Mar
If you have oily skin, you’re not alone. In fact, a huge percentage of the population has oily skin. And although it can be annoying or cause large pore–people that are prone to have oily skin tend to have less wrinkles! Oily skin is an incredibly common type of skin that has many different causes and solutions. Here’s everything you need to know about oily skin on your face and how to remedy it:
Causes
It’s important to understand the causes of excessive oiliness on the skin. Everyone has a small amount of oil in their skin, but some people have overactive sebaceous glands. These glands are found under each of the pores in your face — they’re meant to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Different factors can cause your sebaceous glands to produce more oil than considered the normal amount: environmental, lifestyle, and genetics.
- Environmental factors: You’re much more likely to have oily skin if you’re experiencing hot and humid weather (thanks, sweat glands).
- Lifestyle: This plays a huge role in the state of your skin! If you don’t take very good care of your skin, you should definitely start to implement a skincare routine into your days. For most of us who are actively trying to fight off the oiliness on our skin — we tend to over-do our skincare routines. Here’s the thing: you can actually wash or exfoliate your face too much. If you do that, you’re actually just asking for oily skin.
- Genetics: If your parents have had oily skin all of their lives, it’s likely that you’ll have to deal with it as well. Don’t worry — we have some tips coming up that will help you reduce the oiliness!
Remedies
- Wash Your Face
Please make sure that you’re washing your face twice a day (any more will actually do more harm than good). You want to make sure that you’re using products that are sensitive to the skin. If you’re constantly using harsh exfoliants in hopes of scrubbing the oil away — please stop! If you have oily skin, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. Here’s a tip from Dr. Joshua Zeichner of Mount Sinai Hospital: utilize exfoliants that have salicylic acid because they’re actually oil-soluble.
2. Use Moisturizer (The Right Type)
There’s a common myth that moisturizer causes excess oiliness — but that’s far from the truth. Your skin is more prone to oiliness if you skip your daily moisturizer. So, find a lightweight moisturizer that is water-based and use it daily. Believe it or not, it’s still very possible for your skin to dry out if you have naturally oily skin. You do not want to use products on your skin that could clog your pores like mineral oil, cocoa butter, or anything containing fragrance
3. Natural Remedies
If you’re looking to take care of this problem in the most natural way possible, you’re not alone. Natural remedies are becoming increasingly popular for people with oily skin — and they work pretty well!
- Honey: try spreading a thin layer of honey on your face and leaving it there for ten minutes as it hardens. After you’ve let the honey’s antibacterial and antiseptic properties get to work, thoroughly rinse with warm water
- Aloe vera: the Mayo Clinic says that there’s scientific evidence suggesting that aloe vera helps treat oily skin. It’s important to test out if your skin is sensitive to aloe vera before trying this: place a small amount on your arm and wait for about 24 hours to ensure you don’t have an adverse reaction. If all goes well — place a thin layer on your face and sleep with it overnight. When you wake up, rinse your face with warm water.
- Almonds: make your own almond face scrub with ingredients you have at home! Simply grab three teaspoons of almonds and finely grind them down before adding two tablespoons of raw honey into the mixture. Slowly apply the mixture to your face in circular motions before leaving your natural face mask in place for fifteen minutes. When the time is up, be sure to rinse with warm water.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve covered different causes and remedies for oily skin, it’s time for you to find what works best for you. It’s important to remember that some remedies may work for others, but not for you. Look in the mirror and smile today because your skin reflects what’s unique about you!