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This post is your ultimate guide to Korean skincare for combination skin.

Finding the perfect skincare routine can be a challenge—especially when you have combination skin. With an oily T-zone, dry cheeks, and occasional breakouts or sensitivity, your skin demands balance, hydration, and targeted care. This is exactly where Korean skincare shines.

Rooted in centuries-old traditional Korean herbal medicine and powered by modern science, K-beauty routines are all about layering lightweight, nourishing products that work with your skin’s natural rhythms. Whether you’re dealing with excess sebum, flaky skin, or dark spots, the Korean approach offers tailored solutions using gentle cleansers, hydrating toners, and plant-based ingredients like snail mucin, centella asiatica extract, and ginseng root water.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best Korean skincare routine for combination skin, top product picks, and must-have active ingredients to address your skin’s unique needs—so you can achieve a healthy, hydrated, and glowing complexion!

What is Combination Skin?

Combination skin is one of the most common skin types, but also one of the trickiest to care for. It means your face has both dry areas and oily areas—usually an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) with dry or normal cheeks. You might also experience flaky skin, clogged pores, or the occasional breakout, depending on the season or your skincare routine.

This skin type is a result of imbalanced sebum production, where some parts of your face produce excess oil while others lack enough moisture. The key to managing it isn’t over-stripping your skin or loading up on heavy creams, but finding a balance that targets both concerns without causing irritation or greasy residue.

The goal is to choose different products or multi-tasking formulas that hydrate dry patches and control oil in oily zones, while supporting your skin barrier and evening out skin texture and tone. Whether you’re battling acne-prone skin, dull skin, or just trying to achieve deep hydration without clogging pores, an effective Korean skincare routine for combination skin can help bring your skin back into harmony.

Step-by-Step Korean Skincare Routine for Combination Skin

Step 1: Double Cleansing

Double cleansing is a cornerstone of the Korean skincare routine. Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum from oily areas like the T-zone. Follow up with a water-based gentle cleanser to cleanse the skin without stripping it of natural oils.

Recommended Products

ANUA Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore Deep Cleansing Foam (Get it HERE)

This gentle foaming cleanser creates a soft, airy lather infused with Heartleaf Extract and 3,000ppm Heartleaf powder, making it ideal for oily and combination skin. It offers gentle exfoliation with 0.5% BHA, helping to remove dead skin cells, clear impurities, and control sebum for smoother, more radiant skin.

Pyunkang Yul [PKY] Low pH Pore Deep Cleansing Foam (Get it HERE)

Meet your new gentle yet powerful cleanser: this low pH cleansing foam is packed with natural ingredients like Witch Hazel, AHA, Tea Tree Extract, and Cica to deeply cleanse while soothing and protecting your skin. Designed with a 2-step pore care system, it uses micro foam particles and AHA to remove impurities and dead skin cells without stripping your skin. It’s perfect for sensitive skin, thanks to the calming effects of Witch Hazel and Beta Glucan, and its 100% natural surfactants help maintain your skin’s moisture barrier.

Step 2: Exfoliation (2–3 times a week)

Exfoliating helps slough off dead skin cells and unclog pores, especially in the oily parts of the face. Use chemical exfoliants like AHA or BHA for a gentle yet effective treatment.

Recommended Products

Hanskin BHA Pore Cleansing Oil (Get it HERE) 

The nourishing blend of olive oil, jojoba oil, and fruit extracts like orange and grapefruit helps maintain a healthy moisture balance, leaving your skin feeling soft and refreshed. Free from artificial fragrances and sulfates, this gentle yet effective cleanser removes even waterproof makeup without irritation, making it the perfect first step in your double cleansing routine.

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Perfect Scrub Foam (Get it HERE)

If you’re dealing with an oily T-zone but still want to keep dry patches soft and smooth, the SKINFOOD Black Sugar Perfect Scrub Foam is your go-to multitasker. This 4-in-1 cleanser cleanses, exfoliates, refines, and moisturizes in one step—perfect for combination skin types. With fine black sugar granules and nourishing botanical oils, it gently sloughs off dead skin cells and impurities without stripping moisture from drier areas.

Step 3: Toner

A hydrating toner helps rebalance the skin’s pH and provides lightweight moisture to prep for the next steps. Look for toners that are alcohol-free and contain calming, hydrating ingredients.

Recommended Products

SOME BY MI AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner (Get it HERE!)

Finding the right toner for combination skin can be tricky, but SOME BY MI’s Miracle Toner hits that perfect balance. Formulated with a powerhouse blend of AHA, BHA, and PHA, this toner gently exfoliates both the oily and dry zones of your face—clearing pores, refining texture, and boosting hydration without causing irritation.

Step 4: Essence

Essence is a lightweight hydrating product that boosts moisture and improves skin texture. This step is especially useful for maintaining balance in combination skin.

Recommended Products

mixsoon Bean Essence (Get it HERE)

Mixsoon’s Bean Essence has gained a cult following among K-beauty enthusiasts and celebrity makeup artists for its powerful yet gentle exfoliating and hydrating properties. With natural antioxidants rich in vitamin C and E, it revitalizes and strengthens the skin while providing deep hydration. Free from alcohol and artificial fragrances, this vegan formula exfoliates without irritation.

Step 5: Sheet Mask (3–4 times a week)

Sheet masks provide deep hydration and are packed with active ingredients tailored to various skin concerns. They’re a great treat for both oily and dry areas of the face.

Recommended Products

Mediheal Best Korean Sheet Mask (Get it HERE)

MEDIHEAL Tea Tree Active 3X Complex Mask is the perfect skincare solution for combination skin, offering a balanced approach to treating both oily and dry areas. The Tea Tree Active 3X Complex works to soothe and calm blemishes, targeting breakouts without over-drying the skin.

BIODANCE Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask (Get it HERE)

The Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask is a powerful solution tailored for combination skin, offering deep hydration while balancing both oily and dry areas. With its unique oligo-hyaluronic acid, this mask provides superior moisture that penetrates deep into the skin, ensuring the entire face is well-hydrated, even in drier areas.

Step 6: Moisturizer

Combination skin benefits from lightweight moisturizers that can hydrate dry areas without making oily zones greasy. Gel or cream-type moisturizers work well depending on your skin’s daily condition.

AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Ceramide Hydro Soothing Cream (Get it HERE)

The DermaON Ceramide Instant Moisturizing Cream is a lightweight, soothing formula that provides immediate hydration to combination skin without any heaviness or greasiness. This cream absorbs quickly into the skin, delivering moisture that prevents dryness while calming irritation and reducing visible signs of stress.

Step 7: Sunscreen (Morning Only)

Sunscreen is the most important step in any skincare routine. It protects the skin from UV damage, which can worsen oily areas and dark spots.

TIRTIR Hydro UV Shield Sunscreen (Get it HERE)

The Daily Sunscreen with SPF 50+ offers superior UVA/UVB protection while deeply hydrating your skin with a blend of Hyaluronic Acid and Phyto Collagen for a radiant glow. Its lightweight, non-greasy, and semi-matte formula ensures a smooth, comfortable application without leaving a white cast, making it ideal for oily and combination skin.

Final Thoughts

The key to caring for combination skin is finding the right balance. By following this Korean skincare routine and choosing products designed for both dry and oily areas, you can maintain a healthy skin barrier, reduce breakouts, and reveal your skin’s natural radiance.

Whether you’re just starting out or refining your routine, these steps and products are a great foundation for glowing, balanced skin every day.

💬 What’s Your Combo Skin Must-Have? Have you found a holy grail product for your combo skin? Share your experience in the comments and help others build their perfect K-beauty routine!