itself. During summer, our body sweats more and produces more sebum because the sebaceous gland is stimulated. On the contrary, in the winter, our skin is drier since the cold air hitting our skin is less humid. Maria, one of our beauticians, offers us key advice for taking good care of combination skin in the current climate.

What Is Combination Skin?

As mentioned in our article on sensitive skin, combination skin is a type of skin with an oily tendency on the middle part of the face and a normal to dry appearance on the rest of the face. Maria adds that skin is considered combination skin when “the pH of the skin is out of balance.” Often, the middle zone (also called T-zone) is oilier due to an excess of sebaceous secretions, while the rest of the face suffers from a lack of sebum. “This imbalance can lead to other problems such as dilated pores, comedones, or areas of peeling,” Maria informs us.

An Ideal Routine for Combination Skin

To effectively counter the effects of the environment on the skin, Maria suggests two routines adopting products from the two brands that we use for facial and body treatments at Bota Bota.

Cosmetic care routine for combination skin, with Eminence:

• Evening Cleanser (Kombucha Cleansing Foam or Mangosteen Cleansing Gel)
• Spray Mist (Refreshing Lime Toner)
• Serum to apply morning and evening, before the cream (Kombucha Serum or Mangosteen Serum or Arnica Serum)
• Day Cream (Radiant Complexion Moisturizer SPF 40 or Probiotic Moisturizer)
• Night Cream (Arctic Berry Radiance Cream or Apricot Hydrating Whipped Cream)
• Eye contour to apply morning and evening (Eye contour cream with wild plum)
• Facial exfoliant to be done once a week (effervescent oxygenating scrub with stonecrop)
• Face mask to apply once a week (Refining Raspberry Mask or Stonecrop Mask or Probiotic Mask)

Cosmetic care routine for combination skin, with Babor:

• Cleanser for the evening (Hy-oil + Mixed Phytoactive or Cleansing foam)
• Soothing Rose Toner or Rebalancing Liquid
• Serum to be applied morning and evening, before the cream (Balancing serum)
• Day cream (Balancing)
• Night Cream (Rich Balancing)
• Eye contour to apply morning and evening (Moisturizing gel)
• Facial exfoliant to be done once a week (Clarifying exfoliating cream)
• Face mask to apply once a week (Balancing bio-cellulose mask or Purifying mask on the middle area + Moisturizing foam mask on the rest of the face)

“A good routine is essential for taking care of combination skin,” says Maria. All skin should be properly cleansed in the evening, and also be cleansed if you wear makeup. She reminds us that wearing makeup can clog the skin and pores, and increase sebum production during the day. This is why “you have to make sure you have thoroughly cleansed your skin in the evening to rid it of all its impurities. This will help leave the skin clean, healthy and rested throughout the night.

A Few Tips to Help with Your Routine

Combination skin is more difficult to treat since different parts of the face have different needs. “The most important thing is not to neglect the hydration and nutrition of the skin.” People with combination skin tend not to want to apply creams that are too rich for fear that the skin will appear even more shiny. Maria recommends applying a lighter day cream, just enough to protect the skin and to make it more comfortable, and using a more nourishing cream at night to fulfill the lack of nutrition on the drier parts of the face. “At night, the skin is resting and this is when it repairs and regenerates itself.”

You also have to be careful not to over-exfoliate the skin. “When we over-exfoliate our skin, it stimulates the sebaceous gland, which further increases sebum production – the opposite of the desired effect.”

Beyond the Routine

As with all skin types, sunscreen is essential to protecting the skin. Today, you can find sunscreen with different textures so that you can adapt it correctly and according to your needs, your personal preferences, and your skin type. You can find more information on the benefits of applying sunscreen here.