Kelly Driscoll has looked at more than 30 products aimed at combination skin, and she approved the vast majority of them. An approval rate of 95% tells you she is not a harsh critic in this category. Even so, the handful she passed on reveal exactly what she is watching for.
What does Kelly Driscoll recommend for combination skin?
What Kelly keeps coming back to is balance. She wants a product that handles oily patches without drying out the rest of the face, and she rewards anything that pulls that off in every season. The La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing Wash is the clearest example: she told her audience she has used it for about six years because it works when her skin is struggling in winter and still feels right in summer when oil breaks through her T-zone. She also lights up for gentle brightening ingredients. She praised the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide for its niacinamide and propolis combo, saying it helps strengthen the skin barrier and calms redness around breakouts. Sunscreens that skip the white cast and sit well under makeup get her approval too. The Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ showed that, and she named the iUNIK Centella Calming Daily Sun Water SPF50 and the Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating Treatment as standout winners in the category.
Kelly Driscoll's combination skin picks, in her words
"It's a leave-on essence rather than a wash-off mask, [...] so with my sensitive skin I use it once a week and still get smoother, brighter, more radiant skin, plus the enzymes help decongest. I've actually been using this for about a year now and I really love the results. [...] Because it's a bigger, [...] more affordable bottle, I also use it [...] on my body, my back and even as a big part of my foot care routine. Value-wise it's kind of a no-brainer."
"The Strawberry Smooth BHA and AHA Serum is a very gentle blend of BHA and AHA, the two chemical exfoliants. One works on the top surface to smooth out texture and roughness and brighten up the skin, and BHA works deeper within the pore to help with deeper bumpy congestion, clogged pores, and even acne. There's a little bit of fragrance in this one, but it's very light and it's not a heavily scented product."
"I think it has really nice absorbency, it's not sticky or tacky. It's just a really nice, pleasant, light to medium gel cream. I do think that this is going to be great. Oily skin will like this, combination skin, balanced skin types. If you're suffering with dehydration, I would be aware of the fact that this really doesn't have any occlusivity, just a little bit of moisture kind of hugs everything in, but we're not getting that really seal it in hydration."
"I always say it should be called the cream in gel moisturizer, not just gel and cream because the cream is legit inside of the gel. This is one of the most entertaining really charming skincare products out there. I really like this concept and it's not just for looks. It actually does serve quite an interesting purpose. The gel portion is one of those more fullbodied gels. It's not that light. There's definitely more of a fullness here. It really fills your skin."
"It feels incredibly hydrating. This is diving in a little bit deeper and I think it can help to soothe some symptoms of dehydration. But it's very, very light. Sinks in deep. And then right at the top of your skin, you're going to feel a skin softening effect. Your skin's going to feel very smooth. And there's just a kiss of really light moisture. Just that little bit of creaminess in the texture just very gently hugs everything in without weighing your skin down."
"It doesn't feel greasy or oily at all, and once it absorbs you don't have a shininess or stickiness, but your skin is going to be insanely soft. It really conditions your skin and makes it feel so silky. You feel like you just cannot stop touching your face because it feels so soft. That said, this lotion has zero occlusivity. If you need your final moisturizing layer to hug it in or seal it in, this is not it. This will not fight dehydration on the skin. This is extremely light."
How many products has Kelly Driscoll reviewed for combination skin?
Kelly Driscoll has reviewed 20 products for combination skin, for an approval rate of 95%. 19 approved, 0 mixed, and 1 skipped.
What has Kelly Driscoll skipped for combination skin?
The few products Kelly passed on fell short in one of two ways: they either did not do enough, or they did the wrong thing for combination skin. She said the Mixsoon Bean Essence sat on top of her skin and did not work well as either an exfoliant or a hydrating serum. The Innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Acid Serum she described as solid and fairly priced, but it showed her no real benefit, so she had no reason to buy it again. Her most pointed skip was the Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Toner, which she called a misunderstood product. The clay in its formula actually absorbs oil, so anyone buying it hoping for moisture is likely to be disappointed.
"It just sort of sits on top of your skin. I don't think it's particularly effective peeling or exfoliating gel. I don't think it's a particularly effective hydrating serum. It might be an interesting moisturizing fermented type of product if you can tolerate the texture. I think it's interesting. I don't think it's good."
What should you take from Kelly Driscoll's picks?
Kelly Driscoll's record on combination skin is encouraging. She finds that most products in this space genuinely deliver, so a high approval rate here is not faint praise. Across her takes, she prioritises products that stay balanced across seasons, support the skin barrier, and are honest about what they do. Her few skips are a useful guide: if a product sounds hydrating but contains clay, or simply shows no visible results, she will say so plainly.
Watch Kelly Driscoll say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Prequel Multi-Acid Milk Peel AHA Exfoliating SolutionNamed a winnerWatch at 7:18
- iUNIK Centella Calming Daily Sun Water SPF50Named a winnerWatch at 10:09
- Then I Met You Giving Essence Brightening & Hydrating TreatmentNamed a winnerWatch at 7:22
- Mixsoon Bean EssenceSkipped itWatch at 8:43
- Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA and AHA Salicylic SerumRated itWatch at 23:30
- Torriden Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Soothing CreamRated itWatch at 10:51
- Thank You Farmer Rice Pure Gel and CreamRated itWatch at 9:52
- SkinFix Barrier Balancing Water Cream Moisturizer with Hyaluronic AcidRated itWatch at 4:41
- Anua Heartleaf 70% Daily LotionRated itWatch at 11:21
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning SolutionRated itWatch at 19:03
- Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + PanthenolRated itWatch at 10:20
- Dr. Idriss Major Fade Flash MaskRated itWatch at 12:24
- The Ordinary Rice Lipids + Ectoin Micro EmulsionRated itWatch at 12:40
- Secret Key Starting Treatment EssenceRated itWatch at 14:20
- Isntree Green Tea Fresh SerumRated itWatch at 17:24
- Tower 28 Daily Barrier Recovery CreamRated itWatch at 3:48
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5Rated itWatch at 12:22
- I'm From Rice SerumRated itWatch at 10:49
- Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight TonerRated itWatch at 12:03
- Neogen Real Ferment Micro SerumRated itWatch at 17:59
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Kelly Driscoll said across her videos about 20 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.