Combination skin is tricky to shop for, and Nipun Kapur has worked through more than 30 products to figure out what actually helps. She approved the vast majority of them, with only a handful of mixed takes and very few skips. What she looks for comes through clearly across her reviews.
What does Nipun Kapur recommend for combination skin?
Nipun Kapur keeps coming back to lightweight hydration that won't push oily zones over the edge. She praised Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid as a product worth buying in its own right, not just a stopgap. For sunscreen, she called Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50 her top pick for oily skin, noting it manages to mattify and give a glow at the same time. She also rates niacinamide-forward products highly. Budget options get fair treatment from her too: Purito Deep Sea Pure Water Cream earned a strong recommendation as a dupe for a pricier moisturiser because the key ingredients were nearly identical and it felt the same on skin.
Nipun Kapur's combination skin picks, in her words
"If you are someone who can tolerate something like a 15% multi-acid peel, get it. Otherwise, skip it. You don't want to risk a broken skin barrier, but if you can tolerate it, this is [...] a 10 on 10. And I've never given anything a 10 on 10."
"It is a product I have recommended over and over again in the last four years it has to be the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cream."
"The one vitamin C that I love that has worked for me even though I have acne prone skin is the Sunday Riley 15% and I think it's because it's THD Corbit which is a slightly different formula than ethyl ascorbic acid, which kind of works better for me."
"The Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen is amazing. It does mattifying and glow which are actually opposite, but somehow it does both. If you've got oily skin this is my recommendation in sunscreens. My husband's tested it out because he's got oily skin and I've been using it as well, loving it every single way."
"The Aqua Fresh version is and I feel that this version is optimal for oily skin for acne prone girls for people who have hormonal acne I am telling you the Aqua Fresh version is absolute legend"
"The Purito Deep Sea Water Cream is a very very similar formula. In fact, ingredients match except of course the Tatcha had complex hair which is something that goes into all of their products obviously missing hair because that is something that's unique to the brand but when you're looking at the main product, main ingredients that go into the moisturizer very similar and very similar in feel like how it feels on your skin. The Purito Deep Sea one is a really really good dupe."
How many products has Nipun Kapur reviewed for combination skin?
Nipun Kapur has reviewed 32 products for combination skin, for an approval rate of 81%. 26 approved, 2 mixed, and 4 skipped.
What has Nipun Kapur skipped for combination skin?
She skipped The Ordinary Vitamin C 23% Suspension on the grounds that anything above 20% is too irritating, giving it zero marks. Tatcha Deep Cleanse Balancing Exfoliating Cleanser left her underwhelmed. She called it a regular face wash with small beads that did nothing special. She is also careful about strong exfoliants. She praised Prequel Multi-Acid Milk Peel AHA Exfoliating Solution and gave it a ten out of ten, but she was clear that anyone who cannot handle a 15% multi-acid peel should skip it to avoid damaging their skin barrier.
"A serum that you guys made me buy and I really tried using it for about two three weeks and I gave up and that is again by the brand Goodal the same brand it is the vita dark spot serum, I don't think it's worth it"
"It just feels like a regular face wash. I don't know, it has these little mini beads and maybe that's why they call it exfoliating, and it is exfoliating but like it doesn't feel anything special."
"I've got the Ilia skin tint but like it's not ideal for this technique."
"Tatcha is pretty basic. If you're feeling bougie, if you want a gift, if you want to try something out, definitely get it for yourself, but don't look at these brands as truly, truly amazing."
What should you take from Nipun Kapur's picks?
Her category winner is Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer. Her overall record shows she trusts lightweight, hydrating formulas and steers combination skin away from anything too heavy or too concentrated. Nipun Kapur's approval rate of 81% is high, but her skips are pointed and worth paying attention to.
Watch Nipun Kapur say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Tatcha Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing MoisturizerNamed a winnerWatch at 7:46
- Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening SerumNamed a winnerWatch at 6:57
- Goodal Green Tangerine Vitamin C Dark Spot Care SerumSkipped itWatch at 8:03
- Tatcha Deep Cleanse Balancing Exfoliating CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:53
- ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40Skipped itWatch at 4:13
- Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin MistSkipped itWatch at 12:54
- Prequel Multi-Acid Milk Peel AHA Exfoliating SolutionRated itWatch at 18:16
- Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel CreamRated itWatch at 1:20
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airy Fit Daily Sunscreen SPF 50Rated itWatch at 9:17
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5Rated itWatch at 8:02
- Purito Deep Sea Pure Water CreamRated itWatch at 8:17
- The Ordinary Saccharomyces Ferment 30% Milky TonerRated itWatch at 2:37
- The INKEY List Omega Water CreamRated itWatch at 12:11
- VT Reedle Shot PDRN Capsule CreamRated itWatch at 4:40
- Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster with 2% Mandelic Acid and Lactic AcidRated itWatch at 7:53
- Minimalist Alpha Arbutin 2% Face SerumRated itWatch at 7:35
- Dr. Idriss Major Fade Flash MaskRated itWatch at 13:20
- La Roche-Posay Niacinamide 10 SerumRated itWatch at 2:45
- Anua Retinol 0.3% Niacinamide Renewing SerumRated itWatch at 11:14
- Anua Peach 77% Niacinamide Essence TonerRated itWatch at 9:45
- Plum Niacinamide and Rice Water Water Gel MoisturizerRated itWatch at 7:55
- Haruharu Wonder Centella 5% Niacinamide Radiance Gel CreamRated itWatch at 6:12
- Naturium Niacinamide 12% FormulaRated itWatch at 4:24
- Wishful Honey Whip Peptide MoisturizerRated itWatch at 17:40
About this expert
See everything Nipun Kapur has reviewed
Expert rankings
Related guides
This guide reflects what Nipun Kapur said across her videos about 32 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.