It is estimated that the majority of the population has combination skin. About 70% of the people worldwide have to cope with this difficult condition.
The criteria for this particular state are hard to be put in some strict definitions. Nevertheless, science and technologies have grown much in the last century.
The mission for gaining the control over the treatment of mixed zones of dry and oily areas on the face has finally become clearer.
We have come up with a list of the five top best primers for combination skin that can help you manage your specific needs.
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for the Best Primers for Combination Skin
The product that heads our list is the Face Cream Moisturizer by LilyAna Naturals. We fell in love with the formulation boasting of vitamins, fruit extracts, and natural oils. We find all of them can be suitable for providing thorough care for combination skin.
Number two on our roundup is the DHC Velvet Coat. We liked the smooth matte finish that this product contributed on the skin. It can be a great match for a good makeup base due to the added Dimethicone.
Coming in at number three is the Mineral Fusion Facial Moisturizer. This product is abundant in ingredients that can suit the combination type, such as Rosemary, Lavender, Cucumber, Aloe Vera, and Rosehip. While its primary purpose is hydrating the skin, we find it compatible to use under makeup.
The fourth product that made it to our list is the Premium Foundation Makeup Primer. Our favorite thing about this primer is how it combines three powerful vitamins known to be potent for targeting combination skin. We enjoyed its properties for being sweat and water resistant.
And the fifth product for our selection is the Palladio Foundation Primer. It caught our attention with the fusion of soothing Chamomile and Aloe to its formulation. The added Grapeseed Oil can be beneficial for fighting the signs of aging.
Characteristics of Combination Skin
Combination skin can remind much of a split personality. It is a mix of both oily and dry types. For different individuals, it can be defined in more than one way.
Some people might have to deal with a shiny T-zone.
Others might be suffering from flaky skin on the forehead and enlarged, prone to an oily residue pores on the cheeks.
Some of you may have more visible fine lines and wrinkles, excessive shininess or clogged pores.
These could be diverse, as you may be experiencing all of the given examples or various combinations between them.
If you still struggle to find the right solution, then there is a big chance that you have been doing something wrong.
How to Manage Combination Skin?
You have to be open to experimenting with ingredients, decoding labels and estimating the effects of certain products for your particular type.
This makes your mission more time and energy consuming, compared to all the other people who can at least define themselves with a one-state-skin-condition.
What’s more, even when you find something that can work good for you, this might not last too long.
That’s because combination skin is amongst the most changing ones, and while it may seem to react well to a product, many factors can still interfere.
You have to act both internally and externally to contribute to a beautiful appearance.
Combination skin can be much more prone to outside influences, even when compared to sensitive skin.
Factors Related to Combination Skin Type
Recent studies show that this skin type condition can be enhanced by hormonal changes, weather, stress, and food.
Hormones are closely related to both what you put on your face and what you put in your stomach.
When choosing suitable cosmetics, we highly encourage you to avoid any harsh chemicals, preservatives, parabens, artificials of any type - including fragrance.
All of these can interfere negatively with your skin’s state in the long run. Even though they might provide some relief, it is only in the short term.
Of course, many products contain some kind of preservative and this is helpful for more than just prolonging the shelf-life of an item.
Preservatives also serve to stop harmful bacteria from forming.
Our advice is to follow the attitude of your skin and imply its dual approach. The main logics is to remember that negative effects come with over-use.
Beneficial Beauty Regimen for Combination Skin
Follow an uncompromising regimen. Do not skip on proper washing but try to use the most natural and plant based product for this part of your routine.
When choosing a toner, look for ones that lack irritating ingredients and rely on more balanced formulations.
These can include essential oils such as Grapefruit, Lemon, Orange, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Mint, Black Pepper or Frankincense.
For moisturizing, you’d better go for lighter, yet nutritious butter and oils such as Coconut oil, Cocoa butter, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Safflower Oil, Rosehip Oil, Argan Oil.
At any cost, do not forget to exfoliate. It is especially important to take away the dead cells that can worsen the condition of your skin.
You have to look for scrubs which are free of plastic beads or nano-sized particles. Our advice is to try a soft option that can include Lactic Acid, Vitamin C, Aloe vera or Dead Sea Minerals.
Also, do not turn your back to sunscreens. As mentioned above, your skin type can be much disturbed by environmental factors.
We recommend finding a sunscreen with an SPF 15 for daily protection. Physical sunscreens are more suitable than chemical ones. For when you want to use a foundation, it is extremely vital for you to restrict the penetration of the product on your demanding skin.
Product Reviews: Our Top Choices of the Best Primer for Combination Skin
#1 - Face Cream Moisturizer by LilyAna Naturals
Our absolute winner of the best primers for combination skin is the Face Cream Moisturizer by LilyAna Naturals.
Its base is Rose Distillate which is another name for Rose Water.
Rosa Damascena is a rare type of rose that only blooms in very limited regions. It takes four tons of roses (that is equal to 1 600 000 rose flowers) to convert in 1 kg of rose oil.
The primary benefit of this compound is the ability to balance the skin. It is amongst the little-known compounds that are referred to as suitable for combination skin.
Together with Avocado Oil, Aloe Vera, and Meadowfoam Seed Oil, this moisturizer possesses remarkable anti-aging, soothing and calming abilities.
The fruit extracts that come from Pomegranate, Lemon and Orange serve to help with the sebum control, while gently eliminating the impurities.
The only downside to this product is that you may need to follow it up with another moisturizer for the winter.
Pros
Cons
Our second best pick is the DHC Velvet Coat. Dimethicone can be especially useful for those of you with combination skin.
Like most silicones, it has a remarkable fluidity that makes it very easy to spread. It also acts as a skin protector.
It can repel water from entering the pores and serve as a filler for fine lines and wrinkles.
While we do not encourage you to rely solely on silicone-based products on a daily basis, these may prove to be beneficial enough if you know how and when to use them.
Always clean your skin very well after applying a product, containing silicones. We also like Olive Oil which is not the type of oil that can cause clogging of the pores.
It is known to be exceptionally rich in fatty acids that can nourish the skin deeply.
It can work to address well the dry patches. Meanwhile, Dimethicone acts simultaneously to block the excessive oils of appearing on your face, leaving a greasy residue.
Pros
Cons
The third product that made it to our list of the best primers for combination skin is the Mineral Fusion Face Moisturizer.
We appreciate the inclusion of Mineral water. Plain water contains chloride, and it can carry a range of adverse effects.
Shea butter is one of the very few plant based moisturizers that have a comedogenic rating of 0.
Certain oils can help to control oiliness by dissolving the excess sebum that is accumulated within the pores. In simple words, fats get rid of fats, and oils get rid of oils.
And this is exactly the case with Shea Butter. It soaks into the skin almost immediately, without any trace of a greasy residue.
Rosemary Oil has the ability to balance out natural oils.
And while it can help to leave the skin refreshed and soft, it would neither cause excessive dryness, or shininess.
Aloe Vera, Lavender and Cucumber altogether aid in soothing and calming the skin, helping it to achieve a more stable look without being patchy.
Pros
Cons
Our fourth best-loved choice is the Premium Foundation Makeup Primer.
Vitamin A can help to moderate oily skin. It is one of the nutrients that are considered primarily responsible for normalizing of the oil levels.
As to Vitamin C, it may help to even out the skin tone. It also acts as a shield from environmental pollutions.
Oxidative stress can worsen the skin condition especially when it comes to combination type. On the other hand, Vitamin E can work to balance the effect of both Vitamin A and C.
It may not only serve to prevent, but to help repair the damage caused by free radicals. It can provide the exact amount of moisture needed since it tends to be a bit more sticky and thick.
However, the potent combination of Vitamins C and E can contribute the hydrating effect of Vitamin E to the skin without causing excessive oiliness.
Thanks to Dimethicone, we were delighted with the nice finish which did not seem to be too powdery.
Pros
Cons
The fifth product that we have selected is the Palladio Foundation Primer. The reason why we decided to put it last on our list is that is seemed to be more greasy, compared to the others.
This might be partially due to the Sunflower oil to its content. The comedogenic rating of this oil is two which is still considered significantly low.
It contains essential fatty acids, such as linoleic, oleic and palmitic which can help to tighten and firm your look.
This is also a great oil to keep away the damaging environmental stressors of interfering with your skin.
The Grapeseed oil that we found in the formulation has amazing restructuring qualities that can help to retain the normal shape of the skin.
However, we have to warn you that you must take the time to wait for this product to dry out. Also, we recommend applying a small amount, as it can get too much of a shine effect.
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
The product that deserved our title for the best primer for combination skin is the Face Cream Moisturizer by LilyAna Naturals.
We were impressed with the blend of fruit extracts, plant based nutritious oils, and vitamins which are all combined in a light, creamy consistency.
This moisturizer can provide hydration without clogging the pores and more importantly - by acting towards the repair of the skin in the long-term.
We were able to enjoy wearing our makeup with the help of this product, and though it is not referred to as a primer, we were delighted to find out its suitability for this particular purpose.
All the products that made it to our list can deserve a place in your beauty regimen. They can help to alleviate the unpleasant issues, connected to the combination skin type.
And above all, they can provide you with confidence and comfort to wear your makeup with a smile.