Best Beauty Buys 2024: Top Products For Combi Skin

Best Beauty Buys is The Singapore Women's Weekly's annual awards to discover the most effective and game-changing skincare, haircare and makeup products for busy women and their families. The products were road-tested by a group of mums, and these are their picks.

Oily T-zones and dry cheeks are classic combination skin woes. It's like the worst of both worlds: you have to grapple with not only large and oily pores, but also tight and rough patches of skin. Add on sleep deprivation, insufficient water intake, and the overall stress of juggling multiple roles at work and at home – and it may feel like you'll never see the end of your double trouble.

As if it's not hard enough, you also have to figure out what products to use for your confused skin. Sebum control or hydrating, pore shrinking or moisturising? Or do you get them all and use different products for different parts of your face? How do you keep the precarious balance of oil control and moisturising, without tipping too far either way?

The answer is thankfully straightforward. Gentle, lightweight, and multitasking products are the way to go, to treat your combi skin with minimal fuss. Entering your good skin era in 3… 2… 1…

1. Best Time-Saving Cleanser: One by Kose Double Black Washer

A cleanser that doubles up as a purifying wash-off mask, this is a real time-saver. Three types of clay and charcoal ensure that pores are squeaky clean with every use, and oil production is kept under control, while lactic acid and glycerin work to gently exfoliate and hydrate the skin.

$26 for 140g

Shop at OG | BHG | Lazada

2. Best Multitasking Cleanser: Rationale #4 The Cleanser

Gentle, multitasking and extremely effective, this lightweight cream cleanser is a rightful treat for your combination skin at the end of a long day. Lipids, ceramide, and amino acids fortify the skin barrier and keep moisture locked into the skin; while vitamin E and Australian botanical extracts nourish and soothe the skin with each cleanse. 

$131 for 200ml

Shop at Rationale

3. Best Multitasking Moisturiser For Combi Skin: Oh Hello Bae Holy Grail Sake Cloud Cream

The perfect moisturiser for combination skin is one that takes away the oil while simultaneously keeping those dry patches moisturised, such as the Holy Grail Sake Cloud Cream. Ceramides and sake retain moisture in the skin while controlling sebum production.

$45 for 50ml

Shop at Oh Hello Bae | Shopee

4. Best Lightweight Moisturiser For Combi Skin: Tatcha The Water Cream

Potent Japanese botanicals backed by centuries of tried-and-tested remedies form the essence of Tatcha's gorgeously lightweight moisturiser. Pore-minimising Japanese wild rose, oil-reducing Japanese leopard lily, and water-retaining Okinawa red algae work wonders on combination skin, bringing much sought-after balance to your face.

$125 for 50ml

Shop at Sephora | Lazada

5. Best Luxurious Moisturiser: Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Soft Creme Moisturizer

Lightweight and oil-free, the ultra-luxe Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Soft Creme Moisturizer works wonders at quenching dry patches without piling on the shine. Cactus stem cell extracts and hyaluronic acid keep your skin moisturised and help strengthen its barrier.

$215 for 75ml

Shop at Sephora | Lazada

6. Best Beginner-Friendly Toner: Pretti5 Purifying Hydrating Toning Essence

Containing no alcohol or mineral oils, this toner is great for combi skin, and its fuss-free packaging makes it great for teens. Probiotics maintain a healthy pH level on the skin, and traditional Chinese herbs like snow mushrooms and horsetail kelp deliver deep hydration to skin.

$73 for 200ml

Shop at Pretti5

7. Best Travel-Friendly Serum: Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

Pack light but smart for your next holiday, taking along this Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum to give your combi skin a hydration boost. The thirsty parts of your skin will drink up the lentil-apple-and-watermelon complex, while the oily sections will be soothed by the alkaloid barberry extract.

$76 for 50ml

Shop at Sephora | Amazon

8. Best Power-Packed Serum: Fawn Labs Fawn + Elixir

This night serum incorporates mineral malachite to target all our skincare goals at once: reduce sebum, minimise whiteheads and blackheads, soothe acne, cleanse pores, encourage collagen production, gently exfoliate and intensely hydrate.

$38 for 10ml

Shop at Fawn Labs

9. Best Travel-Friendly Exfoliant: Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

On your next trip, take these handy two-step Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel packs with you. Five types of AHA and BHAs gently clear away excess oil, impurities and dead skin cells in step 1, while retinol increases moisture levels in the skin in step 2.

$155 for 30 treatments

Shop at Sephora

10. Best Water-Resistant Sunscreen: Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion With Sunflower Extract Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50 PA++++

The Play Everyday Lotion With Sunflower Extract Broad Spectrum Sunscreen by Supergoop! should be on your to-try list, especially if you tend to perspire a lot. Its water-resistant formula – infused with protecting sunflower extract and ​​moisturising rosemary and rice bran extracts – is surprisingly lightweight and non-greasy. Perfect for oily T-zones and dry cheeks alike.

$38 for 71ml

Shop at Sephora | Lazada

11. Best Value-For-Money Sunscreen: Allie Chrono Beauty Gel UV EX SPF50+ PA++++

This water- and friction-resistant sunscreen gets absorbed into the skin instantly – a winner when you need to rush off ASAP. Moisturising ingredients like sodium hyaluronate and glycerin give a lustrous finish to the skin, so you can go makeup-free.

$30.50 for 108g

Shop at Watsons (via Amazon Fresh) | Lazada

12. Best Multitasking Sunscreen: Two Lips Screen Pore-Refining Sunscreen SPF 50 PA +++

Taking multitasking to a whole new level is this prebiotic-infused sunscreen, which combines SPF 50 PA +++ suncare with skincare in one sleek bottle. Prebiotics help to minimise acne and oil, while niacinamide provides deep hydration and works to reduce the appearance of pores. 

$70 for 50ml

Shop at Two Lips | Lazada

13. Best Ultra-Luxe Sleep Mask: Noble Panacea The Exceptional Chronobiology Sleep Mask

Pamper yourself with an overnight mask that transforms your skin while you sleep. Calibrated to work with your skin's natural overnight rhythm of repair and regeneration, this ultra-luxe mask involves three phases. Pre- and post-biotics purify and balance the skin in the detoxification phase; then retinol and peptides work together to regenerate the skin; lastly, ceramide and hyaluronic acid deliver deep hydration while botanical oils regulate sebum production and strengthen the skin barrier.

$520 for 8 doses

Shop at Tangs

14. Best Gel Mask for Tropical Weather: Grown Alchemist Regenerating Gel Mask

Gel products are BFFs of combi skin in tropical weather. Lightweight, cooling and gentle, this gel mask is equally welcomed on oily zones and dry patches. Ingredients like rambutan and pomegranate help skin retain moisture while gently exfoliating, resulting in rejuvenated and happy skin all throughout.

$75 for 75ml

Shop at Sephora

15. Best Anti-Ageing Eye Cream: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme

This light gel cream works wonders at lightening those seemingly permanent dark circles from all around your eyes, and reduces the appearance of fine lines too. Vitamin E provides powerful protection from free radical damage, peptides renew the skin at night, and sodium hyaluronate deeply moisturises your eye area – all the good stuff that help you wake up to rejuvenated peepers the next morning. 

$128 for 15ml

Shop at Sephora | Lazada | Amazon

16. Best Multipurpose Eye And Lip Cream: Payot Lisse Smoothing Eyes and Lips Care

With its refreshing fluid texture and cooling applicator tip, this eye and lip cream goes on like a splash of much-needed icy water on a tepid day. Containing highly concentrated hyaluronic acid to provide moisture to parched skin, and whitehound to soothe skin and reduce inflammation, dry and oily skin alike will reap the benefits.

$89 for 15ml

Shop at Lazada | Shopee

17. Best Everyday Moisturiser: Filorga Time-Filler 5XP Cream

An everyday moisturiser for combi skin must be simultaneously moisturising and be able to control oil production – exactly what the Filorga Time-Filler 5XP Cream achieves. Powerful ingredients such as tripeptide, hyaluronic acid and sea fennel flush the skin with moisture and fill out wrinkles and fine lines, while zinc mattifies the skin and moderates oil production. 

$123 for 50ml

Shop at Lazada | Amazon

18. Best Nourishing Serum For Mature Skin: Bioeffect EGF Power Serum

A little definitely goes a long way, with this intense serum that packs a huge punch in the anti-ageing department. Bioeffect's signature barley-based ingredients lead the charge in renewing and balancing your tired skin, visibly reducing wrinkles and fine lines, firming saggy skin, and strengthening its ability to repair itself.

$314 for 15ml

Shop at Amazon | Tangs

19. Best Travel-Friendly Cleanser For Combi Skin: Cerm 2% Salicylic Acid Clearing Cleanser

If you are dealing with an oily face and dry cheeks at the same time, a gentle salicylic acid cleanser enriched with nourishing vitamins is a good place to start. Water lily extract clears blackheads and whiteheads, and prevents future breakouts by keeping oil in check. And for those flaky, dehydrated patches on your face, vitamin B12 provides a hydration boost and prevents further moisture loss. 

$17 for 100ml

Shop at Cerm

20. Best Cleanser For Acne Prone Skin: The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash

Your oily zones love a good wash, but your face doesn't like the tight feeling when it gets overly dry. Meet The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. It's formulated with purifying tea tree oil and salicylic acid to cleanse off excess oil and dirt and regulate sebum protection, as well as glycerin to draw moisture into the skin.

$33 for 400ml

Shop at The Body Shop | Lazada

21. Best Calming Moisturiser For Combi Skin: Est.Lab PurClear Multi-Biotic Balancing Cream

This water-based cream is set to be your combi skin's soothing bestie. A blend of pre- and postbiotics encourages the growth of good bacteria on skin, while restricting harmful bacteria that causes breakouts. The cream also contains sodium hyaluronate to reduce flaking, macadamia seed oil to stimulate cell regeneration, and tea tree oil to reduce inflammation and oil production.

$108 for 50ml

Shop at Est.Lab | Lazada

22. Best Serum For Acne-Prone Skin: Future Beauty Drops No. 3

This mixture of botanical ingredients makes for a calming and hydrating serum for combination skin. Herbal extracts like juniper and thyme help fight acne-causing bacteria; lemon peel provides a boost of vitamin C that brightens the skin; and silk proteins help the skin retain and absorb water well.

$217 for 30ml

Shop at Freia247

23. Best Treatment Oil For Blemished Skin: The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

For those spots that seem forever there to stay in the midst of flaky, dry skin, you need a lightweight, effective spot treatment like The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil. The absolute best part? It feels almost non-existent on the skin.

$43 for 20ml

Shop at The Body Shop | Lazada

24. Best Gentle Exfoliant: Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Exfoliate your combination skin gently with this Paula's Choice liquid exfoliant, which also contains antioxidants and humectants to nourish areas of dry skin. It is formulated with concentrated salicylic acid that sloughs off dead skin cells and unclogs pores, and tea tree oil to calm blemishes down.

$55 for 118ml

Shop at Paula's Choice | Lazada

25. Best Lightweight Sunscreen: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen

A good sunscreen forms the base for the rest of your beauty routine, and it's hard not to love this lightweight sunscreen from Supergoop!. Gliding on like a primer, it offers broad-spectrum SPF and blue light protection with nary a trace.

$59 for 50ml

Shop at Sephora | Lazada

26. Best Clay Mask For Acne-Prone Skin: Sigi Skin Garden Party Deep Cleansing Clay Mask

This clay mask with a pudding-like texture gently unclogs pores to clear up blemishes, shrink pores, and tighten skin. It goes a few steps further by ensuring that skin remains balanced and moisturised, thanks to ingredients like camu camu to prevent cell damage, grapeseed extract to fortify the skin barrier, and antioxidants like astaxanthin to reduce dryness and minimise cell damage.

$72 for 50ml

Shop at Sigi Skin | Lazada

27. Best Rinse-Off Mask For Congested Skin: Caudalie Vinergetic C+ Instant Detox Mask

Caudalie's Vinergetic C+ Instant Detox Mask is a dream come true for combi skin, relying on active ingredients like coffee and pink clay to absorb excess sebum and impurities, as well as grape marc to soothe any flare-ups.

$48 for 75ml

Shop at Sephora

Prices are accurate at time of publication.

All the items are independently selected by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. But we only recommend products we love. Promise.