4 Things You Shouldn't Do if You Have Combination Skin

Learning the “do’s” and “don’ts” of skin care can be seriously challenging, but even more so when you have combination skin. When you have skin that’s a little bit oily and a little bit dry, it can seriously complicate things, because you’ve got a variety of concerns to address. To simplify taking care of your combination skin, be sure to avoid these four major don’ts for combination skin types and learn what to do instead.

1. Don’t…Skip Out on Moisturizer

Leaving moisturizer out of your skin care routine is a mistake—whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin. While you likely realize that the parts of your complexion that appear dry are in desperate need of moisturizer, so are the spots that look oily. Skipping out on moisturizer can actually backfire and leave you with skin that looks even oilier—no thank you. Try a lightweight water-based moisturizer, like the L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care – Normal/Oily Skin. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera water, this moisturizer helps provide long-lasting hydration with a matte finish.

2. Don’t…Forget to Exfoliate

Everyone can benefit from exfoliation, although how often you should do it depends on your skin. Exfoliating your skin sloughs away dead skin cells from the surface, which can build up over time and leave your skin looking lackluster. Grab the L’Oréal Paris Go 360° Clean Deep Exfoliating Scrub, an oil-free scrub formulated with apricot beads, and start off exfoliating just once a week. Depending on what your skin can handle, you may find that you can exfoliate more often over time.

3. Don’t…Limit Yourself to One Face Mask

There isn’t anyone out there who wouldn’t benefit from multi-masking (seriously), but it can be especially helpful for combination skin types. While a single face mask may not address the needs of both your dry patches and your oily spots, when you use multiple face masks, you can target different skin care concerns at the same time. Mix and match face masks from the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay line, depending on your skin’s needs.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Mask Clear & Comfort Face Mask: Over time, harsh cleansing can be drying and sensitizing, leaving skin feeling uncomfortable. As a result, skin needs cleaning that is effective yet gentle. This clay face mask formula is enhanced with seaweed and can help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils and gently cleanse stressed areas.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Face Mask: Over time, harsh environmental factors like pollution and debris can damage skin, leaving your complexion looking dull and tired. This clay face mask is formulated with charcoal and can help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and pollution and reduce the look of dull skin.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask: Day after day, dead skin cells can accumulate on the surface of your skin, leaving your complexion feeling rough. This clay face mask is formulated with red algae extract and can help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils, exfoliate dead skin cells, smooth the look of imperfections, and allow skin to breathe.

L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Purify & Mattify Face Mask: Day after day, impurities, dirt, makeup, and excess oils can build up on the surface of your skin, leaving your complexion looking overly oily. This clay face mask is formulated with eucalyptus leaf extract and can help draw out the buildup of impurities, dirt, and oils and reduce the look of excess shine.

4. Don’t…Pass on Putting on Primer

We get it, adding an extra step into your makeup routine may seem unnecessary. But, we promise that’s not the case with primer. Applying makeup to combination skin can be a stressful situation, with a mixture of oily areas and dry patches making it easy for foundation to end up looking uneven. Starting things off right, with the L’Oréal Paris Studio Secrets™ Professional Magic Perfecting Base, which can help ensure your face has a unified, flawless finish.

Now, you know what not to do, but what about what you should be doing to take care of combination skin? For a few handy hacks, check out our article, 7 Skin Care Hacks for Combination Skin.