7 Best Tips on How to Care for Combination Skin

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Treating combination skin can be really difficult. Maintaining healthy and balanced skin takes a lot of work! Through a ton of trial and error, I have finally compiled a list of the best products and skincare tips for combination skin.

Finding skincare products for combination skin that ACTUALLY WORK can be tricky. The skincare products mentioned in this article are the products I swear by to take care of my combination skin.

This article contains the best skin care tips for how to care for combination skin.

Best Tips on How to Care for Combination Skin

1. Don’t Skip Your Moisturizer!

A tricky part of combination skin is that sometimes our skin is dry and sometimes it’s overly oily. However, being consistent with moisturizer can really help your skin balance out in the long run.

The Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Moisturizer is the best moisturizer I have ever used – seriously! It’s super light but at the same time, extremely hydrating. It really helps to moisturize my skin without having to apply a thicker moisturizer. It’s also fragrance-free and contains hyaluronic acid which helps to lock in moisture. It’s a bit on the pricier side as far as moisturizers go, however, this product typically lasts me 3-4 months. A little goes a really long way with this product!

2. Take Off Your Makeup

Now, I’m not saying to not ever wear makeup. I love playing around with makeup. If it boosts your confidence and makes you feel good, then wear it! However, do NOT sleep with a face full of makeup! There is almost nothing worse for your skin than clogging it with makeup all day and not giving it a chance to breathe.

It is also beneficial to go makeup-free for a day every once in a while! I know a lot of us rely on makeup and can’t even imagine going out in public without it. I completely understand that! Even half a day or a morning, while you’re at home drinking your coffee or relaxing, would be a great time to be makeup free. Just giving your skin a chance to breathe every once in a while can be so beneficial for your long-term skin health.

My all-time favorite makeup-removing product is the Bare Minerals Smoothness Hydrating Cleansing Oil. I have literally been using this product for YEARS! I use this to remove all of my makeup prior to using my face wash. It is SO much gentler on skin than using makeup-remover wipes and it helps to hydrate my skin at the same time.

3. Use A Gentle Face Wash

I know how frustrated we can get at our skin for its imperfections. It can be tempting to use harsh chemicals to try and fix our skin quickly (believe me, I did this for years.) While sometimes this may be necessary, I have found that consistently using a gentle face cleanser has given me the best results long-term.

The MAKE Succulent Skin Wash is a gentle, PH-balancing face wash and is one of the products I swear by for combination skin. I have been using this face wash for about 2 years now and I don’t see myself switching it up anytime soon. It is a light gel formula with clean, vegan ingredients that isn’t overly drying. I really feel like it cleans out all of the dirt & grime that my skin has built up throughout the day.

4. Use SPF!!

This one is soooo important for combination skincare and is commonly overlooked. Those of us with combination skin have enough issues to deal with in regard to our skin. We don’t need to go giving it any more issues by neglecting our sunscreen. Sun protection is important for general health reasons but for those of us with sensitive skin and/or combination skin, it is even more important!

The best sunscreen for combination skin that I’ve tried is the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen. This formula is super light. It truly doesn’t feel like you’re wearing sunscreen! I actually use it mixed with (or in lieu of) my makeup primer. It’s fragrance-free, made with clean ingredients, and gets the job done!

5. Exfoliate!

Exfoliating is an absolute must! I’ve found that exfoliating approximately twice a week is the perfect amount for me. You’ll have to test out how often works best for your skin. I definitely do not recommend exfoliating every day. Over-exfoliating I’ve found causes my skin to be overly sensitive and dried out. While this may work for some people, I’ve found that overdoing any one aspect of my skincare usually does not work out too well.

The best natural exfoliant that I recommend is the Era Organics Microdermabrasion Facial Scrub. I typically use this twice a week while I’m in the shower. The steam from the shower helps to open up the pores in your skin. This helps to clean out clogged pores and remove dead skin cells that have built up.

6. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Most of us don’t drink nearly enough water throughout the day. Staying hydrated is important in many ways in regard to your health. For our skin in particular, staying adequately hydrated (in addition to keeping our skin hydrated) can help to reduce blemishes and make our skin a bit more glowy.

There are mixed opinions in regard to hydration and skin health. I found this article from Forefront Dermatology to be very informative if you’re curious!

7. Avoid Fragranced Products

Fragranced products can be extremely irritating to the skin. The extra chemicals put into skincare products that add fragrance are unnecessary and do nothing for your skin. In fact, they often can have NEGATIVE effects on your skin, causing irritation and blemishes. So while it may smell nice for 10 seconds while you’re applying the product, it really doesn’t do anything helpful for your skin.

7 Best Tips on How to Care for Combination Skin