Oily Skin Type? Get Rid of Grease And Keep Glowing with these Products
Oily skin can be frustrating to work with, to say the least. If you have ever felt like you’ve scrubbed and scrubbed only to be left with even more oil on your skin as a result, you’re probably right.
It may seem counterintuitive to think that cleaning more results in worse skin, but that’s how it works!
When we think of oily skin, we most likely think specifically about facial skin. However, body skin can be oily as well. In this article, we are going to talk about both!
How do you know if you have oily skin? The simplest way to check is to wash the face with warm water and a gentle cleanser, wait about 30 minutes, and then check how the skin feels to you. Does it feel moisturized or does it feel dry and itchy? You can also use blotting paper to check oil levels or examine your skin closely with the naked eye to look for shine.
WHERE DOES OILY SKIN COME FROM?
In general, oily skin is caused by an overproduction of sebum, which is a waxy, greasy substance created by glands in the skin. It is an important protective substance which helps keep bacteria and UV rays out while holding moisture in. An overproduction can lead to cosmetic bothers like shiny skin and blackheads, as well as serious concerns like cystic acne and seborrheic dermatitis.
Sebum overproduction can be a result of hormonal changes like puberty, but can also be a symptom of other hormonal disruptions like PCOS, thyroid problems, CAH, and insulin resistance.
Other factors that influence sebum production are stress and sleep amount/quality, diet, exercise, taking corticosteroids and anabolic steroids, genetics, skin biome, excess moisture (like sweat), exposure to bacteria, and cosmetics or other products that are applied to the skin.
There are so many ways to get oily skin that it can seem overwhelming to manage it! But, don’t fear! By having a routine of healthy skin care you can help your skin stay healthy even with sebum-producing influences.
OILY SKIN CARE FOR FACE
Gentle cleansing is key when it comes to oily skin!
What do we mean by gentle cleansing? Using products that do not cause excessive dryness or abrasions to the skin. Irritations like these cause the skin to produce even more sebum in an attempt to protect against bacteria and keep moisture locked in.
Especially for facial skin, it’s easy to accidentally be too rough. Just make sure that you always, always, always use light pressure, and choose products that are the correct strength for your unique skin.
Use a gentle cream scrub to delicately remove dirt, dead skin, and excess sebum.
Ensure you use gentle cleansers and other facial products, like makeup. Use light, noncomedogenic (won’t clog pores) moisturising oils and creams which signal to the sebaceous glands that they need not create extra sebum; the skin is already covered!
Facial skin is exposed to a lot of environmental factors in your average day. Help keep oil at bay by not touching the face with your hands or anything that might not be clean. If you get food, especially grease, on your face at meals, make sure to gently wipe or wash it away as soon as you can.
OILY SKIN CARE FOR BODY
Body skin is a little tougher than facial skin in 99% of areas. Delicate areas of body skin include underarms, neck, tops of hands and feet, and groin.
Areas of the body that are most prone to acne and oily skin are the upper and lower back and the chest. Acne can form in other parts of the body due to sweat and shaving.
Luckily, skin care for oily skin on the body is relatively simple since the skin can withstand more! You will still want to use a gentle soap that doesn’t strip all of your natural oils away. Once again, doing this can trigger even more oil to be produced to overcompensate.
Use exfoliants once or twice a week that contain oil-fighting ingredients to help eliminate body acne. Follow up with nourishing but lightweight moisturisers to lock in hydration and soothe the sebaceous glands.
Since the body is so expansive it has a lot of opportunities to get oily. Make sure to wash clothes in non-irritating detergent, and wash them regularly to get dirt, dead skin, and bacteria out! Wear breathable materials like cotton, linen, and micromodal. Certain synthetics like rayon and polyester can also be breathable, but it depends on how they are used.
After exercising, bathe right away or at least wipe yourself down with a damp cloth to help remove sweat (which is a breeding ground for bacteria). Pat dry with a clean towel. You may even find that you need a powder (NOT talc!) to keep the skin from chafing (leading to abrasions that can lead to acne) or staying too damp during the day.
INGREDIENTS THAT HELP OILY SKIN
There are many prescription medications that can help reduce sebum production, especially due to hormonal reasons. However, there are also many ingredients that are more readily available that can help, too!
You may want to give them a try and see if they help before you seek out a heavy-duty prescription that may have negative side effects.
You can use all of these ingredients on both the face and body, but in general, you will want to use a much more diluted solution for the face than the body - especially for acids!
Look for:
Kaolin or bentonite clay
Aloe
Neem
Sea salt (especially Dead Sea salt)
Coffee
Glycerin
Jojoba oil
Squalene
Citric acid
Salicylates / salicylic acids (like white willow bark)
Tea tree
Chamomile
Meadowfoam oil
Witch hazel
Avoid
denatured alcohols
comedogenic ingredients
Silicones
You can find these ingredients readily available in cleansers, soaps, body scrubs, lotions, moisturisers, and oils.
Skin care at home for oily skin doesn’t need to be complicated or intimidating. Try sticking to a routine with the same products for a few weeks and then making tweaks depending on how your skin reacts. You might find that a certain ingredient doesn’t work for you, or that you are scrubbing too often or too sparsley or too hard.
It can take some time to find your perfect skincare routine, but don’t worry! You will find it and your skin will thank you!
