Typical oily or dry skin-specific products have never worked for my combination skin, as this skin type comes with a combination of problems, notwithstanding its perks. It took me a while to finalize my verdict on the best products for combination skin types — some of them being old buddies from years ago, while others were discoveries that left me fascinated! A general rule of thumb to care for this skin type — which is probably, the most common skin type — is that we need to avoid collateral damages at all costs. In simple terms, this means that we shouldn’t aggravate normaler skin areas in order to treat problems in targeted regions of the face. 

For this, I looked into products ideal for spot treatment and weekly use, especially exfoliants and acne treatments, as they shouldn’t be overused on skin areas that don’t require them. In addition, I shortlisted cleansers, serums, sunscreens, and moisturizers for combination skin that help balance, tone, hydrate, and protect without causing any clash between the oily T-zone or dry U-zone. While my personal experiences with the products weren’t less than sublime, I dived deep into customer testimonials, ingredient lists, and research papers to back up their benefits before finalizing my product recommendations. In addition, I have shared some important insights about combination skin by leveraging my skincare expertise, so you know exactly how to go about caring for it! Scroll away to learn more!

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  Best Soothing Cleanser

  La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

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My combination skin loves the gentle cleansing prowess of this soap-free cleanser by La Roche-Posay. But contrary to that, the product does have some powerful skincare benefits, as it leverages the goodness of prebiotic thermal spring water to soothe lesions and nourish the skin (study published on NCBI). Moreover, this cleanser reduces inflammation — something combination skin is often vulnerable to — and helps balance the skin’s natural moisture barrier. It does not disrupt the skin’s natural pH, despite getting rid of dirt and excess oil efficiently. 

Features: Cleansing

Key Ingredients: Prebiotic thermal spring water, niacinamide, and ceramide-3

Quantity: 13.52 fl oz and 6.76 fl oz

2

Best Day Moisturizer

Cetaphil Daily Oil-free Hydrating Lotion

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Like most Cetaphil products, this lotion too comes with the promise that it won’t clog pores, aggravate the skin, or cause any disruptions in its balance. However, in this one, the hydrating benefits are far from underwhelming, especially because it is enriched with hyaluronic acid! The lightweight oil-free lotion is like a drink of water for combination skin, and the hydration it leaves it with lasts really long! Besides, because of how gentle and calming its formula is, several users with sensitive skin too, swear by it!

Features: Daily Hydration

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid

Quantity: 3 fl oz

3

Best for Moisture Balance

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner

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Among the best toners for combination skin, this product is exactly what you need to balance out the excesses of oily and dry regions on the face for healthier, calmer skin. The product does so by shrinking enlarged pores on the skin, thereby extricating whiteheads, excess sebum, and grime. However, it is never too harsh to your skin and gently replenishes it with moisture. While my skin felt calm and rejuvenated, even after a single use, Paula’s Choice claims that it is safe to use this even up to two times a day!

Features: Pore-reducing, balancing, calming

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and chamomile extracts

Quantity: 6.4 fl oz

4

Best Gentle Exfoliante

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

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Compared to typical gel moisturizers, this one has a “dramatically different” consistency as it is richer, hence you only need a little for every use. The formula harnesses the properties of botanical extracts of sunflower, barley, cucumber, etc., to strengthen the barrier of the skin and increase its resilience, which is great considering how vulnerable combination skin can be to external aggressors. Adding to that, the infused hyaluronic acid works like a moisture magnet to prevent dehydration for the next few hours. 

Features: Hydrating

Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed cake, barley extract, and cucumber fruit extract

Quantity: 6.7 fl oz

5

Best for Spot Treatment

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment

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Somewhere between a serum and a cream lies the consistency of this all-in-one treatment for combination skin, and it truly offers a little bit of everything this skin type needs! For this, it features the multi-tasking ingredient lactic acid, which not only gently exfoliates the skin but also gently moisturizes it and balances skin health (studies from International Journal of Dermatology). With repeated use, I have experienced that the product did have a positive effect on reducing blemishes on my skin, without irritating it. Hence, I highly recommend it to improve the skin’s overall texture and tone.

Features: Light exfoliation and hydration

Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, lemongrass extract, licorice root extract, and arnica

Quantity: 0.5 fl oz, 1 fl oz, and 1.7 fl oz

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Best Multi-tasking Product

Mario Badescu Silver Powder

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For all combination skin beauties who’ve been looking for something to fix their oily T-zone without exacerbating the drier skin areas, this product is a holy grail! This is because you can selectively apply this fine-milled silver powder on skin areas that need it, baring the rest of your face. Composed of kaolin clay and skin-friendly minerals, this product helps absorb excess sebum from the skin, and scrubbing it gently on the targeted area also helps extract clogged grime from the pores — perfect for achieving clearer skin. 

Features: Oil balance

Key Ingredients: Kaolin clay, zinc oxide, and calcium carbonate

Quantity: 0.56 oz

Quick Tip:

Take a generous amount of this powder onto a damp cotton pad or a wet concealer brush, and glide it across the targetted areas of your face. If done correctly, the product should get a mud mask-like consistency. Allow the product to settle for about 5-7 minutes. Then, wash it off thoroughly and follow up with a toner and a lightweight moisturizer.

7

Best Sunscreen

SKIN1004 Hyalu-CICA Water-fit Sun Serum

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Not just combination skin, this holy grail facial serum is a dream come true for dry, oily, and sensitive skin types alike. The serum leverages the goodness of botanicals such as green tea, gingko biloba, cica, and niacinamide to calm the skin and soothe inflammations. It is a sunscreen, which employs cosmetically elegant UV filters that keep sun damage at bay and don’t leave any tacky white cast on your skin. The properties of this serum make it supremely multi-functional, so you don’t have to use any other product on your skin before stepping out! 

Features: Sun protection, deep hydration, and balance

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica, and niacinamide 

 Quantity: 1.69 fl oz

8

Best for Acne

Neutrogena Skin Balancing Gel Cleanser for Combination Skin

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Frankly, I was surprised to see that Neutrogena came up with this gel cleanser, as having tested and researched about it, I deem it one of the best drugstore products for combination skin. Featuring 2% PHA, it not only exfoliates dead skin cells and grime from the skin but also exhibits sublime hydration and enhances the function of the skin’s topmost barrier (study published on ResearchGate). The cleanser has a translucent, semi-viscose formula comprising few but skin-friendly ingredients, so you don’t expose your skin to unwanted chemicals such as parabens and sulfates!

Features: Cleansing and exfoliating 

Key Ingredients: Poly-hydroxy acid

Quantity: 6.3 fl oz

9

Best for Deep-cleansing

Paula's Choice RESIST Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

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This combination skin product from Paula’s Choice combines the last two crucial steps in your CMS (cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen) skincare routine with a single formulation. It features cosmetically elegant sun protectants that act as a barrier between harsh UV rays and your skin without leaving any tacky residue or white cast. The lightweight, water-drenched consistency of this broad-spectrum sunscreen seeps easily into your skin, which makes it feel nourished and comforted. All in all, this is a great purchase to get balanced skin.

Features: Hydration and sun protection

Key Ingredients: Chamomile, green tea, gogi berries, pomegranate, and chemical UV filters (avobenzone 2.0%, octinoxate 7.5%, octisalate 5.0%, octocrylene 2.0%)

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Best for Night Hydration

Mario Badescu Anti Acne Serum

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For combination and acne-prone skin, this anti-acne serum by Mario Badescu is an excellent investment. The formula is specifically crafted to prevent eruptions before they resurface on the skin and also to reduce pore congestion for cleaner, clearer skin. Its consistency is smooth, semi-viscose, and gel-like, which spreads easily and evenly on the skin. This way, a small quantity goes a long way, and you don’t overexpose your skin to the potent actives. 

Features: Acne treatment

Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid and thyme extracts

Quantity: 1 fl oz

Quick Tip:

Use this serum at times when you suspect or feel the inflammation of blind pimples on your skin, or during the PMS, when the hormonal changes in the body start showing initial signs of breakouts.

11

Lancer Skincare The Method: Polish

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A product in the skincare line of Victoria Beckham’s trusted dermatologist, Dr. Harold Lancer, and the second step in The Method series, Polish from Lancer Skincare is perfect to balance the texture and tone of combination skin. Unlike typically abrasive exfoliants, this product has a silky texture that goes on smoothly over the skin and lathers really well. Massaging this product onto the skin is like manifesting a smoother skin surface, whereas the infused emollients in the formula are a bath of nourishment for it. Besides, users with mature skin adore this product for its prowess. 

A product in the skincare line of Victoria Beckham’s trusted dermatologist, Dr. Harold Lancer, and the second step in The Method series, Polish from Lancer Skincare is perfect to balance the texture and tone of combination skin. Unlike typically abrasive exfoliants, this product has a silky texture that goes on smoothly over the skin and lathers really well. Massaging this product onto the skin is like manifesting a smoother skin surface, whereas the infused emollients in the formula are a bath of nourishment for it. Besides, users with mature skin adore this product for its prowess. 

Features: Gentle exfoliation and textural improvement

Key Ingredients: Natural minerals (magnesium and sodium), pumpkin ferment extract, and pomegranate enzyme ferment

Quantity: 2 fl oz, 4.2 fl oz, and 8 fl oz

12

Urban Skin Rx Combination Skin Cleansing Bar

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Being a single product, this combination skin product from Urban Skin Rx does the job of a cleanser, exfoliator, mask, and makeup remover to meet your skincare needs. This cleansing bar is nothing but a soft and porous sponge, which needs to be dipped in the formula to produce a rich lather and scrub dirt, oil, and grime in a jiffy! By harnessing the properties of resorcinol and salicylic acid, this product combats pimples, blackheads, and similar skin lesions without causing any inflammations in your skin (research by Dermatologic Therapy and JAAD). Besides, I love this product for how fun and indulgent it is to use!

Features: Cleansing and exfoliating

Key Ingredients: Resorcinol, salicylic acid, hibiscus extract, and licorice root

Quantity: 2 fl oz and 3.7 fl oz

13

belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb

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From personal experience, I can say that there couldn’t have been a better name for this moisturizer than “Aqua Bomb”, as every application is a moisture bath for the skin. The formula is bursting with the goodness of squalene and ceramide-3, a fantastic duo that replenishes the skin’s protective barrier, so your combination skin becomes more resilient and is less vulnerable to external aggressors. When I used it, the hydration lasted long, and I didn’t have to reach out to it for frequent re-application. Also, it is suitable for both AM and PM use.

Features: Intense hydration

Key Ingredients: Lady’s mantle, squalene, and ceramide-3 

Quantity: 1.68 fl oz

Now that you have seen my combination skin product recommendations, let’s understand more about this skin type and determine how to invest in the best product for the same.

Combination skin is a type and not a skin problem that should have a definitive reason for its cause. Hence, based on anecdotal evidence and what skin researchers have understood so far, the cause of combination skin is genetic and natural. A study by Skin Research And Technology concludes that one’s skin type based on regional differences in oil production has a lot to do with seasonal factors. This is probably why some people with combination skin experience excess oiliness in humid climates and uncomfortable tightness in colder, drier climates.

This research by the Skin Research And Technology categorizes combination skin as a skin type where the T-zone on the face (forehead, nose, and chin) produces excess oil, whereas the U-zone (cheeks and jaw) is relatively drier. There’s a further categorization of dry-combination skin and normal-combination skin, based on how dry the U-zone of the face usually is. 

This is exactly why someone with combination skin should use products specifically made for their skin type. Thereby, let’s understand more about things that should be avoided for combination skin.

1. Harsh, Over-drying Cleansers And Toners

Overly astringent products such as sulfate-based cleansers or toners composed of parching alcohols can disrupt the balance of combination skin and strip off its natural moisture. This can be counterintuitive as over-drying the skin can make it produce excess oil, leading to further complications. Moreover, a dry and weakened skin barrier can become vulnerable and sensitive to external aggressors.

2. Products That Are Greasy And Heavy

It is extremely important to use lightweight, oil-free, and non-comedogenic moisturizers and serums. While highly occlusive products, containing petroleum and mineral oil may be alright for extremely dry skin, they can exacerbate acne and inflammation in combination skin.

3. Skipping Exfoliation

Exfoliation, just like cleansing, is an important step in balancing the moisture, tone, and texture in combination skin. Skipping so may leave conditions such as excess sebum, clogged pores, zits, breakouts, pigmentation, discoloration, etc., unaddressed, thereby keeping you from achieving clear skin.

4. Skipping Hydration

Hydration is among the three most crucial steps in skincare (along with cleansing and sun protection). Hence, while using the wrong kind of moisturizer is bad for combination skin, skipping it altogether is equally bad! People with combination skin should use a lightweight, non-comedogenic, water/gel-based hydrant on a regular basis.

Check with Your Dermatologist

Before investing in a product catering to specific skin needs, it’s always a good idea to consult the dermatologist and detect any underlying skin conditions or sensitivities that you may have been overlooking.

Choose the Right Active Ingredients

Based on your dermat’s recommendations and history of using skincare products, make a list of active ingredients that work well with your skin and those that don’t. For example, if your skin is sensitive to potent alpha-hydroxy acids or beta-hydroxy acids, use milder exfoliants such as lactic acid or azelaic acid on your skin. If vitamin C (ascorbic acid) doesn’t work much for you, switch to milder alternatives such as niacinamide.

Prioritize Products That Help with Balancing Moisture

To balance the oiliness and dryness factor in your combination skin, invest in products that can spot and treat problem areas — so you don’t unnecessarily aggravate the other regions of your skin, such as the Mario Badescu Silver Powder. Also, invest in products that can help with the overall moisture balance of your skin, such as the Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner.