Neither oily nor dry—combination skin is the trickiest to deal with! While you cannot have two different skincare routines to treat different parts of your facial skin, it’s important to find a middle-ground. This way, you’ll be able to maintain a balance by keeping the dry patches hydrated and controlling oil production of the oily patches of your skin.
If you have combination skin, you might notice that the T-zone (nose, chin and forehead) are shiny and have clogged pores, whereas the skin on your cheeks, jaw and hairline is slightly flaky and red due to dryness. Well, here’s putting your combination skin woes to rest. We’ve got you covered with a definitive AM-to-PM skincare routine for your skin type.
AM Skincare Routine
Step 1: Cleanse
You neither want your skin to look drier, nor do you want it to look too oily. *phew* For a combination skin type, we suggest you try the Lakmé Blush & Glow Kiwi Crush Gel Face Wash to cleanse your face in the morning. Kiwi being a rich source of Vitamin C is essential for collagen production and helps firm your skin, while keeping it highly nourished. Thrice a week, follow it up with exfoliation. Exfoliate your skin gently with a BHA (beta hydroxy acid)-infused product particularly on the oily patches of your face. BHA will not only exfoliate skin but also kill acne-causing bacteria.
Step 2: Tone
Once you’ve used a gentle cleanser, reach for a toner to effectively cleanse pores and remove residue oil while also hydrating your skin at the same time. The best kind of toners for combination skin are the ones that are rich in antioxidants and hydrating compounds. Such toners will benefit the drier patches on your face. You can try the Lakmé Absolute Pore Fix Toner as it is the perfect fix for reducing dryness as well as the appearance of oily skin.
Step 3: Apply serum
When you have combination skin, you want a serum that won’t sway your complexion to the extremes of dry or oily. In such cases, it’s best to pick a retinol-based serum. Retinol works well on both dry and oily skin by keeping dry patches at bay and preventing your pores from clogging.
Step 4: Moisturise
When it comes to hydrating combination skin, you want to maintain the perfect balance. While you do want fast hydration, you don’t want your skin to look over-shiny at the same time. We suggest you get your hands on the Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser SPF 15 which protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays and keeps skin nourished. Moisturise the dry areas of your face twice a day, whereas, apply only once on the T-zone and other oily patches.
Step 5: Protect
Never ever step out of the house without applying sunscreen. From showing early signs of ageing to pigmentation and dark spots, the harsh UV rays can have adverse effects on your skin. Choose an oil-free sunscreen for the oilier parts of your face such as the Pond’s Sun Protect Non-Oily Sunscreen SPF 30 and another one which is lightweight and non-greasy such as the Lakmé Sun Expert SPF 50 PA+++ Ultra Matte Lotion Sunscreen for the drier parts of your face. Don’t neglect any spots, especially the corners of your eyes, upper hairline, top of your ears and lower eyelids.
PM Skincare Routine
Step 1: Remove makeup
The first thing you want to do after getting home is… no, don’t make the mistake of directly reaching for a face wash. Get rid of your makeup by using the Simple Kind To Skin Micellar Cleansing Water. This cleansing water will easily break up grime, makeup, and excess oil, without causing dryness as opposed to makeup removers infused with harsh chemicals. The micelles act like tiny magnets that draw out pore-clogging impurities, thereby prepping your skin for a second cleanse.
Step 2: Cleanse
If you want squeaky clean skin before hitting the sheets, then reach for your facial cleanser. Since your skin is exposed to heat and pollutants, it is best to double cleanse. Doing so will help remove any remaining traces of makeup and other bacteria, without stripping your skin of its natural moisture. Take a gem-sized amount, massage it into your skin and rinse with lukewarm water.
Step 3: Lightweight serum
End your night-time skincare routine with the Lakmé Absolute Ideal Tone Refinishing Night Concentrate, a lightweight formula that visibly transforms dull and uneven skin. This serum helps gently exfoliate skin, reduces dead skin cells and pore-clogging impurities, leaving you with an ideal tone. We suggest you use this serum every alternate night so as to not add more trouble to the oily patches on your face. Alternate between a night cream and night serum to strike a perfect balance between dry and oily.
Written by Fatema Habib on Oct 01, 2019