Oily Skin Care: Preventing Shine and Breakouts

Oily skin care products and regimens can go a long way towards dealing with the excessive oil and preventing acne that frequently results from oily skin.

Oily skin is a result of excessive production of sebum (an oily substance that is naturally produced by skin. This oil production is caused by androgens (male hormones) that naturally increase rapidly at puberty. Most people outgrow their oily skin when they reach their early twenties, but some have oily skin well into adulthood.

The good news is oily skin is tougher and more resistant to wrinkles. You may hate your shiny face now, but you will look younger when you hit middle age than your dry skin friends.
The bad news is excessive sebum causes leads to clogging of skin pores, resulting in accumulation of dead cells and hence formation of pimples/acne. It’s important to follow some basic regimens for oily skin care to prevent break outs and reduce the shine.

Here are some tips for oily skin care:

Do not try to dry out your skin with excessive washing, harsh cleansers and alcohol. Be aware most skin toners contain alcohol and can be quite drying and irritating. Continually stripping your skin of its natural oils can cause your skin’s oil production to increase, and that’s definitely not what you want!

Start with cleaners designed for oily skin care that removes excess oil from the skin but is not too harsh or drying. A good cleanser for oily skin contains salicylic acid (a beta-hydroxy acid) that unclogs pores and slows the rate of sebum production. Cleansing should be done twice a day to three times per day in very hot and humid conditions which make oily skin worse.

You can follow cleansing with a toner but it needs to be soothing and not drying. The point of a toner is to remove the oil, dirt and makeup your cleanser may have missed but not to dry out your skin.

Next you need to use products that help absorb excess oil. Since you do not have control over how much sebum your skin produces, the best approach is to control the oil rather than to try and dry out your skin.

If you are acne prone, you need to use a skin lotion that contains low levels of Benzoyl peroxide after cleansing morning and night. For less severe acne, you can use a product with 2% salicylic acid. This acid has the ability to cut through sebum and helps to keep pores clear.

Depending upon how oily your skin is, you may or may not need a moisturizer. For oily skin with acne, you may need a moisturizer occasionally to combat the dryness of the acne products you are using everyday. Look for an oil-free moisturizer that is designed for oily or acne prone skin. These moisturizers do not contain oil or other ingredients that clog pores. You should also see the term “non-comedogenic” which simply means it won’t clog your pores and is safe for oily, acne prone skin.

Some of these moisturizers also contain ingredients that help absorb excess oil. Although they can’t stop the oil production, they can absorb some of the oil and prevent some of the oily shine for a few hours.

The best way to deal with oily skin is with a skin blotting paper. These are easy to find today and great for removing oil and shine without disturbing any medication or makeup you may have on. Keep these with you and use them throughout the day as often as needed.

Loose, oil-free powders are great for absorbing excess oil too. Be careful with pressed powders as many of these contain oil or ingredients that may clog pores. Look for one designed for oily skin or stick with loose powders. It’s best to use the oil blotting paper to remove excess oil first then apply the powder. This prevents the caking build up you will get if you use powder throughout the day on top of excessive oil.

Most of the oily skin care products are oil-free; however, it is always good to check the ingredients of the product, before you actually buy it. This is especially important if a product is marked as ‘suitable for all skin types’, instead of ‘oily skin care product’.

Another great way to combat oily skin is with a facial mask. There are several you can purchase that are designed for oily skin and will absorb the oil and cleanse the pores. These masks should contain clay which is great for pulling oil and debris from your pores. These masks can be used a couple times per week along with your daily oily skin care regimen.

In case these measures don’t help you enough, consult a good dermatologist for topical medications that help oily skin. Prescription products that contain vitamin A creams, retinoids, and sulphur can help control excessively oily skin and prevent acne breakouts.

As far as the oily skin care products go, you might need to try out a few before you find those that work best for your skin. Fortunately today there are many excellent products designed specifically for oily skin that can keep your skin clean, clear and much less shiny.

Oily Skin Care: Preventing Shine and Breakouts

Here are some tips for oily skin care:

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