Having combination skin means that one area of your body (the face, for instance) contains two different types of skin. This can be a real problem since it is difficult to treat the same part of your body in two different ways. If you want to have healthy-looking combination skin, there are a few steps you can take.

Detecting and Caring for Combination Skin

A common example of combination skin is on the face. Your "T" zone (the zone from your forehead to your chin, including the nose) might be oilier than average, while you might simultaneously have normal-to-dry cheeks. So how should you treat these two areas?

If you are using a heavy facial cleanser to treat the more oily parts of your face, you might find that it is simultaneously drying out your cheeks. The best way to avoid this problem is to use a more mild cleanser. When you are finished with the cleanser, apply moisturizer only to the dry cheek areas, avoiding the oily "T" zone.

It is also possible to treat combination skin with special normalizing products. These products (like fruit acids and retinols) may be able to create a more regulated skin surface, so that you're not dry in one spot and oily in another. While these can be very effective, it is probably a good idea to try washing and moisturizing solutions before advancing to more serious treatments.