COMBINATION SKIN means your t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) is prone to shine but the rest of your face can be prone to dryness. The goal with combination skin is to avoid over-moisturizing the t-zone and to make sure drier areas get the moisture they need. The good news is, it's very possible to do this!
You daily routine would consist of a gentle gel cleanser in the morning with cool water (warm water causes redness, stimulates oil production and can also be drying--not helpful!), followed by either a salicylic acid (like our Pore Perfect Toner) or a mandelic acid (like our Pore Perfect Toner Sensitive) liquid exfoliant using a cotton pad, you'd apply these wherever you tend to get clogged pores.
With all exfoliants, avoid overusing them on areas prone to dryness like the under eye area and nose crease. At night, if you’re feeling dull, you might benefit from a glycolic acid like our Glow to exfoliate dead skin on the surface. For combination skin, exfoliating both inside the pore and on the surface is a great way to get back in balance.
After applying your exfoliant, if you're also interested in anti-aging, you could apply a niacinamide serum (like our Serum B), which can help with controlling oil production as well as fine lines. It's also very calming for redness! Then, for a moisturizer you might choose a lightweight option, like our Moisture Milk, which won't contribute to shine during the day but will add protective hydration. If you're dealing with or prone to breakouts, you could use our Clear Up Serum preventatively over areas prone to blemishes or you can use it as a spot treatment. Finally, a lightweight daytime moisturizer like Rain or Shine SPF 50 will keep skin protected and shine-free without clogging pores.
If you follow the above daily recommendations, you'll notice your skin looks fresh all day and a polarized, oily/dry face is now more normalized.
What about masks and facials? Well, we believe masks can disrupt a good routine and destabilize a bad one even more, so we promote a stable and reliably great gentle daily routine that stays the same mostly but maybe is adjusted a little seasonally. And we don't recommend facials for sensitive skin generally. Why??
Typical facials include heat and steam and massage, all of which worsen sensitivity and contribute to swollen capillaries, which makes the oilier areas oilier by stimulating oil glands and drier areas drier from over heating.
Also discouraged: DIY skin care from things in the fridge, because more often than not those contain irritants, especially if they are food-based (hello bacteria!).
And finally, one of the absolute most important things when considering sensitive skin, and for any skin type, is avoiding irritation. If a product smells really "great," especially if it has perfume or essential oils, that's not great. So stick with fragrance-free products and keep temperatures low and rubbing to a minimum and your skin will stay calmer, look more even-toned, and be less reactive.
-FCB
