How to Take Care of Combination Skin in the Winter

Winter weather poses unique challenges to combination skin. This skin type tends to have both dry and oily areas that require special care during each season. Learn more about how to take care of combination skin during the winter.

Maintaining Moisture During Combination Skin Cleansing

Winter weather tends to be more cold and dry than other seasons across the northern hemisphere. No matter the time of year, gentle cleansing is an essential aspect of combination skin care.

Balancing cleansers play an important part in caring for combination skin at any time and under any conditions. This skin type is distinguished by oil under-production in certain areas that leads to dryness and over-production in other places that could cause shine, blocked pores and breakouts.

In general, people with combination skin should avoid cleansers that contain harsh soap. Sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate are used to make cleansers foam and clear away oils. While this may seem beneficial for treating oily skin, these products can actually shock pores and send oil production into overdrive.

The best advice for how to take care of combination skin in winter is to use a cleanser that does not dry out oily or dry areas but evens out skin condition and moisture level. Over time, the use of gentle cleansers and balancing toners and treatments can normalize the condition of combination skin.

How to Moisturize and Balance Oily Combination Skin Areas

During the winter or any other season, it can be helpful to devote special treatment to each area of combination skin. While oil production on most skin types regularizes as temperatures and humidity drops, some skin continues to have pronounced oily and dry areas.

Proper moisturization plays an important role in wintertime care for every skin type. Combination skin may continue to pose challenges during this dry season, particularly if some parts of your face still remain prone to develop shine or become inflamed due to the presence of acne-causing bacteria.

As you consider how to take care of combination skin in winter, you may want to shop for one or more moisturizers. In the short term, you might use a light, mattifying treatment on oily areas and apply a creamy, hydrating formula to dry skin. Over time, a single balancing treatment may be adequate to care for normal skin with combination tendencies in cold weather.

Give Each Area Special Treatment

Beyond the use of moisturizer, it may be helpful to apply unique toners, serums, masks or other treatments to particular parts of your face. A balancing mask or peel that adjusts oil production in the T-zone or other parts of the face prone to develop shine or breakouts may dry out sensitive areas, particularly during the winter.

Let the actual condition of combination skin guide your approach to wintertime skin care. Apply each combination skin care treatment only to areas that are likely to benefit and bypass other parts of your face until moisture levels rise. Chemical or physical exfoliation and harsh acne treatments may result in less irritation in warmer seasons. If your skin is willing to accept a balancing cleanser and moisturizer without becoming too oily or dry anywhere, you may be able to use fewer products during this season.

When it comes to how to take care of combination skin in winter, you should factor in the exact condition of each area of your skin. Depending on the season and the appearance and texture of the skin on your face or body, you may need to apply lightweight and rich moisturizer. It may be possible to normalize your skin with a healthy routine that includes the right combination skin care products.

If you’d like more information on winter skincare, check out this article from WebMD.