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Skin guide / Combination skin

Dryness on combination skin

Hydrate the whole face with a water-based serum, then moisturize by zone: a gel on the T-zone, a cream on the cheeks. One bottle of each lasts longer than you expect.

What dryness is

Dryness is low water in the outer layer of skin, usually because the barrier that holds water in is thin or disturbed: cold dry air, hot showers, harsh cleansers, and age all take from it. Formulas built for it work on three fronts: humectants pull water in, emollients smooth the rough edges, and occlusives slow water leaving.

What combination skin wants

A light lotion all over, with a richer cream on the cheeks if they need it; multi-mask (clay on the T-zone, a hydrating mask on the cheeks). A gentle gel cleanser suits both halves.

Cleanser: a gentle gel or cream-gel cleanser. Go easy on: Treating the whole face for the oiliest part; one product rarely fits both zones.

Look for on the label

Go easy on, for dryness: Foaming cleansers, alcohol-heavy toners, daily exfoliating acids, and long hot showers.

Morning

  1. Rinse or a cream cleanser
  2. Hydrating serum on damp skin
  3. Moisturizer
  4. Sunscreen SPF 30+

Evening

  1. Cream or oil cleanser
  2. Hydrating serum
  3. Rich moisturizer
  4. Occlusive balm on the driest patches

Thinnest to thickest, water-based before oil-based, sunscreen last in the morning and first off at night. Add one new product at a time and give it two weeks. The routine tool orders whatever you own.

On the site for dryness

All →

Tagged from the maker's own description; moisturizers, serums and oils, butters and balms, body oils first. Read each label against the list above.

Dryness on other skin types

Dew & Balm describes ingredients and label categories from the public record (FDA OTC monographs, the EU CosIng database, PubMed) and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. A concern that persists, hurts, bleeds or spreads is for a dermatologist, and anything on prescription is between you and yours.