Oily skin can be frustrating. There's hardly any good makeup product that you can use. Because the second you put on a foundation it makes your skin even more oily. Can't use dry products as they dry out your skin and your body produces even more oil to moisturize your skin. It's annoying!

If this is you, then we hear you. It's quite disheartening at times. But, don't you worry, we've got just the right tools to help you keep your oil glands at bay and give you some rest.

 

"The oil in our skin is referred to as sebum"

 

Let us learn about things you can know to take care of your oily skin. But first, let us look at what causes oily skin, why do some people produce more oil in their face than others? Oil in our skin is referred to as sebum. Sebum is made up of a lot of things. It contains fatty acids, squalene, triglycerides, wax esters, and compounds that are the result of the metabolic breakdown of what's happening within your skin.

 

Now you might have a question as to why oily skin causes acne? But then again not everyone who has oily skin has acne. Well, for those who are prone to breakouts, it's because the bacteria feed off of the oil. So, oily skin doesn't necessarily contribute to acne, rather if you have acne or more skin plus oily skin, you are more likely to have severe breakouts. P acnes and C acnes bacteria live in everyone's skin. And the sebum in our skin is the food for these bacteria. When these bacteria eat the sebum, they break it down, it creates inflammatory particles that sit on the skin. The body's fighting agents, white blood cells, come to work and kill the bacteria. This causes more information and hence results in acne.

So, why do some people have extremely oily skin? And why do some people get more breakout than others?

Well, a lot of things contribute to it.

• Things like the overproduction of bacteria that feed on the sebum cause acne.
• The environment you live in
• If your skin isn't dehydrated enough, it results in more sebum production
• Diet, hormones, and genetics.

 

So is there a way to keep the oiliness of your skin at bay? Yes, there are ways to keep your skin oil-free.

 

1. Use a gentle face wash:

If you wash your face and your skin feels extremely dry, you need to change your moisturizer. Using harsh cleansers depletes your skin from any moisture that it has. This sends a signal to your brain, and then it produces more oil to keep your skin lubricated. Using gentle cleansers helps you with cleaning your face as well as keeping it moisturized so that your skin doesn't overproduce sebum.

We recommend the: Botnia Gentle Cleanser.

Formulated for sensitive and reactive skin types, this cleanser lathers instead of foams and is filled with purifying and nourishing botanicals to soothe your skin while also thoroughly cleansing. This cleanser will be great for oily skin as it doesn't generate foam, so it won't make your skin dry and your skin won't produce any extra oil. After all, you deserve some gentle love, and so does your skin!

 

2. Use a light moisturizer:

Once you are done cleaning your face, your skin will produce some oil regardless, because that it's a job. So, you have to trick your skin by moisturizing it and keeping a layer of hydration on it, so it doesn't produce any oil. A light moisturizer is recommended as heavy moisturizers usually have some kind of oil in them, and we don't want that. Plus a light moisturizer feels like a cloud on your skin. Foe exmaple the Shelbey Naturals Lightweight Face Cream.

 

3. Vitamin A:

Vitamin A is the key to reducing oil production. Vitamin A targets oil hands directly and slows down sebum production. You can buy over-the-counter retinol like adapalene or tretinoin. And the best part? Vitamin A also helps get rid of acne, texture, post-acne hyperpigmentation, early signs of aging, and much more! Try the Nini Organics Moonlight Nectar Oil.

 

4. Stop over-exfoliating:

If you think that over-exfoliating your skin is a great way to get rid of the oil on the skin. Then we are sorry to tell you but that is not how it works. In fact, it does the exact opposite. Over-exfoliating the skin leads to more oil production as the skin runs dry from the exfoliation and loses all its moisture. So, the skin cells produce more oil to moisturize the skin.

 

5. Diet:

There have been several studies that have suggested that diet plays an important role in the condition of the skin. Intake of dairy products or intake of food that has high sugar levels increase the acne flare-up on the skin. You need to avoid such products as they lead to more breakouts resulting in more oil production. These are all the tips that you need to know to have oil-free skin so that you can be happier and don't have to worry about rubbing tissue on your face every 30 minutes.