Don’t Let Combination Skin Interfere With Your Anti-Aging Routing – Here’s What You Can Do

These oily areas can be hard to treat, however, since the rest of the face can range from dry to normal. If you feel like your attempts to deal with the effects of aging are only making things worse, don't give up. There are ways to help people of all skin types keep their skin healthy and looking great.

Determining Skin Types
If you're not sure whether you have combination skin or one of the other skin types, there's a quick way to find out. Wash your face gently and pat it dry. Then, go on with your day for an hour or so. Once the hour has passed, get a clean tissue and blot your face carefully with a tissue. Oily skin produces a mark on the tissue. Dry skin will produce no mark and usually looks flaky or tight in the mirror.

If you blot part of your face and get an oily mark on the tissue, but find that other areas don't leave a mark, you're probably in the combination skin types. People with combination skin find that some areas of their face naturally produce more oil than others. This is normal, and all you really need to do is identify the special care requirements of each area of your face, then care for them individually. This can make your anti aging routine take a little longer than it would for someone with completely dry or oily skin. You don't have to suffer through excessive acne or flaking, however.

Caring for Combination Skin
If you have combination skin, use gentle cleansers and techniques. The harshest substance your facial wash should contain is salicylic acid, which can help control oil in some areas while keeping the skin hydrated in others. Don't scrub or use drying soaps. Use a noncomedogenic sunscreen in a gel or light lotion formulation to protect your skin from the aging effects of the sun's rays without creating oil problems.

Moisturize daily, using different formulations if your skin varies significantly. There's no rule that says you have to use the same product on all areas of your face. Choose moisturizers for oily skin over your T-zone: the forehead, nose, and chin, which are often greasy. Along the cheeks and sides of your face, stick to a moisturizer for normal to dry skin, this will keep these areas from becoming scaly and uncomfortable.

If you choose an exfoliator to remove dead skin, make sure it's a gentle one. Avoid harsh, scratchy products that can irritate the dry parts of your face. You may also wish to consider a clarifying toner product, which can remove small amounts of dirt or cleanser residue while temporarily shrinking pores on the nose, forehead and cheeks. Choose gentle products marked as noncomedogenic whenever possible.

People of all skin types can fight the effects of aging without causing damage or discomfort. This process can be a little more difficult if you have combination skin, but learning to treat the different parts of your face individually can make your efforts a success. If your skin just doesn't seem to cooperate, take some time to look at your current routine. A small change could make a big difference.