It might sound strange, but yes, your skin can be both oily and dry at the same time.
However, a person can have properties of both dry and oily skin. The biological reason behind dry greasy skin is when the sebaceous glands excessively produce sebum on the T-zone of the face while the rest of the skin surface remains dry.
Having oily skin doesn't mean that your skin is hydrated - skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time. The right oily skincare routine isn't only about balancing oil production it needs to address hydration too.
“Combination skin means that there are some areas of your face that are dry and other areas of your face that are more oily,” says Dr. Ugonabo.
More often than not you will notice that your skin isn't quite uniform across the plain field—body, scalp, and face, included. There will be times when you will find yourself dealing with an oily face, whereas your body may be bone dry (and vice versa).
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition affecting millions of Americans. It shows up as flaking skin, or reddish patches. Unlike people with dry skin, the skin in people with seborrheic dermatitis is usually oily. It can be unsightly, itchy and, since it is often on the face, may cause embarrassment.
When talking about combination skin, it means we have at least two different types of facial skin and may need to adjust our skincare habits accordingly. The main variations of combination skin are typically: Either oily or normal skin around the T-Zone area of the face. This includes the nose, forehead and chin.
Dry skin will usually start to look and feel tight shortly after cleansing, while oily skin may start to appear slick. Combination skin, meanwhile, will have both characteristics—meaning your cheeks may feel tight and dry, but your nose, forehead, and chin may have a bit of shine.
If your nose seems oily while the rest of your skin feels dry, you have a combination skin type. The presence of a greater number of sebaceous glands on the nose makes it more oily.
Dry skin lacks essential moisture, and this can prompt the skin to produce more oil. When this happens, excess oil can build up in your pores (along with dead skin cells and bacteria) and potentially trigger acne breakouts. This is why, if you have dry skin, it's important to keep it properly moisturized.
YES, you need to moisturize your skin, even if it is oily and acne-prone.
By definition, Normal Skin is a skin type often perceived as the gold standard due to its balanced sebum production. It is neither too oily nor too dry. This type of skin is characterised by a soft, smooth texture accompanied by a radiant complexion. It has minimal pores and rarely gets any blemishes.
For extreme combination skin, be extra careful to use oil-absorbing products just where needed, dabbing them on precisely. Apply emollient-rich products to the very dry areas, blending away from the oily areas. As for cleansers, a hydrating lotion face wash works well to clean skin without leaving skin tight or dry.
Dehydrated oily skin can generally feel tight and look dull, but this isn't always the case. Your skin might even slightly wrinkle when you pinch it instead of holding its shape or you might find little dry patches around your brows or nose.
Your T-zone is made up of the 'T' shaped area spanning your forehead down to your nose and chin. Your T-zone contains more sebaceous glands than anywhere else on your face and so it is completely normal to appear more oily than other areas of your face.
It might sound strange, but yes, your skin can be both oily and dry at the same time. It's usually called "combination skin ." This happens when parts of your face, like your nose or forehead, feel greasy, while other areas, like your cheeks, are flaky and dry.
Poor Skincare Habits
And you're none the wiser when your nose starts drying and flaking off. Over-cleansing: Using facial cleansers too frequently, especially with hot water and harsh soaps strips the skin of its natural oils. This leaves it prone to flaking.
Oily Skin overproduces sebum, appears shiny in the T-zone with enlarged pores, and is prone to blemishes. Dry skin lacks moisture, feels tight or flaky, appears dull, and may show fine lines. Combination skin is both oily (T-zone) and normal to dry (cheeks) areas, requiring balanced skincare.
Combination skin takes its name from the fact that it is a combination of two skin types: normal to dry skin and oily, blemished skin. Combination skin shines and tends to develop small blemishes – especially in the so-called T-zone between the forehead, nose and chin.
If it has a shiny appearance with oil on your face, it's oily. If you have oil on the t-zone and dryness on the cheeks, it's a combination. If your skin feels inflamed or itchy, you have sensitive skin. Lastly and fortunately, if you feel none of the above and your skin feels at ease, you have normal skin.
During summer, heat and humidity cause sebum production to increase, causing the T-zone to feel extra oily and your dry spots to feel more “normal.” During winter, the opposite occurs: Environmental exposure sucks moisture from your skin and your T-zone will feel “normal” while your dry spots will feel drier.