How to Take Care of Oily or Combination Skin

Unlike my younger sister who inherited my mom’s smooth and flawless skin, I unfortunately inherited oily or combination skin—which stems from my dad’s side of the family. Aside from that, I’m also prone to breakouts because my skin can be sensitive and extremely picky with products. I’m always wary about products before using them and I make sure that it’s approved by my dermatologist first. It’s a curse! Especially for someone who loves to play around with makeup! But my sensitive skin is also one of the reasons why I rarely wear makeup (oh the irony!). I usually just save the makeup for special events, like a night out with friends.

L-R: My sister, Giana, and I

If there’s one tip I will constantly share, it’s that I will always invest in skincare more than makeup. It doesn’t mean that I love makeup any less. It just so happens that I was born with oily or combination (I have an oily T-zone area, but normal to dry cheeks) and sensitive skin, and that my sporty lifestyle exposes me under the sun a lot, which is the number one cause for skin damage.

So here below is my regimen on how to care of my oily or combination skin. These are some products I use for maintenance, and making sure my skin stays healthy.

L-R Top Row: Avene Cleanance Gel, O2CH Eye and Lip Treatment, Obagi Clenziderm Pore Therapy,

Physiogel Intensive Cream, Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen

L-R Bottom Row: Epiduo Gel, Avon Anew Vitale Day and Night Cream

1. Wash

For my facial wash—I use Avene Cleanance Gel (Php 1,235 in Mercury Drug), which was introduced to me by my mom just last August. First and foremost, I love the refreshing scent and the minty color. For more than a decade of switching from Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub, to Celeteque Gentle Exfoliating Facial Scrub, to Papulex Soap-Free Cleansing Gel, then back to Neutrogena, this is by far the most effective when it comes to controlling my oily skin. It doesn’t completely get rid of it, I’ll be honest. Especially because I use Avon’s Anew Vitale Day Cream, which I mentioned in my review leaves my face oily/shiny in the morning. But Avene Cleanance Gel is by far the most impressive of all the facial cleansers I’ve tried. Prior to using Avene, I really loved Neutrogena because of the way the beads left a cool, tingling sensation. But when it comes to controlling oil problems, Avene bags that award.

2. Tone

For my toner—I use Obagi’s Clenziderm Pore Therapy, which also acts as my anti-acne treatment. It was recommended to me by my dermatologist, and works like a charm. It helps to eliminate and prevent pimples. It also leaves the skin with an extremely ice cold feeling! Clenziderm is available in House of Obagi, but I’m not really sure how much as it comes in a set of three (the toner’s the second in the set). I only use the toner, as my dermatologist warned that using all three might be too harsh for my skin.

How to Take Care of Oily or Combination Skin

3. Moisturize

So before moisturizing in the evening, I first dab O2CH Eye and Lip Treatment ($23.77) on my under-eye area to get rid of eye bags. I’ve been using this for months, as it was a gift from the States, but I think a more affordable (and very effective!) alternative is Garnier’s Eye Brightening Roll-On, which you can avail from Watsons or Mercury Drug for around Php 200.

Another product I apply after toning and before moisturizing is Epiduo Gel (Php 1,160 in Mercury Drug), which addresses and prevents breakouts, as well as whiteheads and blackheads. It works magically!

For my moisturizer, I use Avon’s Anew Vitale Night Cream.

For extra rough spots, like callouses on the soles of my feet from playing ultimate, I not only apply body lotion (I use Aveeno Body Lotion). I also use Physiogel Intensive Cream (Php 574.50 in Watsons), which has been a staple in my family for years. (You can read more about it here.) It doesn’t matter how rough or thick my callouses get, Physiogel always smoothens and makes it soft again.

4. Protect

One of the most important things to do in your daily routine is to protect your skin from the sun. Again, the sun is the number one cause for skin damage. So everyday, even though it’s raining, I apply Avon’s Anew Vitale Day Cream and for extra measure, Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen (around Php 550).

Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen is my favorite of all the facial sunblocks I’ve tried because it’s oily skin-friendly. It leaves a powdery feel instead of the usual shine that sunblocks tend to give. It’s also light on the face, so no sticky, icky feeling at all.

With my gorgeous mom and sister.

So that’s how I try to take care of my oily or combination skin. Of course, my skin can still get stubborn at times—especially when it’s that time of the month. There are days a pimple or two comes out, and whenever that happens, I head to my dermatologist to get a facial cleaning (and to avoid getting pimple scars). I may be a little on the paranoid side, but I really do invest more in skincare than beauty products.

 If you guys have any questions about the regimen above, or if you want to share your own beauty regimen in taking care of your oily skin, do leave a comment! Or visit and like the Greta’s Junkyard page and post your story.

UPDATE AS OF March 25, 2014: Read about my updated skin regimen here.

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