Can your skin be oily and dry at the same time?

Famously acknowledged as a combination skin type, skin that is vulnerable to both dryness and oiliness calls for identifying the chief skin concerns first

From make-up application to putting the right skincare vanity together, minuscule aspects of your beauty regime can become a tough nut to crack if you have a dry skin type, prone to flakiness, dry patches and peeling skin. Now, toss in a film of oiliness into the picture, and it’s a recipe for total bedlam. When your skin is neither completely dry nor completely oily, figuring out basics can be confusing, for it’s challenging to prioritise one concern over the other. Using a ceramide-rich cream or facial oil means aggravating the slick-y look. Meanwhile, solely deploying retinol and salicylic acid-infused products means drying out (read: irritating) the skin further. We talk to three dermatologists who share their insights on what and what doesn’t count as combination skin and how exactly you can manage skin that gives mixed signals.

Understanding your skin type 

Before getting started on how you can care for your skin, it’s critical to understand its behaviour, or your skin language. “If you have dry skin, it will appear dehydrated and there will be a more prominent appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can become saggy, or itch, be flaky, or peel and feel rough to touch,” says dermatologist Dr Manasi Shirolikar, as she describes the common signs of dry skin types. “If your face appears shiny or greasy, your pores look enlarged, you have more than usual whiteheads and blackheads and the tendency to get breakouts and pimples, you most likely have oily skin,” she furthers. Combination skin type is when (and where) these two worlds collide, resulting in dry cheeks and an oily T-zone, more often than not.

“Combination skin type exhibits attributes of both oily skin and dry or normal skin. It is characterised by having certain areas of the face, typically the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), that are oilier and other areas that are drier or more normal in oil production. Combination skin can vary in severity and can be influenced by various factors such as genetics, hormones, the environment and one’s lifestyle,” explains Dr Jaishree Sharad, Mumbai-based celebrity dermatologist and author of The Skincare Answer Book.

According to Shirolkar, experiencing dryness and oiliness on the skin at the same time is a common phenomenon. “Genetics play a part in the same; if someone in your immediate family has combination skin, chances of you having combination skin is higher. Besides this, hormones and the environment you are in probably add to it—testosterone is correlated to sebum production, whereas environmental conditions such as heat and humidity can bring about combination skin,” shares the skin expert.

Does dryness and oiliness together always indicate combination skin?

Many misconstrue skin with signs of oily and dry skin for combination skin. However, that’s not always the case. “The phenomenon of skin being oily and dry at the same time does occur in combination skin.Combination skin refers to a skin type, whereas having both oily and dry areas on the face can happen in other skin types as well. This typically occurs when the skin is over-treated with actives or is dehydrated due to lack of adequate moisturisation, leading to compensatory oiliness,” highlights Dr Niketa Sonavane, celebrity dermatologist and founder, Ambrosia Aesthetics. “For example, flaky skin around the nose while the T-zone is oily is a classic example of combination skin. However, flaky skin around the nose in the oily skin type can occur in a condition called ‘Seborrheic Dermatitis’ as well, which is a kind of yeast overgrowth,” she elaborates.

If you’re someone who has had a relatively normal skin type for most of your life, “over-cleansing the face or using harsh or inappropriate skincare products can disrupt the skin’s natural balance, leading to both dryness and oiliness at the same time,” mentions Sharad. “I’m a dermatologist with oily, sensitive and eczema-prone skin,” Camille Howard-Verovic, dermatologist and founder, GIRL + HAIR, toldWomen’s Health, manifesting that in some rare cases, one can also experience oily skin and eczema (a condition common to dry skin) together, which is largely different from having combination skin. 

The way forward

It is perhaps best to listen to what your skin is telling you, to begin with. “Managing such a skin type with both oily and dry areas may require a tailored skincare routine that addresses the specific needs of different areas of the face,” affirms Sharad. “This could involve using mattifying products in the oily T-zone to control excess sebum while using gentle and moisturising products in the dry areas to replenish moisture and support the skin barrier function.”

Shirolkar recommends using products that contain hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid or lactic acid to both hydrate your skin and reduce sebum production. “Use a blotting paper during the day, to get rid of the excess oil, and exfoliate your skin once a week to take care of both the oiliness and the dryness. Also use a gentle cleanser, so that you don’t strip away the natural oils off your face,” adds Shirolkar.

Upon being asked if a patch or spot treatment is a smart way of approaching area-specific concerns, Sonavane believes that while such treatments can help improve both dryness and oiliness, it depends on the specific product and the individual’s skin type. “For dryness, look for products that contain ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides or natural oils, to provide localised hydration to dry patches,” suggests Sharad. To control the oil secretion, “look for products with salicylic acid, tea tree and niacinamide,” she furthers. “You can opt for a clay mask for your T-Zone to get rid of the excess oil, and use a nourishing, ceramide mask for your drier cheek areas,” recommends Shirolkar. “However, it's important to note that patch or spot treatments are typically used as a part of a larger skincare routine and may not be sufficient on their own to address both dryness and oiliness on the entire face,” says Sharad. “Additionally, it’s crucial to identify the underlying causes of dryness and oiliness on your skin.”

Lastly, all three dermatologists share their recommendations in-office treatments for skin that’s partially oily and dry. For Sonavane, PRP (platelet-rich plasma) microneedling, Hydrafacial MD and gentle chemical peels top the list. Shirolkar encourages giving chemical peels a shot. “You can choose from a glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid and TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel.” Besides hydrating facials and chemical peels, Sharad vouches for the results of microdermabrasion. “This is a non-invasive exfoliating treatment that uses a device to gently remove the outermost layer of dead skin cells, helping to improve flaking skin while also unclogging pores and reducing excess sebum production.”

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