Dealing with Combination Skin

If you’ve noticed that parts of your face that appear oily while others seem dry, chances are good that you have combination skin. Oily areas often appear shiny, while dry areas look dull and flaky.

Usually, the oily zone concentrates in areas around your forehead and down your nose. This is called the “T” zone, since it looks like letter T if you look in the mirror. On the other hand, most of your face will be neither excessively oily nor excessively dry, and this is normal skin.

In addition to noticing the oil in the T zone area, you might also see or feel the following:

• Most of your skin feels tight and drawn after you cleanse your face.
• Skin not in the T zone can feel dry and rough.
• Parts of your face, mostly the T zone, appear shiny. You might be dealing with blackheads, blemishes and a general feeling of greasiness in this area while the rest of your skin is normal or dry.

Caring for skin that’s both oily and dry presents a challenge. Still, there are special ways to treat combination skin to avoid irritating or worsening any skin conditions. You can have healthy skin and still address the specific needs of different parts of your face. Here’s how:

• Use a good quality mild cleanser twice a day. Wash your entire face with cleanser before you go to bed and when you get up in the morning. Make sure you remove all makeup at night and all oil in the morning.
• After washing, apply a quality moisturizer to the dry parts of your face only. Do not moisturize the T zone area, as this will cause it to produce more oil.
• Work towards normalizing your skin. This means focusing your efforts on evening out or balancing the oily and dry areas on your face. Use a product designed to balance or normalize skin.

AHA Creams
Creams that contain AHA or alpha hydroxyl acids act to normalize the skin. They are made from fruit acids or AHA’s and may contain retinols, a derivative of Vitamin A.

AHA creams work to rejuvenate and regenerate skin cells, sloughing off the top layer of skin that’s either very oily or very dry, and allowing the healthier lower layer of skin cells to rise to the surface. The younger and healthier cells are better able to absorb and use the moisturizers, promoting a healthier layer of skin cells.

Additionally, AHA’s help the skin hold in water by increasing its binding capabilities. With enough water in formerly dry areas, you’ll feel a decrease in that tight or pulling feeling that dry skin gives. So as a result, the same cream works in both directions: it addresses dry areas of the skin by enhancing hydration, and helps control oily parts of the face by removing the dead skin cells which trap oil on the skin’s surface.

AHA’s must be used continuously. If you stop using them, you will very quickly note that your skin goes back to its original condition and that there are few to no visible benefits after you stop applying the cream.

Controlling the Shine
The T zone area or oily area of your face will tend to become shinier as the day progresses. This is due to the natural build-up of oil in the pores. While you can’t prevent this from happening, using oil-absorbing makeup will help keep this area shine free.

Remember: the T zone is the area around the forehead and nose, so focus there. You can also use oil absorbing cloths and pads, patting them on the skin throughout the day to remove excess oils. You might need to touch up your oil absorbing make-up afterward.

Treating combination skin doesn’t need to be overwhelming, but it does require paying attention to the different needs of oily and dry skin. While there isn’t a cure for this type of problem, it’s both very common and very manageable with a good skin care regimen.

Check all your current facial products to make sure they’re designed for healthy-looking combination skin. Avoid ones that inadvertently dry the skin or lay on additional oils. Instead, work towards normalizing or balancing your skin, and you’ll see the results in a beautiful, healthy look.