Dr Dray has tested a good range of combination-skin products, from lightweight moisturizers to sunscreens and exfoliants. She approved most of what she tried, but she had no trouble walking away from things that let her down.
What does Dr Dray recommend for combination skin?
She kept coming back to gel-format moisturizers. She praised the Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly for its urea, which she said softens rough texture, and its caffeine and sodium hyaluronate. Gel textures, she noted, sit more comfortably on skin in warm weather and do not block sweat. She also approved lightweight serums and toners that pair anti-inflammatory ingredients like centella asiatica with hydrating ones. The Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Pore Minimizing Capsule Ampule impressed her enough that she finished a full bottle. She also rated the Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid highly for smoothing skin without irritating it. One small caveat: she noticed a little dryness when she applied it to her neck, so anyone with a drier neck may want to stick to the face.
Dr Dray's combination skin picks, in her words
"In the box you get a six week supply. This really does work, it helps smooth out the skin surface, brighten up the skin, and even out skin tone, ultimately allowing your skin care products to go on more evenly and penetrate better. I've really liked this, I've done it a handful of times, it's very gentle, it's not the kind of thing that causes a lot of irritation. [...] That's a great product."
"This is a very good gel moisturizer. It has urea in it, which can soften rough skin texture and improve moisture content in the skin, it's part of your skin's natural moisturizing factors. It also has caffeine, an antioxidant that can help diminish the burden of oxidative stress from environmental exposure and may temporarily improve redness, plus algae extract packed with humectants and sodium hyaluronate."
"I adore them. Yeah, that's one of my favorite moisturizers. [...] When I first started using the Hydroboost gel cream, I was using it with another occlusive on top and I found that it kind of gave a little bit of a nice plumping action because I would use like the tiniest amount of that. But later on I switched to just using it as it is intended as a facial moisturizer and I was like, yeah, I think I like this way better. Facial moisturizers have occlusives in them."
"I have used many of those Bioré sunscreens in the past, including the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence. [...] They were some of the first Japanese sunscreens I ever tried, and I really really like them. They do have a [...] light lemon citrus fragrance, not strong or headache-inducing, but if you're allergic to fragrance you would want to avoid them. [...] They're a lightweight, watery gel that's a lot more comfortable to use."
"I love this and I think they've discontinued it, but it's a really good face cleanser. I love it."
"I really like Cosrx in general. The Green Tea Aqua Soothing Gel Cream is a favorite, it's nice and lightweight in consistency."
How many products has Dr Dray reviewed for combination skin?
Dr Dray has reviewed 44 products for combination skin, for an approval rate of 59%. 26 approved, 7 mixed, and 11 skipped.
What has Dr Dray skipped for combination skin?
A few of her skips came with a reason worth knowing. She gave The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan Lightweight Formula a hard no, saying it leaves skin feeling filmy and almost drier than before you used it. She also skipped the La Roche-Posay Pure Niacinamide 10 Serum, arguing that five percent niacinamide is about as much as skin actually needs and ten percent can tip into irritation. She also flagged the fragrance in that serum as genuinely strong, which anyone with sensitive skin should keep in mind. Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment got a skip after she experienced lip irritation, and she said she found the surrounding hype manufactured. She passed on the Tatcha Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral Sunscreen partly because at sixty dollars it would still leave a noticeable white cast on deeper skin tones. And The INKEY List Omega Water Cream was a skip because, in her view, the nine-dollar-ninety-nine price tag is not quite the bargain it sounds.
"The Tatcha Water Cream, that's a pass. I did try it and was not impressed."
"It has tea tree in it, which you know from my videos can be irritating, and a bunch of essential oils. Yeah, let's skip this."
"This has glycolic and lactic acid, those are the alpha hydroxy acids. Lactic is really good for rough and bumpy skin, keratosis pilaris, dry skin. This has sodium hyaluronate which is hydrating, and of course niacinamide which does a lot of heavy lifting in skincare products. [...] As with any alpha hydroxy acid skincare product, it can make you a bit more sensitive to sun, so make sure you're vigilant with your sun protection."
"I tried this Dew Point moisturizer at one point and I was not, I was not impressed."
What should you take from Dr Dray's picks?
Dr Dray's record here points clearly toward gel moisturizers, gentle anti-inflammatory ingredients, and BHA exfoliants for keeping combination skin balanced. Her skips are just as useful: she is not persuaded by high niacinamide concentrations, very lightweight formulas that end up doing nothing, or prices that feel like value without delivering it.
Watch Dr Dray say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterNamed a winnerWatch at 3:10
- Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing MoisturizerSkipped itWatch at 9:11
- Saturday Skin 4% Glycolic Acid Exfoliating TonerSkipped itWatch at 7:42
- Walgreens Watermelon AHA MaskSkipped itWatch at 7:01
- Versed Dew Point Moisturizing Gel CreamSkipped itWatch at 4:13
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning SolutionSkipped itWatch at 7:10
- La Roche-Posay Niacinamide 10 SerumSkipped itWatch at 4:53
- Tatcha Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral SunscreenSkipped itWatch at 12:08
- The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky TonerSkipped itWatch at 7:19
- The INKEY List Omega Water CreamSkipped itWatch at 8:27
- La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Moisturizer SPF 30Skipped itWatch at 4:47
- Exuviance Performance Peel AP25Rated itWatch at 18:56
- Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating JellyRated itWatch at 6:22
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel CreamRated itWatch at 10:51
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++Rated itWatch at 12:29
- Simple Micellar Gel WashRated itWatch at 4:45
- COSRX Green Tea Aqua Soothing Gel CreamRated itWatch at 8:26
- Cetaphil Daily Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer with SPF 35Rated itWatch at 1:30
- The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro EmulsionRated itWatch at 6:32
- Torriden Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Soothing CreamRated itWatch at 8:05
- Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Moist CreamRated itWatch at 8:12
- Bubble Level Up Balancing Gel MoisturizerRated itWatch at 1:13
- Bubble Cloud Surf Water Cream MoisturizerRated itWatch at 0:50
- Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel PadsRated itWatch at 16:59
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Dr Dray said across her videos about 44 products for combination skin, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.