While it’s not always easy to find the right products to balance it, we’ve got expert tips and a product lineup to help you get started.

Having combination skin is a bit like juggling two personalities. “It’s characterized by having both oily and normal or dry areas,” explains William Matthew Yee Sui Chun, head of medical communications at Vichy Laboratoires. Most often, you will find an excess of sebum on the middle region of the face formed by the forehead, the nose and the chin (the T-zone), which is oily and prone to blackheads and dilated pores. The rest of the face may tend to feel tight and lack suppleness, two typical symptoms of dry skin.

The Perfect Beauty Kit

When you feel like your skin is two skin types in one, you may think you need twice as many products to target each separately. But that’s not necessary. You can opt for products that are made specifically for combination skin, or use ones that are gentle enough for the whole face. After cleansing your skin with a nondrying purifying cleanser, exfoliate to eliminate dead cells, impurities and excess sebum. “Exfoliation helps prevent clogged pores, which are common in oilier skin types, and bacteria buildup that can cause redness, pimples and blackheads,” says Nancy Labonté, skin-care and cosmetics specialist at IDC Dermo. You may want to exfoliate the T-zone more often than the cheeks or drier areas of your face. If your skin is prone to irritation, opt for a mild enzymatic or chemical scrub, such as one made with a lower concentration of glycolic acid, with moisturizing benefits or salicylic acid, which is suitable for both oily and sensitive skin. Then, continue with a routine of nongreasy, noncomedogenic serum and lotion or cream. “Avoid alcohol-based products, which can further dehydrate already dry areas, and occlusive ingredients, which make oily areas even more oily,” advises Yee Sui Chun. Instead, opt for products that regulate excess sebum (if they have a mattifying effect, that’s even better!) while providing beneficial hydration for both dry and oily areas. “If you don’t provide this hydration to the skin, it will try to make more moisture by itself through the production of sebum,” says Labonté. To counter the vicious cycle of an increasingly oily yet dehydrated epidermis, the specialist recommends betting on a key ingredient—hyaluronic acid—capable of retaining up to 1,000 times its weight in water and tolerated by all skin types. Last but not least, always finish off your routine with adequate sun protection!

Our product picks

Take care of your combination skin with these effective and targeted products.

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
INNISFREE Intensive Hydrating Serum with Green Tea Seed, $35, sephora.ca.

 

Five kinds of hyaluronic acid, green tea extract and a patented Green Tea “Tri-biotics” complex are the secrets to this light serum that hydrates your skin, strengthens its moisture barrier and supports your skin’s microbiome.

 

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
IDC DERMO Glowfix Peel Daily Brightening Resurfacing Pads, $52, idcdermo.com.

With a combination of lactic, glycolic, citric, tartaric and malic acids (also known as AHAs), fruit enzymes and calming antioxidants, these biodegradable exfoliating pads slowly eliminate dead cells and impurities. Be sure to use these at night, and to apply sunscreen daily because AHAs increase the photosensitivity of the skin.

 

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
CAUDALIE Vinopure Moisturizing Mattifying Fluid, $45, caudalie.ca. 

Formulated for combination skin, this noncomedogenic daily fluid hydrates the skin, mattifies the complexion and visibly refines its texture by reducing the appearance of pimples and blackheads. It contains 96 percent ingredients of natural origin, including polyphenols, known for their antioxidant and antiwrinkle properties.

 

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
LANEIGE Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer, $43, sephora.ca.

Rich in amino acids that strengthen the skin barrier, this two-in-one treatment with white tea leaf water has it all! On one hand, it acts as a toner by softening and preparing the epidermis to effectively receive the next treatments. On the other, it hydrates the skin for 24 hours like a cream.

 

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
VICHY LABORATOIRES Pureté Thermale Hydrating and Cleansing Foaming Cream, $21, vichy.ca.

This gentle cleanser comes to your skin’s rescue with its hypoallergenic noncomedogenic formula containing citric acid and moringa seed extract. The benefits? The elimination of excess sebum, makeup, impurities and pollution without overdrying the skin.

 

Photography, © Bruno Petrozza
GLOW RECIPE Watermelon Glow Hyaluronic Clay Pore-Tight Facial, $53, sephora.ca.

This mask purifies the skin without drying it out by relying on clay infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid. In addition, it exfoliates the epidermis thanks to brightening watermelon enzymes and acids (BHA and PHA) that unclog pores. Voilà…a radiant complexion!