Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin

January 15, 2012 0 Comments

As some people know, your body produces oil as a way of keeping skin supple and healthy. But when you’re producing more oil (or sebum) than what’s needed, your skin becomes shiny, greasy and thick – plus it looks dull. You might also experience large pores, and find yourself with lots of blackheads, blemishes and unsightly pimples.

Luckily, oily skin can be treated through a variety of ways, including prescriptions from dermatologists, and basic moisturizers from the supermarket.

Be sure to cleanse your face two times daily – morning and evening. Younger people with oily skin will need to do a complete cleansing routine at both times of day. Older people may get by with a splash of cold water in the morning and a full cleansing and moisturizing routine at night.

TIP! If you don’t already have a moisturizing routine for your skin, make one. Even people with oily skin should moisturize daily to keep their skin as healthy as possible.

But before we get into all of this, let’s discuss the causes of oily skin.

Causes of Oily Skin

During your daily skin care regimen, take care that you are doing things properly. Harsh scrubbing can cause irritation or increase the production of oil in your glands. If you have oily skin to begin with, that is the last thing you want. Gentle rubbing will help keep your skin’s Ph balanced.

TIP! Creating a good skin care routine will help you and your body make sure that things such as sun burns stay away. Avoid greasy foods if you can to avoid oily skin which leads to acne, and make sure to wear a brimmed hat if you’re doing things such as gardening because sun burns are no fun and avoidable.

As mentioned before, the basic cause of oily skin involves over-active glands, but there are other causes for concern, including:

If you have combination skin, you will want to choose a moisturizer that is water-based. This type of moisturizer will provide you with the added hydration your dry skin needs, without overdoing it on your oily skin. Apply often when your skin appears dry and less often when it is oily.

TIP! If you have oily skin, don’t use moisturizer. This is the equivalent of using butter and mayonnaise on a sandwich: one is oily enough.

your hereditary,

what you are eating,

Plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt is calcium-rich, which makes it an ideal and affordable skincare treatment. When applied to tight, dry skin, yogurt will impart a soft and silky feeling. It can also be applied to oily skin as a masque; after five minutes, rinsing off the yogurt will also remove excessive oils without stripping the skin.

TIP! Treat excessively oily skin with a mask made of honey and oatmeal. Mix two tablespoons of oatmeal, a teaspoon of honey and just enough warm purified water, to create a paste.

medications you’re taking,

humidity,

Strangely enough, you need to use moisturizer even if you have oily skin. If your skin is oily, and you skip the moisturizer, your skin will go into overtime producing oil to replace the oil you’ve just removed. So your face will end up oilier than before. Use a mild oil-free moisturizer so that your skin doesn’t decide to rev up oil production again.

TIP! A

cosmetic products you apply to your face,

and hormone levels that are associated with pregnancy, puberty or menopause.

Do not be afraid to try out an oil-based skin scrub. You might be leery about such products, especially if you are dealing with oily skin. Oil-based scrubs are not as problematic as you might think, though. They exfoliate and hydrate at the same time. Their moisturizing effect goes to work on the deeper tissues rather than sticking to the surface.

TIP! Look for moisturizers that have a water base. It is very important to study the ingredients on products before you purchase them when you are worried about acne.

Skin that is dry or normal in some areas – while still being oily in others – is considered combination skin, but can still be treated as oily skin.

The area of the face that tends to be oiliest is known as the “T- zone.” This is your forehead, chin, and the area on or around your nose. Teenagers normally have the biggest problem with oily skin because their hormones are going through changes, which cause blemishes on the skin.

Did you know that oily skin holds smells more effectively? This doesn’t mean skipping that shower is a great idea. However, it does mean that adding a quick dab of petroleum jelly to wrists before applying fragrances will help them last all day. Keep a small roller-ball of your favorite scent in your bag for quick touch-ups.

TIP! Choose a cleanser that corresponds to your skin type. If you have acne, find a cleanser that has a neutral pH and that efficiently gets rid of bacteria.

Although adolescent teens tend to have the biggest problem with oily skin and acne breakouts, people of all ages have to deal with this problem. The oil that your skin produces increases in adolescence, and typically decreases as you get older; however, when women become pregnant or go through menopause, they also experience a change in hormones, which causes unexpected acne breakouts due to over-production of oil.

Although oily skin can be annoying to deal with, one big advantage to having oily skin is that you age at a slower rate than those who have normal-to-dry skin types. Oily skin is just as delicate as dry or normal skin types, and needs to be washed with warm water and cleanser daily. For the best results, use products designed for oily skin so that the sebum will dissolve without stripping your skin of all its nutrients.

If you have oily skin, avoid over-drying it out with harsh alcohol-based toners, cleansers, and washes. Drying oily skin actually causes the body to produce MORE oil, which makes the problem even more noticeable. Instead, use a hydrating oil-free moisturizer, which will leave your skin supple and hydrated but not oily.

TIP! Use a moisturizer that is oil-free. It is important to moisturize your skin, even if you are prone to acne.

Step-by-Step: Oily Skin Care Routine

The first step to dealing with oily skin involves cleansing in the morning with a gentle oil-free acne wash that contains salicylic acid; use only warm water to rinse the cleanser off of your face. Hot water will only irritate your skin more, and cause a greater amount of oil to be produced, thus leading to further acne breakouts.

Knowing the type of skin you have will help you to tailor a skin-care regiment that works best for you. An easy way to determine the type of skin you have is by taking rice paper and blotting your skin. If your rice paper picks up oil from your face, you have an oily skin type; if not, your skin is dry. If the rice paper picks up oil from your t-zone (that is, the bridge of your nose and forehead) but not from the rest of your face, your skin is the combination type. Once you know your skin type, you can pick out more effective products.

TIP! If you have oily skin, you should exfoliate regularly. Don’t do this though, if you have any breakouts as it could irritate them.

Oily skin needs to be exfoliated on a regular basis, and the amount of exfoliation per week depends entirely on the individual. Directions on exfoliates advise you to exfoliate twice a day for one week, and then switch to just once a day. You may, however, only need to exfoliate two or three times a week depending on how oily your skin is. It’s worth mentioning that you should avoid exfoliating if you currently have an acne breakout to avoid skin irritation. Exfoliating face treatments that you use should contain salicylic acid to remove dead skin cells that can build up and cause pimples. Also, an easy and gentle exfoliate can be made at home using lemon juice and sugar; mix together a few table spoons of lemon, add sugar, put the mixture onto a cotton ball or pad, and gently rub the cotton pad in a circular motion around your face and neck.

Once you’ve patted your face dry, you can use a toner to help keep your skin firm, and close pores after you cleanse and exfoliate. Toner will also aid in reducing oil secretions that cause skin to look greasy without clogging pores; you’ll remove any residue or dirt that could be left over after cleansing. Toner can be used to set makeup when in a spray bottle, and can also double as a refreshing spray throughout the day. Use a toner that doesn’t contain alcohol to avoid drying your skin out.

If you have oily skin, you should do your best to keep it clean. This means you will have to thoroughly clean your pores everyday from dirt and make up. If you leave your pores clogged, the oil will build up under the dirt and cause your face to break out.

TIP! If you suffer from oily skin, you want to avoid products that add additional oil, and you want to keep your face from making additional oil. Read the ingredients on makeup and face creams to make sure they’re appropriate for your skin type.

After you’ve cleansed and used toner on your skin, the next step is to apply a moisturizer with SPF. No matter what skin type you have, it’s important to use a moisturizer that contains SPF to combat wrinkles and other damage caused by the skin. Apply oil-free water-based moisturizer all over your face and neck by dabbing and massaging lightly in an upward motion. Your skin absorbs water-based moisturizers quickly, and this keeps your skin from being greasy.

If you wear makeup, it’s important to wear foundation that is designed for oily skin. This may take some experimenting, but it’s important so that you’re not blocking pores, which leads to acne breakouts. Also, use a matte foundation to avoid the shiny appearance that oily skin is known for. When you’re applying foundation, it’s best to use a stippling brush or a sponge makeup applicator instead of your fingers. You might even opt for a tinted moisturizer rather than a full coverage foundation, which enables you to apply fewer products on your face each day.

Remember to keep your skin moisturized. Oily skin can cause acne breakouts. Even so, if you are experiencing acne and treating it, you will still want to moisturize your face at least once a day. Many acne medications can dry out skin. To avoid itching and peeling, you will want to make sure your skin stays hydrated.

TIP! When you are shopping for makeup and you are prone to oily skin avoid anything that contains extra moisturizers. If you have oily skin you certainly do not need any make up that is going to add extra oil to the surface of your face.

Before going to sleep at night, always cleanse, use toner, and moisturize again to maintain healthy-looking skin. You should especially do this if you wear makeup because it keeps your pores and face free from pimples.

If you’re not sure whether you are using too harsh of products, pay attention to how your skin feels once you’ve finished cleansing. Skin that feels dehydrated and tight is most likely over-cleansed or stripped of beneficial moisture and oil, which causes the top layers of the skin to shrink. This leads to blocked pores and breakouts because the oil can’t reach the skin’s surface. Avoid washing your face more than twice a day because this also causes skin to over-produce oil.

While it may sound strange, cleansing your skin with oil can actually help to clear blackheads and improve your skin’s condition. Jojoba, castor and olive oils are used most often for cleansing. Over time, your skin will actually produce less oil on its own, so this method works even if you have naturally oily skin.

If you already suffer from acne, then you’ll especially want to follow these instructions to begin the healing process. Other things you can do to minimize effects of oily skin are to wash your pillows and pillow cases weekly or bi-weekly, along with your bed sheets, hats and/or scarves. Also remember that products used in your hair oftentimes have negative effects on your face’s skin. One more thing worth remembering is to keep your hair from becoming oily by washing it every other day, and using a dry shampoo in between normal washes. These tips should make having oily skin much easier to live with!