3 Favourite Hydrating Skincare Products For My Dehydrated Oily/Combination Skin

A reader once told me I should count myself lucky for having oily skin because it would help with having fewer wrinkles in my upcoming (inshaAllah) olden days and, you know what? I'm sold on that idea. 

I don't really complain about having oily skin now; the most I do is turn to Shah or my sister and ask, "Do I look too oily?" and if they say yes, it's blotting sheets to the rescue.
(I may not complain about it but I still don't want to walk around with my skin looking all sheeny now do I?)

I'm no expert but here is what I understand from gathering info from the internet (as one does): when skin gets "thirsty", it tends to produce more oil to balance out the dryness, and that's where the unfashionable oil-slick look comes in. It doesn't help that I use other actives like salicylic acid and retinol either but I need those to combat my hormonal acne!

Having oily skin isn't all that cute but that isn't even my main concern. I've always had oily/combination skin but as I age, it gets increasingly dehydrated; my skin feels uncomfortably taut every time I wash my face, and if I don't slather on other hydrating products on top of moisturizer, my skin feels sandpapery and appears super shiny after a couple of hours.

After a bunch of online research plus testing out products, I have found these three affordable hydrating products to suit my dehydrated oily/combination skin the best.

1. The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics

The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics (right in pic) is a lightweight serum that has the consistency of water so it always goes first on my skin after washing, before applying any other product. (Thin product goes before thicker products as a general rule!) This was such a find for me as it really hydrates my skin well. 

The one teeny tiny problem I have with it though is it mysteriously makes the skin area right beside my nose occasionally itchy after prolonged use so when the itch starts, I'd lay it off from my beauty routine for a week or so until the area calms down, then just continue using it.

I might be a little allergic to this product but the pro outweighs the con so much that I just don't want to evict it from my rotation! I try not to apply it to the affected area as much as possible by making a wide berth around my nose when applying it to my face.

2. The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum

I have Instagram influencers to thank for helping me discover this serum! The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum (left in pic) is like thicker water if that makes sense, so I need to work fast when spreading it all around my face. Sometimes I mix this into my moisturizer just to cut an extra step out of my routine when I'm in a hurry.

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs And Rosewater

It's crazy that splashing water on dry skin could dry it out even more after the water evaporates; past-me who didn't know any better tried a famous facial water spray brand to soothe that dry papery sensation and oof was that a mistake.

Rose water, on the other hand, is no ordinary water and actually helps hydrates the skin, with plenty of added benefits too. I'm usually not a fan of rose-y scents but Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray smells pleasant enough to spritz on my face multiple times throughout the day.

Word of caution: this weirdly can make my face oilier if I spray too much, so I mostly stick with using it at night time or when I'm chilling at home.

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These three hydrating skincare products make up my current skincare routine, as do the two niacinamide products I shared last year (ps: niacinamide is also a power player in hydration!). 

As mentioned before in the skincare routine post I shared in 2021, my skin "adapts" to a skincare routine so I constantly (and annoyingly) need to tweak it from time to time, but I'm pretty happy to share that the same products I've used for the past one year — these three included with the two niacinamide — are all still working for me! I might share a bit more about the other products I'm using in another post soon.

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Thank you for reading this post, I hope you'll find it helpful somehow — but at the same time, I hope you have perfectly behaved skin and you're just browsing out of interest and not because you need tips in caring for your skin!

Talk again soon ❤