How to Make Serum for Combination Skin at Home

by Sofía / On 15 February, 2024 / In Cosmetics

Certainly many of us have read or heard, on more than one occasion, that beauty has its sacrifices; a phrase almost as common as others of the same kind, which often talk about the superiority of professional products and the most renowned commercial brands. What we mean by this is that we have become accustomed to the fact that if we want to maintain the health and appearance of our skin, we will almost always have to spend a good portion of our money on it.

However, there are homemade recipes and formulas that, despite their simplicity, both in preparation and composition (number of ingredients or acquisition of the same), compete without problems against these brands and their so complicated products, at least in terms of the so-called quality/price ratio. This does not mean that we should underestimate the work of professionals, because they specialize in a specific type of article for a reason.

In this case, we are talking about serum for combination skin, a wonder of cosmetic medicine that can be a bit costly, as it has become an indispensable part of the most efficient facial care routines. Even so, those who cannot opt for specialized products do not have to resign themselves to not obtaining their benefits, as they can always count on some special recipe for this type of skin and its unusual qualities.

If you are not familiar with everything this product offers, we recommend reading What is and what is a serum for combination skin used for

Serum and combination skin

Translated from Latin as serum, it is a very liquid substance, with an incredible concentration of actives and properties per milliliter, considering its low density, achieved thanks to the manufacturing process and the ingredients that compose it. It was originally designed to support other cosmetic articles and treatments, but has turned out to be an excellent dermal moisturizer by itself, which makes it worthy of a leading place in facial care routines.

It has unique characteristics such as its texture, related to the previously mentioned density, which makes the serum a liquid that is absorbed almost immediately, without leaving any trace on the skin that needs to be rinsed off afterwards. In the case of its use on combination skin, it is widely recommended because it acts on very deep layers of the skin, where it directly affects the cells of this tissue, so it does not interact with the dry or oily areas on the surface.

This is the main reason why its application is recommended, since if we pay a little attention when touching our face (in case of identifying it as combination skin type), we will realize that what differentiates the oily area, located on the forehead, the glabella and the nose (known as the T-zone), from those dry ones, which would be the cheeks, lips, cheekbones and chin, is the hydration and the tissue’s ability to retain moisture.

This characteristic is exaggerated in the oily points, where the accumulation of moisture causes the adhesion of impurities and sebum, which gives it that somewhat oily touch; while, on the contrary, it is very scarce in the dry points, being the cause of that rough and dry texture, smoother and smoother but with less health, since the low levels of hydration are reflected in the lack of firmness, nutrition, and elasticity.

Function of this product

The liquid or serum works in a very simple way, it is placed on the skin and spreads quickly, to be absorbed by the tissue in its entirety, without being retained in the most superficial layers. In this way, it reaches the root of the pores and areas below the hypodermis (layer responsible for the accumulation of water and fat), where it releases all its actives and properties, in addition to emollients and moisturizers, to take care of the dermal cells.

We talk about other properties because, thanks to its low density, the volume of liquid necessary for the moisturizers leaves space for other components, so various combinations can be made along with the moisturizing function, such as micro exfoliant, antioxidant, nutritional (containing vitamins and minerals necessary for the dermis), anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, and combat, reduction and elimination of various imperfections, such as sagging and pigmentation spots.

Most effective homemade recipes

Now, whenever we want to opt for these homemade mixing methods, we must mainly consider two things. First of all, follow the preparation instructions to the letter, although we will not describe it in each recipe, since in this case, the components only need to be mixed together, in the order in which they are listed, since no preparation requires heating, melting, crushing or blending any element.

Secondly, it is important to know the function of each of these same ingredients or components, as well as the quantities or concentrations to use, since this way we can maintain the cohesion of the substance, its density and above all its effectiveness. These values depend on all characteristics, including its texture and lightness, so that they can be correctly absorbed by the dermis and perform their work.

In the presence of predominantly dry areas

30 ml of jojoba oil.
20 ml of argan oil.
4 drops of chamomile essential oil.
4 drops of rosewood essential oil.
2 drops of frankincense essential oil.
15 ml of aloe vera gel.

We recently mentioned that, despite the combined characteristics in the skin of combination dermis, sometimes there is a greater space of dry areas, which represents a dryness problem that requires a powerful hydration formula to treat. In this case, a fresh element is integrated, the aloe vera, which will allow this moisturization to be both deep and superficial, without interfering with the characteristic function of the serum.

When oily areas predominate

35 ml of grape seed oil.
30 ml of coconut oil.
4 drops of lavender essential oil.
4 drops of patchouli essential oil.
4 drops of sweet almond essential oil.

Conversely to the previous case, there may also be occasions when sebum and impurities invade the dry areas, clogging the pores of these and thus preventing hydration from penetrating the skin through moisture, even though we use special creams for this job. This can happen both because of the predominance of oily spaces and due to the lack of mandatory facial cleansing.

To solve this, ingredients capable of cleaning the skin are taken into account, by dissolving sebum and dirt without directly penetrating the pores, such as grape seed oil, along with a natural micro exfoliant, just as delicate, that will not damage the dry dermis. The latter role is fulfilled by sweet almond essential oil, which, although it has a higher density, does not prevent the absorption of the rest of the mixture up to the layers below the hypodermis.

Protective mix for the daytime routine

15 ml of sea buckthorn oil.
12 ml of evening primrose oil.
10 ml of argan oil.
5 ml of tea tree essential oil
Half a capsule of vitamin E.
15 drops of geranium oil.

When care is more generally about preventing the appearance of imperfections, the loss of health of the superficial tissue, and cellular oxidation, it is most common to resort to routines for hydrating and nourishing the skin. These usually require fewer products, although most of them contain large amounts of different actives, to achieve a greater number of benefits.

When we talk about daytime routines, we refer to low-potency treatments that we perform when we get up, after taking a bath, which are intended to prepare the skin for the activity of the rest of the day, with protective properties, either against elements of environmental pollution, climate, or ultraviolet rays. This even counts for the use of makeup, which requires good topical cleansing and hydration before applying.

A powerful anti-aging for combination skin

45 ml of coconut oil.
10 drops of rosehip oil.
12 grams of diluted ascorbic acid.
5 drops of lavender essential oil.
2 drops of helichrysum essential oil.
1 drop of grapefruit extract.

Most imperfections and their consequences appear naturally, either because of our prolonged age or because of the premature aging of the cells of this tissue, caused by photo-aging or some interactions of our organism. These can be greatly reduced by using anti-aging products, whose function is to minimize the action of all the factors that age cells, such as oxidation caused by free radicals, the degradation of melanin, and the loss of collagen levels and quality.

Antioxidant recipe for damaged tissue

20 drops of frankincense essential oil.
20 drops of copaiba essential oil.
20 drops of lavender essential oil.
10 drops of tea tree essential oil.
5 drops of rose essential oil.
Jojoba oil to taste for dilution.

Now, when it is not about preventing the damage of the above-mentioned factors, which cause premature aging, but rather about repairing them, different components must be used, such as nutrients, antioxidants, and regeneratives. These tend to be much more potent than the previous ones, so it is not surprising that a serum with this formulation must be very well diluted in a carrier oil, to avoid overloading the tissue with properties and preventing the actives from acting correctly.

Serum for combination skin with acne

7 ml of argan oil.
8 ml of jojoba oil.
2 drops of Atlas cedar essential oil.
3 drops of lavender essential oil.
3 drops of geranium essential oil.
2 drops of cucumber extract.

Acne occurs mainly due to the predominance of oily areas or the lack of mandatory facial cleansing in such cases, since clogged pores, as well as impurities that lodge in the micro-injuries of the skin or the folds of wrinkles, can cause the appearance of pimples, blackheads, and black spots. To solve it, it is not enough with a super effective cleanser, but we can also take advantage of the decongestant abilities of Atlas cedar oil, which helps to dilate and decongest the pores, thus freeing up obstructions.

Not only can we make this type of serum at home, if you are interested in another one for more general use, we invite you to read How to make hyaluronic acid serum at home

When, how, and why to use these homemade creations

Being an element with such specific usage properties, it is imagined that its application follows certain rules or methods, in order to get the most out of its results. These rules must not vary, regardless of the type of serum we use or the type of skin it is applied to, since, after so many years of user experience, the effectiveness and performance of the same has been proven.

This counts both for the exact moment of the day (or rather, the appropriate time), as well as for the order of its use within the same beauty, cleansing, and facial care routine, regarding other products, which together will provide the skin with an incredible amount of benefits. Likewise, the most optimal application method should also be taken into account, especially in this type of difficult-to-treat skin, although in this case, the characteristics of the serum come into play, as we will see later.

Why opt for homemade products?

At the beginning, we talked about the possibilities of opting for a serum made by ourselves, with simple ingredients and easy to acquire, as a replacement for those that we can get in aesthetic shops. However, the first thing we must make clear is that, although the effectiveness of both can be incredible, it is difficult to compare an element manufactured with specific processes against one that only requires mixing certain appropriate components.

Even so, the greatest advantage of this option is being able to control everything we are going to place on our face, by being able to know firsthand those ingredients used and their function; something that is not possible with just taking a professional serum container and reading the names and concentration of the complicated compounds they use. This, of course, impacts the final cost of the product, so we can save quite a bit of money by preparing our own recipes.

This does not mean that we are going to ignore the quality-price relationship, because although a decrease in cost is usually related to minimized efficacy, the fact is that the preparations from this list have been tested, studied, and accepted by the cosmetic scientific community, who assure that the loss of effectiveness against laboratory formulas is minimal. In this way, we can obtain a very good quality product, cheaper and that we will know much better.

When to use the homemade serum

According to the formula we choose, it is recommended to use this in all our facial care routines, both daytime and nighttime; therefore, if we usually perform these daily, twice a day, that will be the same number of times we apply the serum. The only exception to this recommendation occurs with the micro-exfoliating serum, which cannot be used so often to avoid skin damage.

As for its order within a routine, it varies a bit in the case of its use on combination dermis, since although it is recommended to apply after facial cleansing, let’s remember that this action is performed differently on this type of skin, due to the interaction between dry and oily areas. Therefore, to reduce the potency with which we must apply the facial cleanser, the best option is to use the serum before this, not without first removing the most superficial dirt with a wet wipe or with water and soap.

How to apply it to the complexion

Finally, the method of application does not vary whether dealing with combination, dry, or oily skins, since although each area has its own needs, the unique formula and function of this liquid (whether homemade or professional), allows its use on the entire surface of the combination skin without any problem. What we must take into account is that, given the concentration and low density of the substance, it must be applied carefully and directly on the skin.

We start by placing a few drops of the liquid on the forehead or, in the case of containers with a spray, we spray a little over this area; then we spread it quickly with our fingers or a piece of soft cloth. After this, we proceed with the cheekbone area, avoiding the more delicate skin around the eyes, which would be the eyelids; once spread, we perform the same operation on the cheeks and finish with the lip contour and chin.

If you do not have this type of skin but suffer from the accumulation of sebum and impurities, you may be interested in reading How to make serum for oily skin at home

We should avoid placing the substance first on the entire surface of the face to then spread, since it is a liquid with such low density that it begins to be absorbed by the pores almost immediately, so if we wait a certain time to spread, leaving the drops on the skin, the absorption process will begin only at that point, which will not allow the properties of the product to be properly taken advantage of.