If you are one of the many with combination skin, you have surely experienced a bit of frustration at one time or another deciding between a cleanser for your dry areas or oilier areas. Cleaning seems simple enough, however when you have combination, t-zone type of skin it is a little trickier than just washing, lathering and rinsing!
Lets start with the most important step before cleansing, always remove your makeup before you cleanse. I know many times, cleansers claim to remove makeup and dirt, however most do not remove 100% of your makeup or sunscreen. They leave traces behind in areas such as around your nose, where you later develop those irritating blackheads that are quite painful to squeeze out! So, first and foremost remove your makeup. One of the best makeup removers for combination skin is micellar lotion. Our favorite lotion to use right now is Avene Eau Thermale Micellar Lotion Cleanser and Make-Up. Keep in mind, this product is considered a cleanser as well, but because you have combination skin, you really need to cleanse afterwards to make sure you have removed all makeup! Remove your makeup with micellar lotion by gentle dabbing and wiping your eye makeup, lipstick and all other makeup with a cotton swab until the cotton swab is left clean.
Now that you have removed all your makeup, you are ready to cleanse your skin. For combination skin, you truly need two cleansers, one for morning and one for night. For morning cleansing, try using a creamy cleanser that is gentle and nourishing. In the morning your skin is not going to be as dirty as it is at the end of the day, and therefore you do not need a deep cleanser, just something to remove oils that have accumulated overnight and any creams on your skin. We just love PCA Creamy Cleanser, it is gentle, nourishing and leaves your skin soft. This is just what you need in the morning to get your skin ready to look radiant and beautiful all day.
Nighttime is when you really need a deeper cleanse. This is when you will be removing oil, dirt, makeup and other buildup from throughout your day. For a more thorough cleanse, try a cleanser such as Neova Radiant Purifying Cleanser to help target your pores and oilier areas of your skin, basically your t-zone. Always remember to use warm water before you apply the cleanser and to rinse it off, as well as to massage the cleanser into your skin using a circular motion. Washing with water that is too cold or too hot simply creates stress for your skin, resulting in irritation.
Knowing how to cleanse you combination skin correctly will allow you to achieve that beautiful glow day and night. It will prevent dryness, oiliness, and irritation that are often experienced when you use only one type of cleanser. The rule to follow for combination skin is simple, if your skin type is both oily and dry then cleanse for both types of skin!