Combination skin Archives - Page 2 of 3

Sponsored: Skincity

This is my Skincity review after using the online skincare clinic and the routine it recommended for about 1.5 months. The useful part was not just buying products; it was having a certified skin therapist choose a routine around my combination skin, sunscreen use and wish for natural skincare.

Update July 2026: the old Skincity links and individual skin-test routes used in this article no longer work as originally published. Skincity has since moved under KICKS, so I replaced the broken routes with current KICKS destinations and removed a stale product affiliate link. Links marked with * are affiliate links.

If you’ve ever dreamed of someone just telling you what products you should use to get the best out of your skin, Skincity’s online clinic was exactly that kind of service. If you are still unsure about your skin type before choosing products, start with my skin type guide and then build a routine with my Skin 101 skincare routine guide.

Skincity review: skincare that works because it is tailored to you

When I worked at a salon, I loved doing facials and helping customers find the right products. Our skin is our biggest organ, and I think the little time we take in pampering it is very worth it. My take on skincare is compassionate, yet dedicated. I don’t focus on the problems in my skin; I accept its unique properties. I’m not looking for perfection, I just want my skin to look and feel healthy.

That said, it’s important to choose the right products for your skin. For instance, I have combination skin with bigger pores, so it is important to treat it right to avoid pimples. Skincity helped me choose products around those needs.

At the time of my test, Skincity sold several of my favorite brands including Vita Liberata, Clarins and Jane Iredale, plus brands that had been on my wish list like Hourglass and By Terry. The range and professional help were the reason the service felt useful.

Skincity skin tests and the current KICKS route

When this review was first published, Skincity offered free skin tests for different routine sizes and SPF recommendations. The test was simple: you answered questions about your skin, wishes and routine, and a skin therapist sent product recommendations a few days later.

I chose the skin test with 6-8 products, because I like a holistic take on skincare. There was also an option for a simpler four-product routine. Once you got your results, you could check out the products without an obligation to buy.

Those exact old Skincity skin-test URLs are no longer reliable. The closest current route I found is *KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics, where KICKS describes digital tools such as Skin Analytics for tailored routines. If you specifically want Skincity products, use *Skincity Skincare at KICKS.

There was also an SPF test to find a suitable sunscreen. I love physical sunscreens, which work by reflecting sun rays away from your skin. I used Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder with SPF20; makeup and sunscreen in two steps, perfect for me. If SPF is your main concern, continue with my natural face sunscreen guide.

Personal skincare advice

In addition to the test, you could chat with skin therapists if you had questions. As a beauty therapist myself, I really value advice coming from another professional. Just like a shoemaker can fix your shoes, a skin therapist knows how to treat different skin types and issues.

Maria Åkerberg mineral powder in Pure Beige worn on the face — Wearing Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder in Pure Beige. More makeup details at the end of this post.

My Skincity skincare routine and Neal’s Yard Remedies

I’ve now been on my Skincity skincare routine for about 1.5 months and both me and my skin are very happy. I chose natural products and got recommended Neal’s Yard Remedies products. Getting to know a new skincare brand this way was fun, and I love that someone else picked the right products for me.

Neal’s Yard Remedies products feel effective, yet gentle. The luxurious glass packaging is a big plus for me. The natural fresh scents are therapeutic; my favorite scent is the orange in the face scrub.

Since I use physical sunscreen and makeup, I always double cleanse. Oil is the best option for removing physical sunscreens, so I requested an oil cleanser as an extra. If double cleansing is relevant to your routine, my oil cleanser guide goes deeper into removing physical sunscreen and makeup.

Maria Åkerberg Pre-Cleansing Oil for removing sunscreen and makeup — Maria Åkerberg’s Pre-Cleansing Oil is great for removing sunscreen and makeup.

Here’s how my routine looked with the recommended products.

My evening skincare routine

Maria Åkerberg Precleansing Oil
Maria Åkerberg Gentle Foaming Wash
Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
Neal’s Yard Remedies Vitamin E & Avocado Night Cream
Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My morning skincare routine

Splash with water
Neal’s Yard Remedies Rehydrating Rose Toner
Neal’s Yard Remedies Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum
Neal’s Yard Remedies Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer
Neal’s Yard Remedies White Tea Eye Gel

My weekly skincare routine

Neal’s Yard Remedies Honey & Orange Face Scrub

Notes and thoughts on the products and routine

My favorite products are the Rehydrating Rose Toner and the Sensitive Soothing Daily Serum. It’s funny, because I used to really dislike rose scent. However, the toner smells fresh and provides the perfect hydration for my skin. I take it into my palms and pat it on to my skin.

The Soothing Serum is another lovely product for hydration. It contains hyaluronic acid, borage seed oil and soothing plant extracts. I’ve talked about the importance of a hydrating serum before and that goes for all seasons. As lovely as the sun is, it dries out the skin and at least my skin appreciates all the watery hydration it can get.

The Purifying Palmarosa Daily Moisturizer has been a good summer match for my skin. It absorbs quickly, controls oil and works really well under makeup.

Need changes to the routine?

When I tested the service, you could redo the skin test if you wanted totally new recommendations or felt like something was not working. You could also chat with a skin therapist if you wanted to change something. In my routine I ended up changing the facial wash; I first had the Purifying Palmarosa Wash for oily skin, but asked for a slightly more gentle cleanser and got two new product recommendations within minutes.

If you want to get your skincare in order, I still think the strongest idea here is a professional routine built around your skin, not a random product haul. Start with the current KICKS Skin Analytics route if you want a digital recommendation, or browse Skincity products at KICKS if you already know what you want.

*KICKS Digital Beauty Tools and Skin Analytics
*Skincity Skincare at KICKS

This whole makeup look was done with brands Skincity sold at the time. I’m wearing:

Maria Åkerberg’s mineral powder, Pure Beige
Jane Iredale Ellen Lipstick
Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Peach
Clarins Ombre 3 Couleurs palettes

For more skincare routines, product testing and daily beauty talk, you can also find me on Instagram @charlottaeve.

*adlink

If you want good skin, you need a skincare routine. Chances are, if you’re oily or combination, it’s the difference between breakouts and clean skin. Your diet, exercise and genes play a part in your skin’s condition, but good skincare does make a difference too. I didn’t win at the gene lottery (actually, I still have hormonal acne), so my skincare routine together with a healthy lifestyle are crucial to me. My skin doesn’t feel oily or dry and my hormonal acne stays manageable with my routine.

Skincare is more than just washing your face and slapping some lotion on. To me it’s self care, pampering myself and feeling good in my own skin.

I created a skincare routine that works for all the different skin types: Normal, Dry, Combination and Oily.

Different skintypes & how to determine your skintype?

If you don’t know your skin type, check out my post: How to determine your skintype
Then it’s easy to choose products that are meant for your skin.

Basic skincare routine for all skin types

Here is a basic skincare routine for all skin types, with different product options depending on your skin.

If you have oily skin, you can check out the best moisturizers for oily skin here. And if you have dry skin, check out this dry skin post for even more product recommendations.

Here is what your skincare routine should look like in the evening. If I were to simplify it even more, it would consist of double cleansing, toner and lotion. But if there’s any problem with your skin, I really recommend using a serum. You’ll also benefit from using an oil. Argan oil actually works for battling different skin problems too.

Evening skincare routine steps & product recommendations

Makeup remover
*Makeup eraser all skintypes
Cleanser
*Lavera Hydro Effect Cleansing Balm normal, combination & oily skin
*Lumene Valo Balm Cleanser normal and dry skin
Toner
*Pixi Glow Tonic normal, combination & oily skin
*Clarins Extra Comfort Toning Lotion normal and dry skin
Serum
*The Body Shop Drops of Youth Serum combination & oily skin (+acne)
*Evolve Beauty Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner combination & oily skin (+acne)
Oil
*Pura D’Or Organic Argan oil all skintypes
Lotion
*Patyka Hydra Intensive Soothing Lotion dry, normal, combination skin
*Loccitane Aqua Reotier Ultra-Thirst Quenching Cream dry skin
*SVR Topialyse Palpebral Irritated eyelids Soothing Cream eye cream

Tip: You can mix your oil with your lotion to save some time.

Morning routine is slightly simpler. I like to splash my face with cold water before cleaning my face with a toner. Then I just apply my serums and lotions. I use a lighter cream in the morning, so that it works under makeup too.

Morning skincare routine steps & product recommendations

Toner
*Patyka Soothing Milky Toner all skintypes
Serum
*Patyka Hydra Booster Serum all skintypes
*Evolve Beauty Hyaluronic serum all skintypes
Lotion
*Patyka Hydra Soothing Lotion all skin types
Loccitane Aqua Reotier Ultra-Thirst Quenching Cream dry skin
Sunscreen
Madara Plant Stem Cell Age-Defying Sunscreen SPF 30 dry skin
Alga Maris Tinted Sunscreen SPF 30 normal, combination, oily skin
(Check out all my favorites: The best natural sunscreens for face)

Tip: if your skin is very oily, you could wash your face with a face cleanser in the morning as well. The Lavera Cleansing Balm is good for that.

Weekly skincare

An exfoliating mask
*Evolve Beauty Radiant Glow Mask normal, combination & oily skin
Evolve Beauty Miracle Mask all skintypes & dry skin

Basic skincare routine – a few notes

Double Cleansing: Makeup remover & Cleanser

You should always take off your makeup with a makeup remover. I recommend an oil based makeup remover, because it’s gentle but effective in soaking the makeup off. Another good option is makeup eraser, which is a soft microfiber towel. That also removes makeup well and is machine washable.

After you’ve taken off the makeup you need to wash your face to get rid of sweat, excess sebum and dead skin cells.

A toner

Many people skip toner thinking it’s not important. Guess what – it is! A toner helps to maintain the right ph-balance on your skin and bring some very much needed hydration to the skin. I like acid containing toners in the evening, because they help to brighten up the complexion and keep blackheads at bay. In the morning I like to switch to a hydrating toner.

The importance of serums

A hydrating serum works wonders and suits all skin types. It absorbs deeper into your skin and keeps your skin hydrated and radiant. My favorite hydrating serums contain hyaluronic acid, which helps to absorb water to your skin. I use a hydrating serum in the morning before my lotion.

If there’s any problem with impurities or texture in the skin, I would choose another serum for the night. AHA or BHA containing serums are awesome for oily or combination skin and acne. They really improve the skin’s texture by gently exfoliating the skin with acids. You can use serum as a treatment when needed. TBS Drops of Youth Serum is great when my skin is acting up. Recently I’ve been using Evolve Beauty’s Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner, which is very effective as well. The morning after I’ve applied it my skin feels very smooth and my redness/impurities have calmed down. It’s a toner, but I would use it as a serum, since it’s a bit too effective for constant use.

Oil

Natural oils are amazing when it comes to moisturizing and treating the skin. Argan oil is non comedogenic and it works for all skin types – even acne. I always mix oil to my lotion and then apply it all over my face and neck. I use oil only in the evening, so that it really has time to work its magic during the night.

Lotion/Cream

To lock all the moisture in, you apply a moisturizer. You can get away with just one, especially if you’re using argan oil (which you can mix in with your moisturizer for the night). But you can also choose a lighter one for day and a creamier one for the night. Most of the time I use two different lotions, but it’s not a necessity.

Don’t forget your eye cream! It should be a different product made for the sensitive eye area. The one I linked is awesome, because it suits irritated eyelids and soothes the skin.

Radiant skin comes from masking

I really feel like the secret to a radiant happy skin is a weekly mask. Exfoliating masks are the most effective, because they get rid of dead skin cells. Exfoliating makes the other products absorb to the skin better (so it benefits even dry skin). Better yet, your skin feels softer and looks glowy. This step is done only once per week so take it as your personal spa moment – enjoy it!

My absolute favorite masks are from Evolve Beauty and they both work in just 5 minutes. *Radiant Glow mask is a safe bet for everyone and a great option also before a big day (I also recommend it for brides!). It smells like vanilla and exfoliates the skin gently using coconut shell powder.

*Miracle Mask is an awesome even more effective one, that is your salon-like treatment at home. It looks like mango jelly, but is packed with fruit acids that make your skin baby smooth. It doesn’t have those ‘grains’ so I would choose this for dry skin.

Hopefully this post was helpful to you and not too in-depth. Let me know in the comments!

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Skincity Review: Online Skin Consultation + Routine