If your skin feels taut and flaky on the cheeks but oily on the T-zone, forehead, nose and chin, you have what is known as combination skin. It is known to be present with little patches and also along with very few oily patches as it is a combination of both. Usually the dryness is seen on the cheeks and the oily part to be on the T-zone or it is called the Temple zone. After each wash some areas would be smooth where as the other would be dry and rough. As the T-zone is smooth, it is prone to breaking of spots and it also becomes shiny by the midday. It is also estimated that most of the women have this kind of skin. If your chin and nose are oily and the forehead is known to be drier, then it is defined as normal-to-combination skin type.
CAUSES OF COMBINATION SKIN
The development of combination skin type happens with time. It usually develops from the skins which were considered to be oily during the puberty. The surging hormones are those which control the sebum in the teen age. When become twenty years the oily skin which is present usually in the lower half of the face namely, chins and jaw line is caused due to the hormonal factors such as the pill, stress and menstruation. As the oiliness and the dryness in the combination skin changes with age, it is highly recommended to asses and determines the skin type often so that you get to know about the changing skin type. It is a proven fact the combination skin changes with time, age, seasons, hormonal fluctuations and even the environment.
Combination Skin Treatment
The treatment known for this type of skin has to be judicious mix of treatments for dry and oily skins. Care should be taken to see that the oily zone remains dry, while the cheeks are moisturized regularly.
Each day at the start use a foaming face wash to clean the face. This is very necessary as the oily areas would be kept clean and thus preventing the emergence of blackheads. On the other hand, in the evening use a cream cleanser to sooth and smoothen the dry areas. This is what is essential to keep a balance between both the extremities such as extreme dryness and oiliness. It is pretty difficult to manage a combination skin but it has to be done to make your skin feel young always. After the cleaning process, always go for a strong astringent for the oily areas and a light and mild skin freshener for the dry areas. People might think that this is something beyond their expectation and affording, but the truth is that it is economical as the amount required from each of the cosmetics is very little and is affordable too. Finally use moisturizer entirely over the face, but make sure that you specify the dry areas and concentrate on those well. Various nutrients that are considered to be necessary for skin healing and enhancing collagen repair are known to be Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc and selenium which are known to be essential antioxidants. For treating fine lines, wrinkles it is always the best to administer the essential fatty acids known as EFAs which could have a positive and proven effect on the skin. This is so because it acts as a barrier which helps in preventing moisture loss as it acts as a barrier which helps in combating dryness.
TIPS FOR CARING COMBINATION SKIN
Caring for combination skin type is quite difficult as the balance between the two skin types has to be maintained. There are several ways to combat this problem and bring a balance between the two.
1. Always make use of milder cleanser such as deep pore cleanser on the whole face and neck. This helps in keeping the oily T-zone clean and clear. Follow with this twice a day to come up with better results.
2. During summer use an antibacterial soap to control the bacterial invasion and to prevent further problems in the T-zone.
3. The dry areas need a good moisturizer, as these are known to stimulate the water penetration into the skin or it also works to decrease the rate at which the water evaporates from the surface of the skin. If the hydration is not enough, choose those lotions having silicone oils in them. This would help you moisturize your face without any feeling of extra oiliness and it is also light to use.
4. A toner which is free of alcohol should be used on the oily areas to prevent the shining of the central panel of the face. But make sure that you do not use it in the dry areas.
5. Exfoliate the skin so as to get a new and fresher look. While performing it check out the oilier areas more such as the nose, chin and even the forehead. The recommended mask for a combination skin is a gel mask. Otherwise you can prefer a clay mask for the oily areas such as forehead, chin and nose and a cream mask for dry areas which includes cheeks.
6. On oily areas always prefer oil-absorbing make up as this would surely control the shine.
7. Depend on a sunscreen whenever you step out and use those having a minimum of 15 SPF.
source: http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/guides/skin-types/