Types Of Skin

4.Combination Skin: Combination skin needs special attention because it has a blend of oily and dry patches. The centre panel or T-zone, across the forehead and down the nose and chin, tends to be oily, and needs to be treated like oily skin. However, the other areas are prone to dryness and flakiness from lack of moisture, and need to be treated like dry skin. Having said this, some combination skins don’t follow the T-zone pattern and can have patches of dry and oily skin in other arrangements. If you’re unsure of your skin’s oily or dry areas, press a tissue to your face an hour after washing it. Any greasy patches on the tissue signify oily areas.

Skin that has a combination of dry and oily patches requires a dual approach to skincare. Treating your entire complexion like oily skin will leave the dry areas even drier and tighter than before. In the same way, treating it only like dry skin can provoke excess oiliness and even an outbreak of blemishes. This means that you will need to deal with the different areas of skin individually, with products to suit. This isn’t as complicated and difficult as it sounds, and the result will be a softer, smoother, and clearer complexion than before.

Characteristics Of Combination Skin: 
Combination skin is normally a mix of oily skin in the centre of the face (an area commonly called the T-zone) plus dry or normal skin on the cheeks. Exactly which areas are affected often changes with age – teens find their forehead and nose are big problems and this tends to be caused by the hormones flying around in puberty; older women find chins sometimes break out, too, and this is often linked to increased stress levels. Outside the oily zone the state of the skin tends to depend a lot on your skincare. Using products to tackle the grease dramatically dries out the cheeks, chest and eyes. Tackling combination skin is therefore a matter of balance.

Do’s And Don’ts Of Combination Skin: 
Dos: 1.Choose cleansers for combination skin.
2.Use oil-free moisturizers. 
3.Apply acne products on the entire acne-prone T-zone, avoiding the eyes and mouth area. 
4.Use a sunscreen with SPF 26 or more. 
5.Cleanse your skin after a workout.
Don’ts: 1. Use two kinds of cleansers and moisturizers on different parts of your face.
2. Use balancing lotions.
3. Apply a moisturizer or make-up before working out.
4. Forget to wear sunscreen.

General Guidelines For Combination Skin: 
1. Avoid bar soaps and bar cleansers as they tend to dry up the skin. Use gel based cleansers or mildly foaming cleansers which are gentle and mild.
2. Avoid using different toners for different areas of your skin. If you opt for a toner apply it all over your face if is non-greasy. Thus water and glycerin based toners are best for combination skins but make sure that they have lots of anti-oxidants in them. 
3. Use sunscreen everyday. Sunscreen lotions with SPF 26 and in a non-oily base is ideal for combination skins.
4. Exfoliation of combination skin is a must. Use a beta hydroxy acid (BHA / salicylic acid) product which only exfoliates the surface of skin it also exfoliates inside the pore to improve its shape and function.
5. Treat all dry patches of your skin with a moisturizer loaded with anti-oxidants and water-binding agents.
6. Apply an oil-absorbing facial mask as required but only apply it over oily areas. Apply after cleansing, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly.
7. At night actuate your routine moisturizer to the eye area and follow with a thin layer of olive, evening primrose, or borage oil. 
8. Cleaning and caring for the skin prevents cracking, inflammation, and infection as well as wrinkling, dry spots and age spots.

How To Care For Combination Skin: 
Your aim should be to treat the problem on one area of the face without harming the skin of the other areas. Your first step is cleansing. It’s best to avoid harsh cleansers that are formulated for oily skin or milky cleansers that are formulated for dry skin and instead use a moisturizing cleansing bar or facial wash. The foaming action of these will help strip through the oil on the greasier parts of your skin but won’t dehydrate the cheeks at the same time. After cleansing, use a gentle exfoliator. Many women with combination skin find they tend to get spots around their nose as the dry flakes of skin from their cheeks stick to the oily areas and so cause blockages. Gentle exfoliation will go a long way to help reduce this.
Exfoliation will loosen blackheads, but for the ultimate blackheads-buster turn to pore strips – little sticky pads which you place over blocked pores and then pull off. These are perfect for combination skins as they allow you to focus your treatment on the affected area. For best results use the strips every day for three days, then reduce it to just once a week.
The final step in your skincare program is your moisturizer, and here you do need to pander a little to your different skin types. During the day, when beating the shine is what counts, you should use mattifying products to soak up the sebum produced in your T-zone without drying out your cheeks.
Many companies now sell mattifying products using ingredients like witch hazel, talcum powder or cornstarch to soak up oil without irritation. At night, choose oil-free creams or light moisture lotions which will supply your cheeks with extra hydration without over-stimulating the oil in your T-zone.

Beauty Regimen For Combination Skin: 
A dual approach to skincare will double the benefits for combination skin, and it need not be terribly time-consuming.
1.Choose an oil-based eye make-up remover to clear away every trace of eye make-up from the delicate area which is prone to dryness. Use a cotton bud to remove any stubborn traces. Splash with cool water afterwards to rinse away any excess oil.
2.Use a foaming facial wash in the morning. This ensures oily areas are clean, and clears pores to prevent blackheads. Massage a little onto damp skin, especially dry areas. Leave for a few seconds to dissolve the dirt, then splash clean with cool water.
3. Exfoliate to avoid flakes of dry skin clogging pores. Using a gentle facial scrub or a flannel, rub the cheeks lightly. Go more intensely when tackling the greasy areas of the face to help loosen blackheads.
4. Boil a kettle of water and pour some into a large bowl. Add four drops of rosewater to the bowl – this hydrates the skin and will prevent the steam drying out the cheeks while it tackles the nose. A the hot steam has dispersed, lower your face over the bowl, keeping it 10 inches off the water. Put a towel over your head and stay put for up to 10 minutes.
5. On big pamper sessions go for the double mask. Shop around for a hydrating moisture mask you apply to your cheeks and throat and a clay-based mask for the oily areas. Leave the masks on for 10 minutes and rinse with tepid water before applying your normal light moisturizer. Alternatively, try the following mask: Wash rose petals of 1 rose in water. Soak for a few minutes and then crush them is a bowl. Add 1 tbsp rosewater, 1 tbsp natural yoghurt and 1 tbsp honey. Mix well and apply to the skin for five minutes. Rinse off with tepid water. A rose based mask is an excellent balancing treatment for combination skin.
6. In the evening, switch to a cream cleanser, to keep dry areas of skin clean and soothed. This will balance excess oiliness or dryness in your complexion. Massage well into your skin, concentrating on the drier areas, then gently remove with cotton wool pads.
7. To freshen your skin, you need two different strengths of toner to deal with the differing skin types. Choose a stronger astringent for oily areas, and a mild skin freshener for drier ones. This isn’t as costly as you think, because you will use only a little of each. Sweep over your skin with cotton wool pads.
8. Smooth moisturizer onto your entire face, concentrating on the drier areas. Then blot off any excess from the oily areas with a tissue. This will give all your skin the nourishment it needs.

Home Treatments For Combination Skin: If you have a combination skin, use two masks – one suitable for oily skin and one for dry skin. Just apply each one to the area that needs it. Here are some general face packs especially formulated for combination skin types. 
1.Egg And Oatmeal Mask: Mix 1 egg white, 1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal and 1 teaspoon olive oil until smooth. 
2.Rose Mask: This mask is good for both the oily and dry areas of your skin. Soak 5 rose petals in water and then crush them. Add 2 Tbsp rosewater, 1 Tbsp yogurt and 1 Tbsp honey (heated in a microwave for a few second to melt it) and mix well. Apply on face and wash off after 15 minutes. 
3.Papaya Mask: Apply a pack made of half a cup of powered, dry peas, mixed with three spoons of curd, juice of one lemon and half a cup of papaya pulp. Apply it for 20 minutes and wash your face with ice- cold water. Better still rub an ice cube dipped in rose water over the T-Zone. It prevents enlarged pores and blackheads. Freeze tray with rose water ice cubes so you can rub your face with them any time of the day especially after a bath as it opens the pores. 
4.Plum Face Mask: Mix a mashed Peach and a mashed Plum to 2 tsp honey and an egg. Apply on face, leave for 1/2 an hour and wash. 
5.Gram Flour Mask: Mix a tbsp gram flour with 1 tsp lime juice and a pinch of turmeric powder and 2 tsp raw milk. Apply on face and rinse.

Top 5 Tips For Combination Skin: 
1. Don’t scrub oily areas too much – this irritates the skin and increases oil production.
2. Don’t treat your whole face the same. Your T-zone will require cleansing twice a day, while the cheeks only need doing once. It’s vice versa with moisturizing.
3. After using pore strips, apply tea tree oil to your nose. It will reduce redness and cut bacteria levels in the pores.
4. Avoid leave-in hair conditioners. Ingredients in these block the forehead’s pores, making already greasy skin worse.
5. Don’t forget eye creams: you may need to avoid rich moisturizers on your cheeks, but you should’nt skin them on the delicate skin around your eyes.

The Right Make-Up For Combination Skin: 
Choose some products which are labelled for your skin type, and test them on the back of your hand for a good colour match.
1. Use a non-greasy light foundation which matches your skin type.
2. For make-up your best bet would be anything oil-free/water-based. If you do not require full coverage try M.A.C. Studio Mist Foundation it both lightweight and seems to be water based.
3. Look for products that normalize your skin, such as those that contain alpha hydroxy acids. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) are derived from fruit, milk and sugar cane and have anti-inflammatory properties. When applied to the skin they help remove dead skin cells (exfoliate), giving you a younger appearance.
4. Use make-up with oil absorbing properties, and oil free.
5. Always use a sunscreen with SPF 26 or more in a non-greasy lotion base.

Anti-Ageing Products: You can opt for anti-oxidant supplements like Carofit and Casera for a month and then take a break for a couple of months before resuming. However, consult a dermatologist before taking up any course. Taking Evening Primrose oil capsules for a few days occasionally is also helpful. If you have a mild rosacea (a skin condition characterised by red patches on the skin) avoid retinoids, though they are recommended for women over 40.

Special Treatments: 
If you have a combination skin and suffer from Adult acne, use Clindac – a gel for relief. If you have a problem of strong expression lines you can resort to Botox as an effective treatment. People with combination skins can also use laser Photofacial which stimulates and redistributes collagen in the facial skin thus acting as an effective anti-ageing measure. You can also use NdYAG laser treatment for hair reduction on the upper lip area if your have hair on your upper lip. This is quite an effective treatment.