Q: Dealing with combination skin is such a pain! Are there any natural products that can help? How should I manage my daily skincare routine?
Licensed esthetician Catie Wiggy responds:
A: Do you ever feel like your skin has multiple personalities? One day it’s shiny and greasy, and the next day it’s dry, flaky and breaking out. Don’t worry, my friend, you’re not alone. Most people identify their skin type as combination, whether it’s normal-oily, oily-dry, sensitive-dry, etc. Balance can be a real challenge when it seems like your skin can’t make up its mind. But since most of us have at least some form of combination skin, everyone can benefit from a consistent, therapeutic skincare system to maintain healthy balance. Here are some easy-to-follow routines for the three most common combination skin types:
Oily-Dry
Balancing oil production in the T-zone while trying to ease dryness around the cheeks can feel like a never-ending battle. The oiliness is caused by overactive sebaceous glands, which produce excess oil. This problem can be hereditary or hormonal and is often characterized by serious dehydration due to the use of harsh skincare products and lack of proper moisture. Dryness can cause the skin to feel tight, dehydrated, flaky and visibly dull. With this easy routine, balance is achievable:
- Cleanse daily with MyChelle Fruit Enzyme Cleanser, a gentle, deep cleanser for all skin types that will remove impurities to uncover remarkably fresh, smooth skin.
- Apply Perfect C Serum daily. This is an advanced serum that protects skin’s health while combating the signs of aging by strengthening collagen and diminishing uneven skin tone. This serum will restore balance, banish breakouts and help maintain precious hydration.
- Use Pumpkin Renew Cream morning and night. This lightweight yet nourishing formula blends antioxidants and reparative peptides to protect cellular health and maintain hydration. This cream won’t feel too heavy for oily zones, but will feel just right for dryness.
If you’re into DIY at-home weekly facials, apply Tropical Skin Smoother twice to three times per week to gently exfoliate the skin while replenishing moisture for a soft, smooth glow.
Sensitive-Dry
Environmental factors, hormones, harsh soaps and detergents — among other things — can create an unstable environment for your skin, leading to sensitivities. Sensitive skin has a tendency to flush for various reasons and can be even further irritated by conditions like eczema, rosacea and allergic contact dermatitis. These conditions can cause serious dryness and, as a result, inadequate protection for nerve endings in the skin—and the cycle continues on.
Additionally, dry skin can cause all kinds of unfortunate outcomes, including an uneven, dull appearance, deep irritation, discomfort and weakened cells. Luckily, there is relief. Proper moisturizing is key to relieving dehydration, reducing redness and reestablishing healthy, radiant skin. Here’s a quick routine for sensitive-dry combinations:
- Use Pure Harmony Cleanser morning and night to gently wash away impurities that can lead to irritation. This nourishing gel/cream hybrid cleanser is designed to soothe sensitive skin with nutritious, moisturizing ingredients including powerful sea buckthorn, AquaCacteen and green tea.
- Use deep-penetrating Ultra Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum to restore moisture using the same hydrating agents naturally found in healthy skin. Hyaluronic acid binds water to the skin, improving suppleness and plumping fine lines. Sodium PCA and olive-derived squalane prevent moisture loss as they smooth and soften skin.
- Apply the gentle Pure Harmony Cream morning and night. This restorative cream reloads skin’s vital nutrients, protects against irritation and deeply hydrates. Skin appears smoother with a more balanced tone and texture, thanks to this protective formula boosted with Renovage, gardenia plant stem cells and Asiaticoside.
To keep skin hydrated and balanced, apply a weekly treatment such as Pure Harmony Mask to ease discomfort and signs of redness – while deeply hydrating and preventing moisture loss. Protection is further enhanced with Smithsonite and malachite stone extracts to shield against environmental stress and pollution. This is a great treatment to use three times per week.
Blemish prone-Sensitive
Maybe you’re a teen continuously facing breakouts, or perhaps you’re an adult dealing with those always-inconvenient blemishes. Either way, blemish-prone skin can make inflammation, redness, pores and skin congestion more visible, which definitely isn’t ideal. Any number of factors, including hormones, oil overproduction, environmental aggressors and comedogenic skin care products can all cause breakouts. Here is a simple routine that really works:
- Wash your face daily with White Cranberry Cleanser, a naturally exfoliating and pore-clearing cleanser that brings skin into a healthy balance and keeps skin calm.
- Keep breakouts at bay with Clear Skin Serum, containing a potent formula that minimizes surface shine while improving the clarity of blemish-prone skin. Retinol resurfaces skin and clears pore-blocking debris while Montmorillonite clay detoxifies and absorbs excess oil. Totarol™, a botanically-derived antibacterial, and B vitamins assist in the growth and repair of skin tissues.
- To hydrate and ease inflammation, use the ultra-lightweight Oil Free Grapefruit Cream morning and night to nourish breakout-prone skin without clogging pores. Nutrient-rich sea buckthorn promotes rapid healing of irritated skin. Naturally antibacterial honey and Totarol™ help protect against blemishes as Salicylic Acid gently eliminates pore blockage. Rooibos, an antioxidant, calms irritation and promotes cell repair.
For a weekly treatment, use Cranberry Mud Mask to deeply purify and calm skin where pimple problems start. A blend of richly detoxifying kaolin and bentonite clays absorb excess oil and debris from pores, while Totarol™ purifies and balances. Cranberry, known as one of the “super fruits” for its high antioxidant content, helps support skin and give it a luminescent glow.
Regardless of your age or skin type, just remember the first step in maintaining healthy, youthful skin is simple: sun protection. Slather on your favorite MyChelle sunscreen, be consistent in your skin care routine, and balanced skin can be achieved.