Oily and combination skin. Unpredictable at best and so frustrating to care for. You crave a clearer, calmer and more manageable complexion but your changeable skin has alternative ideas. How to escape this ceaseless and capricious circle?
With some tailored words of wisdom and, of course, the right care routine. And that is where our dermatologists can help.
Firstly, skin type is largely determined by genetics… so, try as we might, it’s impossible to alter it. Yes, lifestyle and environmental exposure exert their influence on how skin behaves and reacts, but permanently change it? No. What we can do, however, is better understand our skin type, pin down its precise traits and then manage it to improve its condition and optimise its long-term health.
What is oily skin?
Oily skin is caused by overactive sebaceous glands. Whilst Sebum is an essential part of healthy and balanced skin, excess sebum production doesn’t just induce shiny, greasy-looking skin and a few enlarged or clogged pores, but can also lead to more serious concerns such as acne and a glut of blackheads or whiteheads.Hormonal change (including testosterone imbalance, menstruation and PCOS), chemical exposure, stress, pollution and seasonal weather changes exacerbate oily skin types further. Thankfully, controlling such reactions can be done with some reassuringly simple care tips and switches.
What is combination skin?
An oily T-Zone (forehead, nose, and chin) yet dehydrated and dull cheeks and eyes, large open pores and sensitivity towards several skincare formulas… caring for combination skin really can prove taxing, since different areas of your face have distinctly different needs.If you’ve been battling this skin type for many years, a solution may well seem insurmountable. While there is no one-size-fits-all fix, understanding your particular imbalance and applying the correct products will re-establish longed-for skin harmony.
Your Oily & Combination Skin Care Routine
Cleanse
Purifying pores and eliminating excess oil is of prime importance when cleansing oily or combination skin, but never to the extent of over-washing. Such methods can disrupt the skin's natural barrier, strip it of natural moisture and lead to sebaceous glands producing even more oil.It’s worth mentioning here that oil is generally good for our skin. Therefore be gentle, resist the urge to strip natural oils away and instead manage them properly. You’ll soon realise your skin becomes better behaved.
Morning and night use an oil-free, soap-free cleanser like Jin Yin Hua / Honeysuckle Cleansing Wash. Carefully designed and formulated, it blends powerfully soothing Aloe Vera with two renowned herbs – Jin Yin Hua, long used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its detoxifying and anti-inflammatory qualities, and Gan Cao, an active known to help balance moisture.
Massaging this gentle yet effective wash onto wet skin helps it work deep into pores, clearing dead skin cells and debris while helping balance natural oils. After washing, skin feels soft and never tight.
Exfoliate and Treat
As excess sebum production leaves a heightened level of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, oily skin, in particular, should be exfoliated every few days to avoid both a lacklustre complexion and breakouts. This doesn’t, however, require any abrasive scrubs.
Used two or three times a week, Xia Cuo Mian Mo / Cleanse & Clear Face Mask is an ideal oily or combination skin solution. With its balance of Peach Kernel and Tea Tree oils plus Shea Nut Butter, this dual-action treatment gently refines and renews the skin surface, preventing congestion while nourishing dry areas to leave skin looking bright and feeling softer.
As an on-the-spot targeted treatment throughout the day, our Fei Zi Shui / Spot Treatment Gel is ideal. Ultra-light yet packed with notable Chinese herbs long used for their toxin-clearing, cooling and anti-inflammatory qualities, this gel helps clear pores, soothe patches of acne and leave skin calmer.
Overnight
For oily complexions, pimples and spots, treat skin to an intensely soothing hit of our Fei Zi Dian Dao Shui / Overnight Spot Treatment Gel. Lightweight yet potent, this calming and rebalancing gel is most effective at soothing breakout-prone skin.
For combination skin, massage on Dian Dao Shui Gao / Overnight Spot Treatment Cream and leave overnight before rinsing away in the morning. This light, non-greasy blend of Safflower and Jojoba seed oils with Panthenol calms and balances, so you awaken to more harmonised skin.
If you prefer or require additional moisture overnight, smooth a little Rose Otto Rejuvenating Face Cream over your face and neck. A gentle yet powerfully effective blend of Bakuchiol with Rose Otto and Safflower Seed Oils, you’ll soon see noticeable improvements in skin’s texture and tone, as well as hydration and softness.
For further recommendations and advice, explore our complete oily and combination skin care collection.
