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Most people crave and may succeed in achieving glowing sun kissed skin. Instead of a glow, you have to deal with shine all day and everyday which can be very cumbersome and annoying. You want to achieve a sleek pulled together look but your face always lets you down when you quickly develop a shiny forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. In addition to the oily skin, you may also have to deal with acne and may be looking for tips to not only control your skin’s oil production but also to eliminate acne.
Oily Skin
Characterized by overactive sebaceous (oil) glands, these glands cause the skin to develop a shiny and slick look after cleansing, on hot and humid days, when hit by nerves, etc.
The shine is mainly prevalent in the T-zone area (forehead, down the nose to the chin) but can also affect the cheeks, chest, neck and back. Oily skin may also have medium to large sized pores in the T-zone area. Your skin may also feel more oilier in the summer months than in the winter months.
You may have oily skin because of your genes. If your father or mother suffers from oily skin, chances are that you will to. Oily skin can also be caused by a change in hormones and may show up in teens or those in their early twenties. It can also develop in pregnant women, during menopause or around the time of a menstrual cycle when hormone activity in increased. While some birth control can have a side effect of leading to oily skin, some other types of birth control can also have the added benefit of controlling oil production because they control the hormones.
One thing of note is that just because you have oily skin does not necessarily mean that you will develop acne but a lot of people that have acne and are trying to eliminate acne usually have oily or combination skin (oily t-zone with dry areas such as the cheeks) because the pores on oily skin tend to clog very easily. When clogged pores are mixed in with bacteria and dead skin cells, it leads to acne development.
Advantage of Having Oily Skin
While you may be frustrated with your oily skin, the silver lining is that the excessive oil production will keep your skin well lubricated which means that you are less prone to developing wrinkles and fine lines than people who have normal or dry skin and you will look younger.
Tips for Coping with Oily Skin
- The goal for cleansing is to make sure the skin is clean without stripping the skin of its protective barrier. Do not try to get your skin squeaky clean which will only trigger the sebaceous glands to kick into excessive oil production mode. Use a water based milk, gel or clay cleanser twice a day and ensure that this cleanser will not dry out the surface of the skin for the reason identified above.
- Use aloe vera gel as an astringent after cleansing or as needed throughout the day because aloe vera gel can help to absorb oil. If you have sensitive skin, dilute the gel with a few drops of water and then dab onto the face.
- You can also use a gentle, astringent herbal tea such as sage, peppermint and yarrow after cleansing to remove any dirt, excess oil and excess cleanser that remain after cleansing. Using an astringent that contains rubbing alcohol will be too drying on your skin so avoid products containing this. When trying to control oil, you do not want to be too harsh on the skin especially if you are also trying to eliminate acne in addition to the excess oil on the surface of the skin.
- As far as moisturizer is concerned, you may not need to use a moisturizer at all depending on the amount of oiliness of your skin. In addition, those with oily skin should never use oils such as mineral oil and petroleum jelly which only clog the pores which can lead to the development of acne. Instead of a moisturizer, use a light moisturizing aloe vera based aromatic hydro sol or spray to keep the skin hydrated as needed.
- Splash your face a few times during the day with cold water especially on hot humid days which will help you get rid of excess oil on the skin.
- To also deal with the shine between cleansing, use the popular oil absorbing sheets that you simply dab onto the skin which quickly absorb oil leaving the skin nicely shine free. Various mystifying lotions that you can apply to the T-zone area are also great and effective to maintain a shine free complexion that can last all day.
- Try to avoid cosmetics as much as you can especially if you are also trying to eliminate acne as well. If you do desire to use cosmetics on a few special occasions, opt for water based formulations as opposed to those that are oil based.
- The use of a clay mask or an exfoliating scrub twice a week will help you to eliminate acne if this is an issue and will also help to minimize the size of your pores.
If you have acne on your face and are trying to eliminate this acne, using a facial scrub is not recommended as it may simply aggravate your already irritated skin. If you do not suffer from acne on your face, a homemade scrub that you can make and use includes an almond honey scrub – honey mixed with almond meal (finely ground almonds). Use a gentle hand when applying a facial scrub and rinse thoroughly.
Masks especially clay masks are excellent at absorbing excess oil and helping to balance oil production. You can buy various clay masks available widely on the market or make your own using Fuller’s earth that you can purchase from various health stores and pharmacies. Mix this with water to make a paste that you can massage onto the face and let dry before rinsing off.
Just because you have oily skin does not mean that you need to treat the skin harshly when you are trying to control the oil especially if you are also trying to eliminate acne. Using a gentle hand and gentle products will help you control the excess oil production while looking younger than your peers. For specific products to banish the excess oil, visit http://overcomeacnetoday.info/oily-and-combination-skin-care/.
