When we begin the journey of taking care of ourselves and protect our skineither to keep it healthy and without blemishes or to slow down aging, one of the first questions we should ask ourselves is what is our skin type. One of the easiest ways to find out is to wash your face and observe your behavior 30 minutes later.
If after that time we notice it tight, we would have dry skin. If, on the other hand, it is shiny and oily to the touch, it is oily; But if we only notice shine in the forehead, nose and chin areawe would be talking about mixed skin.
Unfortunately, this last type of skin is the most difficult to take care of, since it requires products that hydrate the cheeks well, but do not cause acne breakouts, and others that mattify the well-known ‘T’ zone, but that do not dry out the cheekbones, for What we have to strike a balance.
“Combination skin is the most common skin type. and occurs with a combination of oilier parts and drier parts, giving rise to shine, imperfections and clogged or dilated pores due to increased sebaceous secretion, especially in the areas of the forehead, nose and chin”, we explains Iván Lorenzo, pharmacist and scientific director of Olyan farma.
In order to create the perfect routine, we must look at the assets that carry what we are going to put on our faces. “All products used in the routine must be ‘oil free’ and non-comedogenic, especially in the oiliest areas, without forgetting hydration! In this type of skin, regulating sebum production will improve the condition of the skin and prevent associated pathologies such as acne,” adds the expert.
Lorenzo advises us to go to cosmetics that contain salicylic acid (pores) azelaic acid (anti-imperfections and mattifying), retinol, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, avoiding exfoliants that are not chemical or enzymatic and, above all, silicones, “since they can clog pores,” he says. With this in mind, we can now build our complete facial routine.
1. Double cleaning
Although it is a trend in cosmetics, combination skin will benefit from a good double cleansing. “You always have to do a double cleaning at night, with a oily first step like a make-up remover milk and a second step with an aqueous cleanser, but one that is not aggressive, to avoid irritation”, the expert clarifies.
The oils in the make-up remover act like a magnet for sebum, make-up residue and sunscreen, melting them and making them much easier to remove. On the other hand, the aqueous cleaner ends by cleaning the face, eliminating the remains of the oil.
the cleansing oil Vitamin E-Raser Cleansing Oil by Meisani (€24.95) contains more than 79% naturally-derived ingredients in a vitamin cocktail to control free radicals that does not clog pores. It is perfect to combine it with the Cicapair Enzyme Foam Cleanser by Dr.Jart+ (€23.99), a cleanser that gently removes impurities and minimizes skin irritation and redness, providing intense hydration.
2. Tonic
Toners help the active ingredients that we are going to apply afterwards to penetrate the skin much better and if it also provides extra benefits, it is perfect. For example, the tonic Clearing Face Tonic by Dr. Schrammek (32 €) will help us with this step.
It is formulated so that it can be used at any age. From young skins that begin to have acne to the most adult. “In addition to treating impurities, since it is 0% irritating, it does not dry out the skin, something common in products designed for this type of face,” says Ana Gallego, from Dra. Schrammek Spain. Contains niacinamide, zinc and allantoinamong other ingredients, which mattifies and evens out the skin, regulates excessive sebum production and helps reduce impurities and prevent inflammation.
3. Specific treatment
To get rid of acne we can use specific treatments, either in the form of serum or cream. In this step we have to pay close attention to the ingredients and one of the favorites for combination skin is the azelaic acid.
This asset can be found in the cream Azelaic Acid 20% by Boderm Acmed (€18.62). It is ideal for treating skin with acne, rosacea and sebum regulation of facial skin. Formulated with 20% azelaic acid, which helps eliminate free radicals and has an anti-inflammatory action.
4. Moisturizer
Hydration and nutrition is very important to keep shine at bay and cheeks healthy and we can achieve this with a oil-free cream. These creams make the skin look juicy and young without causing acne breakouts, so they are ideal for combination skin.
the moisturizing cream Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream from Kiehl’s (€16.99) Helps the skin maintain hydration in a non-greasy texture, keeping it shine-free for 24 hours. The main ingredients are glacial glycoprotein, micronized amino acid and cucumber extract, which reduces the appearance of sebum and facial shine, deeply hydrates and provides freshness.
5. Sun cream
Whether it’s summer, autumn, winter or spring, wearing cream with sunscreen every day is essential. Not only does it protect the skin from possible burns and spots, it is also the best cosmetic that we can use against photoaging.
Combination skin will benefit from lighter textures that do not leave an oily sensation on the skin, such as The Every Single Day SPF 50 by 3INA (€22.95), which offers super-light daily protection with a high protection sun protection factor against UVA-UVB rays and blue light. In addition, it contains hyaluronic acid to keep the skin hydrated.
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