My Current Skincare Routine: Dehydated, Combination Skin Type

My current skincare routine is best described as a work in progress. I've always big "into" skincare and I'm usually looking for ways to tweak my routine to get the best results. However, over the last six months or so I've seen my skin changing and I hadn't kept up with it's new quirks and needs. I've always had an oily t-zone and relatively blemish-prone skin and those two things haven't changed, but now I also have dehydrated skin across my cheeks where before it was more normal or dry. 

I've changed up my skincare routine to the one I'm using now (which I'll be talking through in today's blogpost) in a series of stages over the last six weeks. Many of the products are new but there are a couple of old favourites (such as Vichy's Idealia Range* and Youth Lab's Daily Sunscreen Gel Cream SPF 50) that I'm reintroducing. I'm going to be trialling these products for the next couple of months, offering reviews on the performance of individual products as and when I feel ready to case judgement. For now, read on to see what I'm using, when I'm using it and how I'm getting along so far.

Morning Skincare Routine for Dehydrated and Combination Skin

It might seem unconventional, but my morning skincare routine has a bigger product line-up than my evening one. This is mainly due to the fact that I alter my morning routine based on a number of factors (ie. How will I spend the day, inside or outside? Am I going to be wearing makeup? etc.), whereas my evening routine is pretty much fixed, with just the odd addition of a face mask once or twice a week.

I always begin by cleansing my skin and at the moment my go-to cleanser is La Roche Posay's Effaclar H Deep Cleansing Foam*. In theory, it's entirely out of my comfort zone as I cut out foaming products a long time ago. However, in the absence of anything else working for my skin I wanted to try a new tactic and La Roche Posay reassured me that this Effaclar H product was highly suitable for my skin. All I have to say at the moment is that so far it's working well for me and it hasn't felt irritatating or drying, and my blemishes have decreased in freqency and size.

I usually follow up by reaching for a hydrating toner, at the moment I'm reaching for Zkin's Hydrating Mist* which is incredibly fine and light in it's dispersal. I then like to follow up with a serum, typically Vichy's Idealia Serum* and Eye Contour Idealiser* which I've used in the past. They both work really well under skincare or make-up and add a natural-looking radiance.

My morning moisturiser is La Roche Posay's Effaclar H Soothing Moisturiser*, which again works really under makeup as it's light but feels as though it preps my skin. When I don't reach for Vichy's Idealia Range I follow up on my moisturiser by applying La Roche Posay's Effaclar K Renovating Care* - a treatment for oily and blemish-prone skin - across my t-zone and the sides of my face where I typically break-out. It's supposed to treat your skin but also leaves it feeling primed and ready for makeup. Finally, I apply a touch of A Passion For Naturals' Aloe Lip Butter*, a light-weight matte lip balm that's good for prepping lips for lipstick, especially matte formulas.

It's at this point that I consider my skincare routine finished, but I have a couple of last-minute touches that I normally reach for at this point. If I'm not going to be wearing makeup (which is a good few days out of the week) and I'm going to be spending a lot of time outside then I finish my routine by applying Youth Lab's Daily Sunscreen Gel Cream SPF 50 - which works well on oily/combination skin. However, if I'm going to be wearing makeup and want to add some SPF into my routine then I'll reach for Balance Me's Radiance BB Cream* or Caudalie's Vinoperfect Tinted Moisturiser in 01*. I absolutely adore the finish that both of these lightweight bases give and they work really well alone, or you can build coverage by using them underneath other products.

Evening Skincare Routine for Dehydrated and Combination Skin

In the evenings I have a pretty straightforward routine, and it always begins with the removal of my makeup. I've been using La Roche Posay's Micellar Water Gel Make-Up Remover* for about a month now and I'm a really big fan, I think it's very effective and removes the need for cotton pads. I then continue on to cleanse my skin using the same La Roche Posay Effaclar H Deep Cleansing Foam* than I use in the mornings.

I've also been using La Roche Posay's Serozinc* as my toner for a while but I haven't noticed a dramatic improvement in the appearance of my skin. I've recently incorporated Zkin's Organic Hydrating Mist* and I prefer the way that this leaves my skin feeling so I now reach for this much more often than Serozinc.

In the evenings I look to give my skin a healthy dose of hyularonic acid, a deeply penetrating hydrating ingredient that works to fix dehydration issues. I've fallen in love with AEOS's Realive Serum*, a lightweight gel product packed full of active organic ingredients - and hyaluronic acid - and I've been using it for about a month. I apply it onto damp skin and I really believe that it's made a big improvement to the look and feel of my skin, especially on my cheeks. I follow up by applying a moisturiser, I'm currently using Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Light* which is another product containing hyularonic acid. I love the light gel texture of the moisturiser as I find that it hydrates my skin without overloading it - which I think is really important if you're prone to breakouts.

Finally, if my skin or lips are in need of an extra dose of TLC then I'll reach for a treatment. For my lips, I really like Lanolips' 101 Ointment* - it lasts for ages but I've still gotten through tubes of this in the last couple of years! For my skin, I recently bought Darphin's Hydrating Kiwi Mask for days when I need a bit of a boost. I've used it a couple of times so far with good results and I think my skin looks better after using this than when I reach for Origins Drink Up Intensive, to which I'd been loyal for years.


There are a couple of other products that I'll be looking to trial next - especially hyaluronic serums, so that I can get a better idea of what's good compared to what's really good - but this is a comprehensive account of what I'm using at the moment. Let me know if there are any products that you'd be interested in hearing more about, and please do let me know if you know any other products that you think I might like.