Most people nowadays suffer from skin problems. The body is subject to various types of disorders, such as hormonal, nutritional, and the daily aggressions on the skin (sun, pollution, hygiene products, make-up…) do not make things any better.
Having a deep knowledge of your oily skin type allows you to adapt your skin care routines and product choices to your exact needs.
In this guide, we will review the causes and symptoms of oily skin, as well as the exact routine you’ll need to maintain a balanced sebum level in order to keep the skin well hydrated and nourished.
What is Oily Skin?
Oily skins are characterized by producing an excessive amount of sebum. The consequences of this excess secretion vary from one person to another, they manifest as pimples, microcysts, blackheads, and sometimes, we only notice a few enlarged pores and shine, especially in the T-zone.
The good news is that this type of skin ages better, wrinkles appear later, and being thicker, it is generally less sensitive, not only to environmental aggression, but also to abrasion and scratches.
Be careful, don’t treat oily skin roughly, otherwise, the skin is weakened and therefore risks producing excessive amounts of sebum to protect itself, thus causing a “rebound effect”.
How to Identify Oily Skin?
- If your skin is dull and shiny.
- If your skin texture is thick and protected by an abundant hydrolipidic film, and you have large dilated pores.
- If your complexion is cloudy and greasy, and your skin is never clean.
- If you often have blackheads and pimples on your skin.
There’s a high probability that you have oily skin.
What are The Causes of Oily Skin?
Internal factors:
- Hormonal imbalance is the most common cause of oily skin, an excess of male hormones, androgens, for example during menstruation, can lead to an increase in sebum secretion.
- Hormonal treatments can also temporarily disrupt the sebaceous glands.
- Other internal factors such as stress and family history can also cause oily skin.
External factors:
- The temperature increase is directly proportional to sebum secretion; a 1°C increase in skin temperature causes an overproduction of sebum of 10%.
- Excessive use of aggressive and irritating skincare products can also create this problem.
Now you might ask, what’s the best skin care routine for oily skin?
Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin
Cleanse Oily Skin
I can never stress this enough: for all skin types, the double cleansing is undoubtedly the first skin care step to take for a healthy and beautiful skin, this process will not only help to perfectly cleanse the skin, but will also help get the greatest benefits from serums, moisturizers and skincare oils then applied. The double cleansing is also recommended for those who do not wear make-up!
For oily skin, as a rule of thumb, sebum production must be regulated.
Double cleansing is a two-step cleaning process: the first step, the oily phase, consists of applying an appropriate oil on the skin that will emulsify all the fatty substances present on the skin surface and help to regulate sebum production and to reduce shine.
The second step, the aqueous phase, consists of applying a soap-free foaming cleansing gel, that cleans without irritating or over-drying the skin, to refine the results and complete the cleansing process. In contact with foam and water, oil and impurities are gently removed.
Gentle Exfoliation
Exfoliation helps to get rid of dead cells and, therefore, allows cellular oxygenation and optimizes the penetration of active ingredients.
For oily skin, it is recommended to not use grain scrubs that can irritate your skin, but rather choose an enzymatic scrub (peeling since it is a treatment with a chemical action) containing exfoliating agents that are nothing more than enzymes from fruits.
Oils and Serums
As a rule of thumb, serums for oily skin should be specially formulated to mattify the skin and regulate sebaceous secretion, they must also be moisturizing, since this type of skin also suffers from a lack of water, so look for serums that contain effective mattifying and hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamins A, C, and E.
If your skin is blemish-prone, you need to make sure that the serum is enriched with antibacterial, soothing and repairing active ingredients, such as tea tree, zinc, salicylic acid.
Creams and Moisturizers
Beware of preconceived ideas! Oily skin needs moisturizing as much as other skin types, otherwise, it will produce even more sebum to defend itself. By using the right moisturizing cream every day, morning and evening, as a fundamental step in your skin care routine, your skin will get all the moisture it needs and you can say goodbye to shine.
There is a wide variety of moisturizing creams available in the market, choose a cream that has a light texture, with a non-greasy and non-comedogenic formula and a mattifying effect.
Best Tips to Prevent Oily Skin
- Make sure to use some adapted and targeted treatments to offer yourself the most complete routine possible, such as a purifying toner to refine pores and to help remove dead skin cells, a cleansing face mask to be applied once or twice a week, a lightweight and water-based moisturizing eye contour cream for a moisturized and healthy under eye area.
- Keep in mind that the cleansing should be meticulous but gentle. Oily skin needs to be cleaned at least twice a day, in the morning, you can do a simple cleansing process, and in the evening, focus on double cleansing with alcohol-free and soap-free products that include purifying and anti-bacterial ingredients.
- Exfoliate once or twice a week to get rid of cell debris and dirt that may have been trapped in your skin. Ideally with an enzymatic or chemical exfoliant to avoid damaging the skin with the mechanical action of the grains.
- Use a deep cleansing mask, based on green clay, once or twice a week, it is perfect for cleansing, purifying and decongesting the skin as well as tightening the pores.
What You Should Avoid if You Have Oily Skin
- Stay away from mineral oils, aka Paraffinum Liquidum, as they will suffocate oily skin, clog pores and stimulate imperfections.
- Avoid products containing alcohol in their ingredients, as they will only enhance sebum production and induce sensitivity in the skin.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
Hi, it’s Judy!