This week’s theme is all about combination skin.
Although we divide the skin into different skin types, many of us have a mix of several skin types. This occurs to such an extent that the combination skin is actually the most common skin type. In this type, some skin areas may be slightly oily with slightly coarse pores. For example, on the nose, forehead and chin. At the same time, the skin is dry on the rest of the face.
A combination skin can easily experience outbreaks in some periods and be perfect in others, this is always due to different internal or external factors meaning everything from diet to weather changes to stress.
Characteristics of combination skin type:
- Coarse / or visible pores in the T-zone
- Oily ares
- Enlarged pores
- The cheeks may be dry
- Comedones - can be seen both open and closed
Focus on treatment for combination skin:
- Cleanse and exfoliate the epidermis
- Lymphatic drainage for inner deep cleansing
- Balance sebum production
- Moisture
- Protect
EXTERNAL SKINCARE FOR COMBINATION SKIN
Combination skin benefits from thorough cleansing every evening so that the sebum doesn’t clog and expand the pores, at the same time it shouldn’t be drying or contain soapy ingredients as this will exacerbate the dry areas. Oil or facebalm cleansing is great for combination skin. Massage the oil or balm into skin and use a soft wash cloth with lukewarm water (clean one, don’t reuse the next day), to gently exfoliate and wash off the oil/balm. Find a complete guide HERE how to use our Facebalm 01.
Mild, astringent and soothing herbal teas or mists complete the cleansing by disinfecting and contracting the pores. White tea, rooibos tea or hibiscus tea is great as a mist for combination skin as they contain antioxidants that calm and protect the skin.
As a moisturizer use a light oil with omega 3 as this helps to balance sebum production. We like to combine squalane with inca inchi for a light and absorbable serum for combination skin. In autumn and winter, exchange the oil blend for half a pea sized amount of our Seabuckthorn facebalm. Massage into clean, damp skin, misted with tea or hydrolates.
Apply a face scrub once or twice a week that removes dead skin cells, prevents impurities and refines the pores. A mix of honey and clay will cleanse and shrink the pores by absorbing excess sebum. Honey will soften, disinfect and moisturize skin. Wash off with lukewarm water and a washcloth.
Look for the following ingredients in your skincare products:
Essential oils for combination skin
Mix 1% of essential oil with 99% vegetable oil or facebalm
- Neroli oil
- Green myrtle oil
- Blue tansy oil
- Helichrysum oil (italicum)
- Bergamot oil
- Rose otto oil
- Tea tree oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Ylang ylang oil
- Moroccan camomile oil
Vegetable oils for combination skin:
- Hemp
- Sea buckthorn
- Watermelon
- Rosehip
- Inca inchi
- Nigella
- Ricinus (max 10% in total)
- Jojoba
- Sheabutter
- Argan oil
- Acai oil
Active ingredients for combination skin:
- Papain enzymes
- Cucumber
- Aloe vera
- Honey
- Clay
- Hyaluronic acid
- Algae
- Vitamin B5
- Salicylic acid
- Vitamin A.
Avoid on combination skin:
- Over-treating the skin with dehydrating products
- Comedogenic fats such as petrolatum, paraffin and Vaseline (clog pores)
- Heavy night products (clogs the skin)
- SLS (foaming sulphate that dries, degreases and damages the skin barrier)
- Mineral oils (clog pores)
- Cocoa butter (can clog the pores in some)
- Coconut oil (can clog the pores in some)
- Harsh exfoliators which damage the skin and cause irritation, damage and inflammation.
- Oleic acid-rich oils such as almond, apricot, acai, argan and avocado during periods of break-outs, if no break-outs these oils are fine to use on combination skin.
- Silicone(clogs pores)
INTERNAL SKIN CARE FOR COMBINATION SKIN
Take a spoonful of omega 3 rich oil daily. Choose algae oil or fish oil extracted from liver, which also contains vitamin A. Make sure your choice of oil has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low TOTOX value (rancidity value).
Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to maintain a stable fluid balance. Especially herbal teas such as stinging nettle, red clover, viola tricolor, linden flower, rooibos, green/white tea, peppermint and fenugreek work wonders on combination skin.
If you're interested in knowing more about the different skintypes, you can read about the dry skin HERE and the oily skin HERE.
