We chat with beauty blogger, Paperkitties, who shares her skincare tips and routines, favourite skincare products, and how to keep acne at bay
Hands up if you’ve got combination skin and haven’t the faintest idea how to deal with it. Defined as exceptionally oily in some areas, and dry in others, it’s understandably baffling to deal with, especially for newbies to the vast skincare world.
To help us unlock the mysteries of this skincare type, we enlisted the help of beauty expert, Alene Breddemann. Fondly known as Paperkitties to her followers, the beauty blogger first discovered her skin type a decade ago while in the throes of acne issues. Now 28, her skin is immaculate, but the journey to her fresh-faced, flawless complexion wasn’t an easy one.
Over the course of an afternoon, we (invaded her massive beauty stash and) uncovered her secrets to balancing combination skin.
Hi Alene! When did you first realise you have combination skin?
I was 18 then, and had acne problems. I tried everything from drugstore to high-end products to keep both my acne and oily skin at bay, including overly rich or harsh products that might have aggravated my skin condition instead. It definitely took a while for me to find a skincare routine that actually works.
Care to share your skincare routine with us?
Brace yourselves, ’cause it might take a while! *laughs* Both my daytime and nighttime routines feature my Ettusais Acne Gentle Wash soap bar cleanser – it effectively but gently removes impurities and leaves my skin baby soft. For daytime, I nourish my skin with Origins Original Skin Essence Lotion, Klurskin Ultra Bright Hyaluronic + Vital C Repair Serum and Dr GL Skin Repair Essence. I spritz my face with Fresh’s Rose Floral toner to hydrate and soothe skin, then pat on my game changer: the Allies of Skin All-Day Mask which supercharges my skin with antioxidants and leaves it radiant. Finally, I apply my Clarins UV Plus & BB sunblock. I highly recommend this for those with combination skin as it’s unbelievably light, mattifies skin and does not have a chalky texture.
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Whoa, that’s just your daytime routine! How elaborate is your nighttime routine then?
No matter how much or how little makeup I have on that day, double cleansing is always a must for me. On light makeup days, I alternate between Clinique’s Pep Start Cleansing Wipes and Dr GL’s makeup remover, while heavier days call for a thorough exfoliation with the Foreo Luna 2 cleansing brush and Shu Uemura Anti Shine Cleansing Oil. Then, I start to layer my skincare with the Sulwhasoo products (more on that below), Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair to rejuvenate skin, Dr GL’s Skin Repair and Shiseido Eye Power Infusing Concentrate to protect the delicate eye area.
What’s been crucial to balancing your combination skin?
My trio of Sulwhasoo products – the First Care Activating Serum Ex balances the moisture of my skin and works as a canvas to better absorb other products used after it. The Essential Balancing Water EX is a gel-type toner which deeply moisturises, absorbs quickly and prepares skin for deep moisturisation, while the moisture-rich Emulsion EX leaves my skin dewy and soft. As for my Holy Grail product, it’s got to be the balancing Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Facial Oil. With just four drops of this applied before bedtime, I wake up with luminous, radiant skin. I swear by it!
On lazy days…
I still have to double cleanse – no excuses! But my skincare routine ends with the Fresh Rose Floral Toner and the Jurlique Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Facial Oil.
What about acne-riddled days?
The Body Shop Anti Imperfection Daily Solution is great to tackle pimples, while Kiehl’s Spot Corrector work a charm on acne scars.
What type of products should someone with combination skin look out for?
I’m a sucker for skincare with natural ingredients. Keep your products as natural as possible – the lesser chemicals (AKA toxins) involved, the better.
Top tips to share?
It’s important to know that your oily skin is actually dehydrated under all those layers – your skin may just be over-producing oil to make up for the lack of moisture. Don’t avoid moisturiser; instead, steer clear of rich and creamy formulas and opt for the lightweight ones that are easily absorbed into skin.
Same goes if you’re suffering from acne. Treat your acne with kindness – don’t stop hydrating your skin! Turn to gentler products, moisturise, and apply acne-fighting products only on specific areas. Oh, and if you’re really prone to breakouts, I recommend going for acne facials at aesthetic clinics as the doctors there really know their stuff.
Could you recommend us makeup tips for someone with combination skin?
I’ve been told this by my skin doctor (the esteemed Dr. Georgia Lee): try to avoid foundation as much as possible. And it’s true – since my skin got better, foundation just seems to enlarge my pores.
Even my daily makeup routine is kept simple with just concealer, lip balm and eyeliner (for my water line). The saying is true after all: with great skin care, you don’t need much makeup.
And lastly, what’s one bad beauty habit you can’t shake?
I… squeeze my pimples. I know it’s bad, but I can’t stand seeing those spots. I definitely don’t recommend following this example! *guffaws*