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Oily Skin
As we mentioned in an earlier blog, every person’s skin is unique, but despite the many differences, there are three categories which most of the population’s skin falls under. Oily skin, combination skin and dry skin.
So far so good? Well this is where it gets tricky. The reason why these skin types have been categorized the way they have, is because even though they might suffer from the same problems, each skin type requires a unique or relatively different way to solve that very same problem! For example, skincare products that cure acne usually have a very harsh and drying effect on the skin. So someone with oily skin could use products that cure acne all over their face and it would actually be helping their oily complexion. Someone with dry skin however, will need to stick to spot treatments and avoid rubbing these drying ingredients all over their face to avoid making their skin even dryer! Anyhow, back to Oily Skin.
What exactly does it mean to have Oily Skin?
It means that your skin is a little paranoid, scared that it’s going to dry out any minute. So what does it do? To protect the skin’s moisture, and keep it hydrated, it starts producing sebum (the natural oil produced by your sebaceous glands), a protective oily layer that traps moisture in your skin and keeps it from drying out. So is there anything you can do about it? PLENTY!
How can I know if I have Oily Skin?
Below are the common signs of having oily skin:
1- Your face looks shiny or glossy, especially in the morning and the evening.
2- Having trouble with keeping makeup on.
3- The face’s oilier places tend to have blackheads or pimples, or other kinds of acne.
4- Pores are remarkably enlarged, especially on the chin, nose, and forehead.
5- The skin looks thick or rough.
6- Clogged pores.
P.S If the T-ZONE is oily, but the rest of the face is dry, that probably means you have combination skin.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Genetics:
Oily skin is a trait that can be inherited so if oily skin runs in the family, there’s no use in fighting it. It is entirely manageable as long as you follow a skin care routine that is tailored to your skin type.
Environment:
The environment of the place you live in plays a huge role in your skin type. For example, living in the GCC, an extremely hot and humid region might cause excessive sebum production ( your natural face oils), and unfortunately, the same applies to extreme cold and dry climates.
Hormones:
Androgens are the hormones responsible for sebum production in the skin. In some cases, such as puberty, pregnancy, stress and illness these hormones tend to oscillate which leads to more oil production in the skin.
Using the wrong products:
Many products declare that they’re suited for all skin types, or even targeted specifically for oily skin. Even though they often do contain ingredients that are beneficial for oily skin such as BHAs, sebum regulating acids, etc.. they also just as often come hand in hand with “moisturizing” ingredients, to combat the drying effects of these acids. In reality, these moisturizing ingredients are SO, SO WRONG for oily skin. Examples include Shea Butter, Coconut oil, and more.. These ingredients are comedogenic – meaning they block pores- , which cause the face to react by producing excessive oil!
Over-washing:
Washing your face is something you should do for sure. But if you do it too often your skin will actually become oilier because when you over wash your face, you’re basically stripping away too much oil from it, which puts your skin in emergency mode causing it to produce too much oil.
Medications:
One of the possible side effects of taking hormonal adjustment or hormonal replacement medications is causing an increase in oil production. Other medications that might have a dehydrating side effect will cause your glands to overcompensate by producing excessive oil!
What can I do about my Oily Skin?
It is a process, one that requires commitment on a daily basis unfortunately. But again that commitment takes about 20 minutes of your day, and will leave your skin radiant and glowing!
First and foremost, let’s address the root cause, your skin’s paranoia! If it’s scared of drying out, then let’s keep it moisturized and hydrated. Many people think that moisturizing and using oils worsens the appearance of oily skin or clogs your pores, on the contrary. The right combination of ingredients will actually keep your skin in check, reassurance that it needs to relax because you’ve taken care of the problem and that your glands can take a break. Now if you’ve taken care of that, but your pores are still enlarged and blocked, how are they going to absorb anything you’ve applied to your skin? That’s why daily cleansing to minimize and clean pores using retinoids and BHA based products is essential! Using Antibacterial is also another trick that helps both oily skin and acne from acting up. Anyways we’ll get into more details when we talk about the oily skincare routine, which has a step-by-step guide and explanation to all the products you need to have handy.
What are the General Do’s and Don’ts?
1- STICK to your skincare routine. Daily commitment is key to achieving the results you want!
2- Make sure your skincare routine is a morning and night routine.
3- Avoid heavy oil based products; your skin needs to breath and absorb all the moisture it can get.
4- Stay hydrated! You’ve all heard that your body is 70% water, well so is your face! A minimum of 2 litres a day, but 3 litres is recommended.
5- Clean your face thoroughly, even if you didn’t wear makeup! There is a lot of dirt and debris that lands on your skin throughout the day, and leaving it on your skin is no different than sleeping with a face full of makeup.
6- Don’t wash your face excessively. Morning and evening are enough unless you were touching your face plenty throughout the day, then you can gently cleanse with a toner once and reapply your products.
7- Avoid alcohol based products! Drying out your face is only going to lead to oilier skin.
8- Leave your blackheads, whiteheads and pimples ALONE! We know you’ve been doing it forever, but there are products to help you get rid of them in a quick and painless way. Risking scarring, infection, large pores and longer healing time isn’t doing anyone any good. Keep your hands to yourself.
We at Embrace love to always be there for you in every step of your skincare journey and will try to keep you as informed as possible with all things skin care related.