THE BEST ROUTINE FOR COMBINATION SKIN
Combination skin is not always easy to identify. Have you noticed that some parts of your skin are dry and other parts are oily? If this is the case, you might have combination skin. It can be tricky to take care of it well - finding the perfect balance between moisturising without creating excess oils.
We've got the tips you need to understand this type of skin and to find the best routine to adopt to take care of it.
But First, What is Combination Skin?
While oily skin has the particularity of presenting an excess of sebum over the entire face, combination skin is recognised by the presence of excess sebum located only on the T zone (forehead, nose, chin) . The skin on the cheeks is normal or dry. Not sure? Take a sheet of tissue paper and place it over your entire face for a few moments. If the paper has greasy streaks where the forehead, nose, and chin is, but not elsewhere, you have combination skin.
Other characteristics of combination skin include bigger pores on the T zone, and your skin being subject to more visible irregularities like blackheads.
What Are The Causes?
Why do we have combination skin? First of all, the presence of shine on the face is a completely normal and a natural phenomenon. The sebum allows your skin to protect itself against external aggressions and dryness. However, in the case of combination skin, there is excessive sebum production exclusively on the T zone.
This characteristic is often hereditary and results from internal factors such as hormones and their possible dysregulation. During adolescence, the skin will also tend to be more oily due to the increase in hormone levels. It is therefore complicated to control this “fatty” aspect of your skin, because it is a question of its physiology.
Good Habits To Adopt
- Hydration! Whether on inside, by drinking enough water (1.5L), or 6 to 9 glasses per day, or on the outside, by moisturising your skin.
- Eat healthy and balanced, limit sugar and excess fat. Vitamin B6 (green vegetables, potato, banana, egg, etc.) and vitamin C (blackcurrant, parsley, raw red pepper, kiwi, etc.) are also great.
- Omega-3s are also good: they allow good oxygenation of cells and thus act on the epidermis. You can find it in salmon, tuna, nuts…
- Vitamin A (carrot juice, sweet potato, spinach) and vitamin E (sunflower seeds, hazelnut oil, sardines) are also said to have a positive effect on the skin.
Taking Care of Combination Skin
Cleanse & Moisturise
Thoroughly cleanse your face morning and evening with a gentle cleanser. It is an essential step to rid your skin of the oily film of sebum and any impurities that can become encrusted throughout the day. Especially if you wear makeup, you must remove makeup residue so that the pores do not clog. Be careful, however, never to "strip" your skin with products that are too abrasive or irritating, because the skin will tend to produce more sebum to defend itself.
Moisturising your skin is important so your skin is fresh and luminous. Just because parts of your face tend to be oily, doesn't mean they don't need their hydration fix. Good hydration allows the skin of your face to be protected from external aggressions and dryness.
Sun Protection
Protecting your skin from the sun is very important to preserve beautiful young skin, as long as possible. In summer, when the skin is exposed to the sun, it tends to thicken, which makes it harder for the sebum to escape - you might even feel that your skin is drier.
Therefore, always apply SPF protection when you plan to be out in the sun. In addition, your skin will "age" better, the sun being the number one cause of premature skin ageing!
Combination Skincare Routine
1. Cleansing
Your routine begins with a thorough cleansing of your face. In the morning, when you wake up, it is essential to eliminate the impurities that may have accumulated on your skin at night. So opt for a gentle cleanser, the Cleansing Gel-To-Foam, combining Thyme and Cucumber Extract, will be perfect to cleanse while waking up your skin.
In the evening, after a long day, when your skin has been able to cope with pollution and impurities from the external environment, practice a double cleansing. First with an oil based cleanser, such as our Cleansing Oil-To-Milk then a water based cleanser, such as our Aqua Réotier Water Gel Cleanser. Finally, finish off with a spritz of Aqua Réotier Hydrating Mist to instantly hydrate and energise the skin.
2. Targeted Treatments
Combination skin can benefit greatly from multi-masking, by targeting different skin concerns on your face - like oiliness and dryness. Apply our Purifying Mask on the T-Zone, our Hydrating Mask on the cheeks.
Exfoliating your skin once a week removes the most encrusted impurities and dead skin. It is there complementary and targeted treatments that will help improve the appearance of your skin over the long term.
And who doesn't love a little pamper session?
3. Serum
A serum is the little boost that will deeply treat your skin problem. This is because they have active ingredients that target areas of the skin that other products cannot reach. Before going to bed, take the time to apply our Immortelle Reset Serum, while massaging your face and stretching your skin outwards.
Does your skin have dark spots or acne scars? Apply our Reine Blanche Serum in the morning, before moisturising your face. Its illuminating action helps to make your complexion more radiant and evens your skin tone.
4. Moisturiser
To hydrate your combination skin, opt for a light moisturiser which is not too rich and oily so to not over-saturate your skin which is already producing excess sebum on the T zone.
Our Aqua Reotier Ultra Thirst-Quenching Cream Moisturiser is a fresh and comforting face cream that instantly recharges skin with water leaving it replenished, radiant and plumped. If your cheeks are dry or have a tendency to tighten, apply a richer cream such as our Shea Light Comforting Cream, with 5% Shea Butter.
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