Combination skin or oily skin, each skin type has well-defined characteristics. Contrary to certain preconceived ideas, oily skin does not only concern teenagers. In the same way, combination skin can concern both women and men. Discover our tips for caring for combination to oily skin with the right skin care products.
How do you recognise combination to oily skin?
Understanding the specificities of oily skin is important in order to find the right balance in the skin care routine.
The role of sebum
Sebum is the oily film naturally secreted by the skin and which plays an essential role in its proper functioning. It is part of the composition of the hydrolipidic film which protects the skin from external aggressions and gives it its suppleness. The sebum therefore helps to maintain a good level of hydration by retaining water.
Oily skin comes from a defect in the regulation of the sebaceous glands which produce too much sebum.
This excess of seborrhoea can be linked to different factors:
- Heredity,
- Hormonal disorders,
- External factors such as stress, pollution, tobacco, and climate change...
The characteristics of oily skin
Excessive sebum production causes the pores to dilate, thickening the epidermis and giving the skin a shiny appearance.
These characteristics are generally more pronounced on the so-called "T" area (forehead, nose, chin), which concentrates the hair follicles through which the sebum flows.
Why is oily skin more prone to blemishes?
The overproduction of sebum risks clogging the pores of the skin, which no longer breathes and becomes a breeding ground for the appearance of imperfections: redness, pimples or blackheads.
Between overly aggressive cleansers and lack of hydration, it is not always easy to take care of oily skin. Here are the essential gestures to preserve them.
The characteristics of combination skin
The so-called combination skin is a non-homogeneous skin. Indeed, it presents rather dry areas and others rather oily. It is this opposition of characteristics that makes it so specific. It borrows from both dry and oily skin.
In people with combination skin, the areas of the face are divided into two parts:
- Areas where the skin is normal or dry: the cheekbones, the eye contour and the area around the lips.
- Oily areas: forehead, nose, chin (T-zone).
- A care routine adapted to combination to oily skin.
Between overly aggressive cleansers and lack of hydration, it is not always easy to take care of oily skin. Here are the essential gestures to preserve them.
Cleanse your skin morning and evening.
This ritual allows you to eliminate impurities (dead cells, traces of make-up, pollution...) and to prepare the skin to receive the treatments. Indeed, a cleansed skin absorbs better the active ingredients contained in the care products.
To do this, prefer a gentle cleansing gel, without aggressive surfactants or alcohol, which preserves the skin's hydrolipidic film. Prefer organic products because they contain more natural active ingredients and less aggressive agents that are harmful to the skin.
Conventional products, which are too aggressive, will tend to favour the production of sebum.
Is it necessary to exfoliate when you have oily skin?
Due to a higher production of sebum, dust and impurities are easily deposited on oily skin and remain stuck to the face. Scrubs are therefore essential to allow the skin to breathe and cleanse. However, beware of the vicious circle: exfoliation that is too harsh or too frequent may encourage the skin to produce even more sebum to protect itself. The solution? Once a week, no more than once a week, exfoliate your skin with a gentle exfoliating cream based on jojoba or argan oil, or aloe vera gel..., rich in moisturising and protective active ingredients.
Moisturise your skin with suitable products.
Contrary to certain preconceived ideas, oily skin needs to be moisturised as much as others. The lipidic barrier must be protected and reinforced to allow the skin to regulate itself properly. However, not all skin care products are suitable for oily skin.