Having oily and combination skin can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to stress out about which products to use and which to avoid. Luckily, we have some experience with both skin types, and we’ve put together an easy basic ritual for your skin, which you can customise to adapt to your particular needs. A few simple steps in the morning and evening can make a dramatic difference to your skin, which can in turn boost your mental wellbeing - sounds like a win to us!
Starting when you wake up, you’ll want to prep your skin for the day ahead. A cleanse in the morning is hugely beneficial, as it removes any lingering products you used the night before, as well as bacteria that has accumulated on your face. We actually sweat most at night, and this combined with the re-use of bedding can lead to a load of clogged pores. This can be an issue for those with any skin type, but those prone to oiliness are particularly at risk as the oil can lock in any irritants and create blemishes. For the record, we’d recommend changing your pillowcases at least once a week, and preferably every few days! So, first things first: give your face a quick lather. We love our Daily Detox Facial Wash for this, as it not only gently cleanses skin but also uses Moringa Peptides to protect the skin from everyday pollution. It’s a great choice for combination and oily skin because it works to rebalance your natural sebum production and is full of high-antioxidant ingredients, which prevent damage from free radicals throughout the day. Rinse it off with cool water to close your newly-cleansed pores, and you’re ready to move to the next step!
Step two is to pat on some serum. Serums often have a bad rap amongst those with oilier skin types, as their concentrated blend of ingredients often makes them daunting, and they can appear to be targeted towards drier skin. However, there’s a serum for every skin type, and they can be phenomenally useful. Our Rainforest Rescue Blemish Serum is especially formulated to cater to oily and blemish-prone skin, and contains an Amazonian blend of Acai and Copaiba which helps to decrease sebum production. On top of that, the willow bark is a natural source of Salicylic Acid, and helps to gently boost cell turnover and exfoliate skin, leaving you glowing. You’ll find your skin looking healthier and mattified in no time.
Last but not least, it’s important to finish off with a moisturiser. We know, your skin looks like it has all the moisture it needs - but we promise a good moisturiser will help! Excess oil is actually often a symptom of underlying dryness in the face, as the body overcompensates and overproduces sebum in an effort to rebalance hydration levels. A gentle, mattifying moisturiser like our True Balance Lotion helps to soothe skin with a hit of Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and a swirl of Avocado Extract to inhibit oil production. It also contains those Moringa Peptides that work so hard in the above mentioned face wash, so your face gets a double dose of protection from pollutants - and for those of us living or working in a city, this double layer is a great idea!
That’s our basic ritual for oily or combination skin, and from here you can adapt it for your own needs. It might be a good idea to add an SPF like our Climate Veil Tinted SPF on top of the moisturiser in the morning, for example, or a spritz of our Daily Defence Moisture Mist for a hydrating, pollutant-banishing finish. At night, you might want to add an eye cream, or switch out your light daytime moisturiser for a more heavy-duty cream, especially if you have combination skin. You can even mix and match - what’s to stop you putting a light moisturiser on your T-zone and a richer one on your cheeks? A couple of drops of facial oil could also do wonders, especially if you pick one that’s designed for your skin type. A few evenings a week, why not make some time to use one of our exfoliating face masks? Both work in just a few minutes, and give you some time to practise mindfulness (or catch up on your favourite podcast) whilst gently removing dead skin cells and allowing the new cells underneath to glow on the surface. You can choose between a chemical exfoliator, like our Miracle Mask, or a manual exfoliator, the Radiant Glow Mask.
In the end, we’re the ones who have to live with our skin. We know when something isn’t working, and we know when we need an extra bit of moisture or care. It’s important to keep a few basic steps in your routine the same - like removing any makeup at the end of the day! - but you should trust your instincts, too. Our skin picks up changes in things like atmosphere and stress levels before we have a chance to clock them, and our environments are constantly changing. If that means that one day you need just a few dabs of mattifying moisturiser and the next you feel like a layer of face oil will do you good, try it out!