How to tell if you have oily skin?
What causes oily skin on the face?
What are the remedies for oily skin on the face?
Oily skin in general is acne prone and at this point you are tired of dealing with breakouts and just want to have a radiant skin with healthy glow. Keeping the skin moisturized does not mean having oily skin.
Fortunately for everyone, how your skin looks can be managed by creating the proper skincare regimen for yourself. Our aim is to balance the oil and not get rid of it. We all need a good amount of oil on the skin to keep our skin looking youthful and healthy.
How to tell if you have oily skin?
You know you have oily skin when your skin always looks oily even seconds after powder. You find you are prone to having black heads and breakouts. Your pores look large. The skin texture looks rough and thick and sometimes you have persistent pimples that won't just go away. These are all characteristics of oily skin, and if you have 3 or all, then you have oily skin.
Oily skin is when the skin secretes more sebum than it should. Sebum is a fat which the skin secretes to keep it moisturized. While sebum is beneficial to the skin, and keeps it healthy, too much of it can lead to having constant oily skin. Oily skin clogs the pores which will in turn give you acne and also make your pores look bigger. There are obviously ways to combat oily skin, both by prescription and home remedies.
What causes oily skin on the face?
As explained earlier oily skin is usually a result of excess sebum production. However this varies in different people, and it is obviously due to different reasons. Understanding this will help you in controlling it and truly solving the problem. Here are the reasons you have oily skin;
- Genetics
- Hormone changes (PMS, puberty, menopause)
- Stress
- Age
- Weather
- Enlarged pores
- Excess exfoliation
- Not moisturizing
What are the remedies for oily skin on the face?
Thankfully there are measures one can take in order to improve the state of their skin. Getting rid of oily skin and balancing the skin in a way that it still gets hydrated while not benign clogged.
Cleansing
This one seems pretty obvious, ‘in order to get rid of oil cleanse, right?’’Cleansing is important, it is advised to wash your face in the morning when you wake up and at night after a long day. At night when you sleep, bacteria and oils build up on your skin. Some may deem it useless to wash the face simply because it was washed before going to bed, but it is in fact necessary. You need to also wash your face after exercising.
Anything more than that will be excessive and will result in drying the face, which will only trigger the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. This leaves you with a much worse situation than when you started. Same goes for using products that are excessively drying, you have to remember that this oil is not the enemy, it helps in keeping your skin youthful. All you need to do is to find that balance where it is not excessive.
Avoid products with alcohol because that will just dry your skin some more resulting in excess sebum secretion. Stay away from oil based cleansers or skin products too.
Toning
Astringent toners can be very helpful when it comes to having oily skin. Just make sure you stay clear of toners with alcohol in them. The most favorable of the astringent toners is witch hazel. You can try a toner that has witch hazel as an active ingredient or just go in with witch hazel directly.
Whatever the case may be, just know that different people react differently to different things. It will be best if you tried it out on a little patch for at least 3 days to be sure you don’t react, before using it all over your face.
Find some easy and effective DIY toners here.
Blotting
Blotting isn't really a solution for oily skin. It however, provides a way of controlling it through the day so you don't look excessively shiny. Blotting papers come in really handy especially when you are wearing makeup. They easily lift the oil on your skin by pressing it gently against your skin. Do nut rub.
Stay away from touching your face through the day. Unless you are going in with a blotting paper, do not touch it at all.
Face mask
Face masks, such as; clay masks, help in absorbing oil and after consistent use could reduce sebum production. It also helps in unclogging pores and tightening them which all plays a role in balancing out sebum secretion. One of the best ways to control oil without causing any irritation to the skin.
Moisturize
This may seem counter productive, but it is actually very beneficial for your skin. A lot of people don’t realize that your skin can be oily and dehydrated at the same time. Hydration is imperative for healthy skin regardless of skin type. Not to mention, depriving your skin of any type of moisture by overly drying it will only cause the skin to produce more sebum. The skin keeps moisture in by producing sebum, when the skin feels dry, it produces more sebum.
It is advised to use lightweight moisturizers or even gel type moisturizers. Aloe vera is a very good option and hydrochloric acid. Just avoid any kind of moisturizer that is thick and have heavy butter in them. That will just lead to congestion and breakouts.
Moisturize everyday to give your skin that balance it needs.
Salicylic acid for oily skin
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that belongs to the salicylates class of drugs. It breaks down fatty compounds on the skin. This helps in combating excess oil on the skin. It is also used to get rid of black heads and it controls breakouts.
Salicylic acid penetrates deep into the pores and extracts dirt, making your skin squeaky clean. This is a product you don’t want to skip as someone with oily skin. There are tons of benefits to it.
It is always best to have Salicylic acid in your toner, that way you don’t wipe it off after applying. This way it stays on your face through the day, making it much more effective. However, if it is in your cleanser, it is advised to leave the cleanser on your face for over 2 minutes, just keep massaging the product in circular motion. A good excuse to have a face massage.
It is recommended to use Salicylic acid in your skincare routine twice a day for best results.
Glycolic acid
Acids are important in everyone's skincare routine. Glycolic acid is another acid that is useful to people with oily skin. Production of excess oil is reduced in the skin, which prevents the pores from being plugged. It is one of the holy grail ingredients for combating oily skin. This acid helps in getting rid of acne and clearing up blackheads.
Glycolic acid can be found in lotion, face wash, face toner, which can all be beneficial to someone with oily skin. Having Glycolic acid in one product in your skincare routine is enough.
Honey
Honey is one of the natural remedies for combating oily skin. Raw honey has antiseptic and antibacterial qualities that help in getting rid of acne and reducing oil on the skin. Something as easily accessible as honey, has tremendeous benefits for the skin, such as; making the skin soft and luscious. It also keeps the skin moist without the excess shine.
How to use it:
You can use it as a face mask, by applying a thin layer on your skin after cleansing.
Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes
Then rise out with lukewarm water before continuing with your other skincare steps.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is important in preventing sun damage to the skin, and other skin problems. It is necessary for every skin type to use sunscreen. When it comes to oily skin, it is advised to use sunscreen with higher spf of 30 or more. Sunscreen should be applied daily and generously so that it protects the skin as it should.
In order to prevent breakouts, use sunscreen that contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Stay clear of fragranced sunscreen.
Diet as a cause for oily skin
Your diet plays a great role in the overall health of your body. The saying ‘you are what you eat’, is truly just that. Pay attention to your diet, because your reason for oily skin could be in your gut, which means it can be solved by simply switching up your diet. Foods such as sugar and dairy hikes up oil production on the face.
Zinc is very important in your diet as it helps to regulate oil production. If you have a zinc deficient diet, you are likely to suffer from oily skin. Deficiency in zinc, magnesium, vitamin B and omega 3 all contribute to excess oil on the skin.
Sugar in particular is the biggest culprit in the production of excess sebum. Therefore, your sugar intake needs to be limited in order to see results. A high sugar intake increases insulin in the body, which creates the hormone IGF-1 that can surge the production of sebum.
