The Best Luxury Skincare For Combination Skin

Words by Jenn George


Just like finding the right jeans that fit your body, it’s important to use the right skincare formulas for your skin type. But when you have combination skin that acts differently across certain areas of the face, this is a little more complicated. You need to find a routine that treats all concerns - whether it’s dryness, oiliness or sensitivity - helping to bring balance to your complexion.

What is Combination Skin?

“If some areas of your face feel oily and others dry, that's an easy way of knowing that you have combination skin” says Dr Barbara Sturm, leading aesthetics doctor and founder of Dr Barbara Sturm skincare. Rather than having one overarching skin concern like dehydration (with a dry skin type), combination skin is characterized by having oily, dry and some ‘normal’ zones of skin. The most common result is dryness around the cheeks and jawline, but oily skin across the forehead, nose and chin (commonly known as the ‘t-zone’).


Combination skin can be something that’s led by genetics or hormones, but external factors like how humid or dry your environment is can play a role too, as can your diet. However, the type of products you use and how you treat your skin shouldn’t be ignored, and how you use them could be the cause of your combination skin, and the key to healing it too.

What Products and Ingredients are Best for Combination Skin?

First and foremost, Dr Sturm’s fundamental advice is "to protect and boost your skin barrier function, provide your skin with essential nutrition, drench the skin with hydration and combat inflammation with skincare ingredient science.” Following these steps will result in happier skin, whether it’s oily or dry or anywhere in between.


There are also specific ingredients you can turn to to help rebalance the skin. Salicylic acid or enzymes will help to decongest and control sebum production without drying out dehydrated areas, hyaluronic acid will deeply penetrate to help attract and hold onto moisture without leaving things greasy on the surface and niacinamide will work on shrinking pores and balancing oiliness. Follow our guide below for the ultimate luxury skin care routine for combination skin…

The Best Cleanser For Combination Skin

When it comes to choosing your cleanser, look for those that will remove makeup and impurities gently (without stripping natural hydration from the skin) whilst helping to combat oiliness and nourish the skin at the same time. 111 Skin’s clever formula starts as a powder which you work into a creamy lather by adding water. Powered by enzymes derived from papaya fruits, it gently exfoliates and draws out impurities without disturbing the skin barrier aggressively or leaving things parched, making it ideal for combination skin.

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The Best Essence For Combination Skin

If you have combination skin you might be wary of an essence or toner further dehydrating the drier areas of your skin, but toners in fact are (almost always) formulated to rebalance hydration levels. This luxurious essence from Guerlain is made to do exactly that: fortifying and strengthening the skin so it’s happier, radiant and working in harmony. The key ingredient is the brand’s Royal Jelly which has incredible anti-ageing and skin healing benefits.

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The Best Exfoliator For Combination Skin

Some exfoliating acids can be a little harsh for combination skin, especially if you experience sensitivity as a symptom. A potent combination of decongesting and clarifying acids (AHA, BHA and PHA) in this La Mer formula is counteracted with La Mer’s signature Miracle Broth, packed full of vitamins and minerals to nourish and hydrate. With a low pH that helps to restore balance, the result is a gentle yet effective resurfacer that is especially effective at sorting out a shiny t-zone.

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The Best Active Serum For Combination Skin

Niacinamide is one of the magic skincare ingredients that has so many benefits that it could be recommended for each and every skin type. Dr Barbara Sturm calls her niacinamide serum ‘the ultimate skin perfector’, due to its pore-refining, barrier-strengthening, radiance-boosting powers. If you suffer from blemishes due to combination skin it will help battle those. Plus it will help soothe redness or irritation. Essentially, it’s a no brainer serum to add to your routine.

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The Best Day Cream For Combination Skin

When choosing a daytime moisturiser for combination skin, look for something that’s going to pack in hydration via a lightweight, non-comedogenic oil-free formula that won’t risk leaving the surface greasy. Augustinus Bader’s glow-enhancing, skin-repairing benefits are second to none, and delivered in this lighter version of their infamous Rich Cream, combination skin types can reap the benefits day after day.

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The Best SPF For Combination Skin

If you’re serious about skin health you simply must be applying an SPF daily, no excuses. However if you have combination skin you may have the excuse that you can’t find a formula that works on both the dry and oily areas of your face. If that’s the case, try this lotion from Noble Panacea, which is not only a lovely, lightweight texture that doesn’t feel greasy at all, but also has an incredible technology that - activated by UV light - preserves skin longevity.

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The Best Night Cream For Combination Skin

Whilst you're sleeping your skin is in repair mode, so before you hit the hay is the best time to slather it with something that’s full of incredible ingredients that will repair, rehydrate and rebalance (all things that combination skin cries out for). La Prairie’s luxury and hi-tech formula contains longevity science that improves skin function, which not only has incredible anti-ageing benefits but also helps to get your skin back into proper working order, resulting in equilibrium and optimum skin conditions - a more balanced, beautiful complexion.

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The Best Skincare Treatment For Combination Skin

For those who suffer from an oily t-zone, mud or clay masks can help to absorb excess oil, slow down serum production and rebalance the complexion. However they can have a bad reputation for being extremely drying, so you need to be selective with your formula. Omorovicza’s Deep Cleansing mask is one of the best there is: purifying with white moor mud that is rich in nutrients and minerals, leaving skin brightened and refreshed but not irritated or parched. It can also be used for patch-masking, applied just in the oilier areas.

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