How to Deal with Oily Skin

In the morning, you start the day with a clean, freshly washed complexion, only to see your face become an oily puddle as the day progresses. Many factors can cause oily skin, including climate, genetics, and lifestyle changes. Thankfully, we can follow a few skincare tips to keep our oily skin under control. Here are my tips to deal with oily skin.

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Natural oils keep skin soft, supple, and moisturized. A substance called sebum is secreted by sebaceous glands within the skin. As a result of sebum, the skin is lubricated and protected from drying out or becoming irritated. If your sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, your skin can appear shiny and your pores can become clogged, leading to multiple skin imperfections. Although it is an annoying process for us oily skin gals, it is a pretty cool concept when you take a closer look at it. 

Oily Skin Causes

In addition to hormones, puberty, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, excess oil can also be caused by several other factors. Summer is another common trigger for oily skin. Humidity and heat may increase oil production. A buildup of excess oil can enlarge pores and cause breakouts when trapped with dead skin cells. In an attempt to correct this issue, you might feel the need to cleanse or exfoliate more frequently; however, this will only cause more irritation and strip your skin of its natural oils. 

HOW TO DEAL WITH OILY SKIN

Let’s dive into how to properly care for oily skin.

Don’t Use Harsh Ingredients

Many companies and blogs recommend harsh drying products to deal with oily skin, but that’s not true. You’ll end up doing more harm than good! A dry complexion can cause your skin to produce even more oil. 

Try Keeping Your Skincare Products Cool

If you have oily skin, you should invest in a skincare fridge. The fridge is a great place to store sheet masks, serums, and moisturizers! By applying products directly from the skincare fridge, you’ll keep your skin cool and reduce oil production. 

Embrace Minimalism

If you haven’t reviewed your makeup routine in a while, now might be a good time to do so. Are you using products that are suitable for your skin type? Is there a matte setting spray? Are you wearing creaseless concealers? If you’re looking for a brand for your skin type, I recommend Il Makiage. Check out my review here and take the quiz here.

Do not skip Your Moisturizer

This is a very important step that I cannot emphasize enough. Just because you have oily skin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t moisturize. When you do not moisturize your skin, it can still become ‘dry’, and as a result, it will pump out extra sebum that your skin does not need. Try using a water-based moisturizer.

Understand Your Acids

Consider investing in a salicylic or glycolic acid product and using it a few times a week to get the most effective results. By using a natural ingredient such as glycolic acid, a form of alpha hydroxy acid, you are less likely to see new breakouts develop in the future. Salicylic acid penetrates your skin pores to dissolve sebum trapped inside them. When you are trying to eliminate breakouts from your skin, both of these products are great allies to have alongside you in your skincare routine. 

Cut Down on the Sugar

Sugar intake can also contribute to oily skin. Consuming sugary foods triggers your body to produce insulin, which turns into oil production. This is a note to me to ease up on mini Snickers.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN

Pay attention to the T-zone (forehead, nose, and cheeks). A larger amount of sebum is produced in this area because it has more active oil glands.

You may notice the following: shiny skin, greasy to the touch, visible or enlarged pores, and makeup may feel like it’s sliding off 

There is no one type of oily skin everyone has. There may be some people who experience more oiliness than others. Every single tip may not work for you, but at least you have a good idea of where to start.