Combination Skin Type: Managing Dual Skin Properties

Some people worry on how they can stop skin oiliness. Some will try everything to restore their skin’s moisture. Some, however, have both of the problems to take care of.

Human skin is classified according to moisture and oil content. Having a combination type of skin means that one person has both dry and oily skin on different parts of the body. In most cases, it manifests on the face. The cheeks are dry while the rest of the face is oily.

The person may also notice tightening of facial skin, especially after washing or bathing. These are the dehydrated zones. Tight skin is usually thin and non-elastic. Usually on the cheeks, there will be signs of cracked capillaries. These parts can be so thin that veins get visible.

As for the oily part, the “T-zone” is mostly affected. This includes the forehead, nose and chin. Despite the dryness in neighboring areas, the oil glands here are highly active. They produce more sebum (natural skin oil) than normal. The T-zone appears shinier and feels greasier than the rest of the face.

While there are cracks and scaling on the cheeks, the T-zone has enlarged pores. This will cause trapping of dirt and infection. In most cases, pimple and blackheads are concentrated on the T-zone.

Even experts agree that combination skin is the hardest to manage. Because the T-zone’s pimples appear more prominently, people tend to use regular oil control products. However, this will strip the drier regions of their oil content. This will solve the acne problem but will worsen scaling and peeling.

It is best to choose products that work on both dry and oily skin. There are gentle cleansing gels that can clean the pores without stripping essential oils. Combination skin type also needs regular use of mild toners and moisturizers.