Combination Skin Type – how much moisture and oil does my skin need?
Distinguishing between three skin types: oily, dry, and combination skin, makes perfect sense because it provides good guidance on what skincare should contain. What does combination skin need? How much oil and moisture should we add to skin that is dry in some areas and oily in others? Learn more about this in this journal entry.
Content:
1. How is our skin structured?
2. The functions of the epidermis
3. The three different skin types
4. Focus on "combination skin"
5. The needs of combination skin
1. How is our skin structured?
Human skin consists of three layers: The deepest skin layer, the subcutis, is primarily composed of fat cells, blood vessels, and nerves.
The middle skin layer is called the dermis and consists of skin cells - fibroblasts - as well as the so-called extracellular matrix. In the matrix, we find proteins, including collagen and elastin fibers, as well as proteoglycans, such as hyaluronic acid. In addition, sweat glands and hair follicles are located in the dermis.
Finally, the outermost skin layer, the epidermis, consists of lipids and skin cells - corneocytes. These take on different forms: the higher up they are located, the flatter the cells become. The uppermost layer of the epidermis - the stratum corneum - ultimately consists of the so-called dead cells, which no longer have a living nucleus and are embedded in a lipid bilayer.
2. The functions of the epidermis
The epidermis performs various functions. Firstly, it acts as a protective barrier against unwanted environmental influences (more on this in the last VENYA Journal on environmental pollution and skin, here). Secondly, the epidermis protects the body from pathogenic microorganisms. Thirdly, it prevents water loss from the skin, provided the skin barrier functions effectively.
In the context of skincare, the epidermis primarily interests us because most active ingredients are unable to reach the deeper dermis. Skincare therefore mainly influences the epidermal layers.
Our focus is also on the epidermis because its composition helps determine how optimally adapted skincare products are formulated and what they should contain. Accordingly, dry skin will prefer a different skincare composition than oily or combination skin.
In this article, we'll look at what combination skin needs in terms of skincare.
3. The three different skin types
Do they really exist?But before we get to how much fats and moisture combination skin needs, let's briefly address the question of whether it even makes sense to speak of skin types.
Generally, a distinction is made between dry skin, combination skin, and oily skin. They are considered different skin types because they are characterized by varying degrees of sebum production.
This differentiation is certainly not the only way to describe skin. However, it is useful as a guide for adapting the skincare routine when we want to determine how many moisturizers and how many fat components our care products should contain.
Some cosmetic companies also transparently state the fat content in their products: For example, at VENYA, you will find two face creams with different lipid contents: the Healthy Aging Cream contains 18% lipids, and the lipid content in the Healthy Aging Cream Rich is 24%. From this alone, you can see which of the two creams is more suitable for dry skin and which for skin with more natural lipids.
4. Focus on "combination skin"
Fats and moisture in skincare for combination skin
This brings us back to the question: how much moisture and fat does combination skin need in skincare?
Combination skin is characterized by relatively pronounced sebum production. The word "relatively" refers, on the one hand, to oily skin, where the skin's own oil production is more intense than in combination skin and usually affects larger areas of the skin. On the other hand, sebum production in combination skin is stronger than in dry skin, where sebaceous glands produce very little oil.
Lipids in skincare for combination skin
Combination skin is generally oilier in the so-called T-zone, meaning the forehead, nose, and chin. These are the areas where the sebaceous glands are most active. In these facial areas, the skin's natural oil becomes visible throughout the day, and the skin starts to shine. The remaining parts of the face, however, may appear rather dry, which leads to the term "combination skin."
Skincare for combination skin should therefore contain enough lipids to moisturize the dry areas, but also not be too rich, as the skin produces enough of its own oil. The proportion of fats in skincare for combination skin is therefore lower than in skincare products for dry and very dry skin.
Moisture in skincare for combination skinWhile oily skin needs both fewer lipids and humectants (unless the skin barrier is severely damaged), the proportion of good humectants in skincare for combination skin - precisely because of the mixture of oily and dry areas - can certainly be higher. Excellent humectants such as glycerin, amino acids and peptides (for example, MATRIXYL Synthe'6), and hyaluronic acid (we discussed cross-linked hyaluronic acid in the VENYA Healthy Aging Multi-Functional Serum in this VENYA Journal).
5. The needs of combination skin
How much moisture and fat does combination skin need?
In summary, skincare for dry and combination skin differs mainly in the amount of lipids used. While facial creams for dry skin are characterized by a higher lipid content, rich creams feel "greasy" and uncomfortable on combination skin.
Therefore, it is important to integrate care products into the skincare routine that penetrate the outermost layer of the skin after application and do not remain on the skin's surface.
It often takes testing several products to find the optimal face cream. The face cream also changes with the seasons – in winter, even distinctly combination skin prefers a slightly richer cream, while lighter consistencies are preferred in summer.
The two VENYA Healthy Aging face creams – for combination skin (Cream) and dry skin (Cream Rich) – are excellent starting points when looking for skin-friendly skincare that respects the skin's acid mantle.
Sources for further reading
Youn SW, Na JI, Choi SY, Huh CH, Park KC. Regional and seasonal variations in facial sebum secretions: a proposal for the definition of combination skin type. Skin Res Technol. 2005 Aug;11(3)
Oliveira, R.; Ferreira, J.; Azevedo, L.F.; Almeida, I.F. An Overview of Methods to Characterize Skin Type: Focus on Visual Rating Scales and Self-Report Instruments. Cosmetics 2023, 10 (14)