Combination skin means that one part of your face is oily while the other is dry skin. Combination skin is one of the more difficult types of skin to treat. You can’t treat your skin for dryness since part of your skin is oily, and you can’t treat for oily since the other part is oily. Many people don’t realize that they have combination skin and they think they have normal, oily, dry or even sensitive skin.

Usually the part of the face that is oily is defined as the T-zone; this is the forehead, the nose and chin. The dry parts of the face are usually the cheeks and around the eyes. But not everyone has the same kind of combination skin; your forehead may be dry and your cheeks oily. Finding what parts of your face are oily and what parts are dry is the first step in treating your acne.

You need to treat the different parts of your skin to properly care for your skin and get rid of acne. But for some people using acne treatments that are for normal skin have worked for them. Acne treatments for normal skin is meant for skin that is not overly oily or dry, so if parts of your face meet these standards you might be able to use products for normal skin. But you can customize your acne treatment by using different products for different reasons.

What Is Combination Skin?

To understand combination skin, we have to first understand what dry and oily skin are.

Skin which doesn’t produce enough natural oil is considered dry, and symptoms include tightness, flaking, and inflammation. This dryness can be very irritating, and that irritation can lead to acne breakouts.

Overproduction of skin oils, however, causes oily skin which appears shiny or “greasy” and this can make it easier for clogged pores to fill with sebum and turn into acne.

Combination skin, just as the name implies, is when a person experienced dryness on certain areas of the face (typically the cheeks) while other areas (such as the T-zone) are oily.

Treatment for Combination Skin:

Use a Gel-based Cleanser:

People with combination skin acne usually have an extremely oily skin on the forehead, chin and nose, so in order to get rid of the excess oil, they should invest in a good quality gel based cleanser which removes the excess oil from the skin. Using astringents, if the skin is excessively oily, helps too.

Apply Topical Creams:

Regular application of skin creams, especially those which contain benzoyl peroxide, help in eliminating the bacteria present on the skin which can otherwise cause acne to develop. Such creams should be applied on the affected skin areas twice a day to get rid of combination skin acne.

Hypoallergenic Soap:

A good acne treatment for combination skin is to use soap intended for sensitive skin. Never use bar soaps. A clear, gel soap used daily will remove oils from the oily patches without drying out the dry areas. Do not use exfoliants or scrub too hard on your skin. Use warm water, not hot. Do this twice a day for better looking skin.

Benzoyl Peroxide:

This acne treatment comes in an effective cream that dries up acne. Combination skin types should use a benzoyl cream with a 2.5 percent concentration to keep skin from becoming overly dry. Dab the benzoyl cream on the breakouts and smooth it on your face. Do this twice a day.

Oil-Free Moisturizer:

A moisturizer may be the last thing you think you need, but your dry patches need help. Pick an oil free lotion for your face. After washing your skin, pat it dry. Apply oil-free moisturizer to your skin to sooth dryness. Pat away any excess moisturizer with a clean towel.

Home Acne Treatment for Combination Skin

To care for both oily and dry skin simultaneously you want to moisturize without making your skin more oily and you want to cleanse your skin without drying your skin out. By using natural ingredients that are gentle on the skin you can take care of your entire face.

• For the parts of your face that are oily make a facial scrub that contains ingredients like honey and aloe vera. Avoid ingredients like tea tree oil and olive oil. Add an antibacterial and cleansing agent like lemon. If you would like to exfoliate your skin while you scrub add a small amount of oatmeal or sea salt to your facial scrub.
• For the parts of your face that are dry make a moisturizing mask. For the mask you do want ingredients like olive oil, tea tree oil and aloe vera; you can even use avocado or mashed grapes. For the antibacterial agent lemons is safe on dry skin, but add a smaller amount of lemon juice. Leave the mask on for 10 to 15 minutes and wash off with warm water. After cleansing your face and taking the mask off be sure to moisturize.