Do you have an oily or acne prone skin? I bet you will probably conclude that using moisturizers would be a little too much. Well, that thought makes a whole lot of sense since your skin is already shiny and greasy and your focus will be on trying to cut down the oil production.
Moisturizers are a basic part of skincare routine and regardless of your skin type, it is necessary. Oily skin too deserves some moisture to stay hydrated because oil and water are both important for your skin to stay healthy so, if you skip using a moisturizer because you are trying to reduce the shine, you just might be causing your skin more harm than good.
Identifying oily skin
An oily skin occurs when your skin over produces sebum. This causes the skin to look shiny, oily and greasy with increased pore size and prone to blackheads, pimples and whiteheads. This happens because the sebum clogs the pores. Sebum secretion is healthy for skin because it keeps the skin hydrated and protected but when overproduced can be a bit of a discomfort. As such, if your skin is classified as oily, you have to put in extra work to keep your skin balanced.
Does oily skin need moisturizers?
Because you have an oily skin does not mean your skin is hydrated. Dehydrated skin means your skin lacks water which is what a moisturizer provides. So you can have a skin that is not dry as a result of sebum production but could be dehydrated. Overly dehydrating your skin with the intentions of drying out the excess oil can be damaging, it can trigger more oil production which can lead to more breakouts and clogged pores. So, oily skin does need moisturizers to stay hydrated and protect the skin barrier of sebum which is one of the protective barriers to our skin. When we have oily skin we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the sebum production which can result to loss of moisture, so ignoring moisturizers altogether is a no-no.
Kinds of moisturizer needed for oily skin without making it greasy
The idea of putting on a moisturizer on an already oily skin is not a very appealing thing to do but understanding how important a moisturizer is and the right one at that if of the essence. While using a moisturizer is nonnegotiable, picking out the right moisturizer for an oily skin can be very tricky. It is better to go for an oil-free, non-acne genic (won’t clog pores and cause acne), water-based and light weight types. These types provide a matte finish that helps skin stay shine-free. Gel formulas are a great pick because they are very light-weight absorbs immediately and doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy. Additionally, you can go for products containing hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides and peptides which helps provide moisture without clogging the pores leaving skin hydrated without messing up your skin regular oil production.
Skin care tips for oily skin
Tip 1: Cleanse twice everyday
Washing your face twice every day is a must if you have an oily skin. But washing more than twice can be bad as it would dry out your skin and trigger it to produce more oil. Select an oil-free cleanser and choose one that contains salicylic acid which helps break down oil without making the skin dry. Also selecting a plant-based cleanser over a chemical loaded one is advised for oily skin. Preferably you can go with natural cleansers like honey and lemon cleanser, rose water and cucumber cleansers which can help control your oils and keep your skin healthy.
Tip 2: Apply a toner:
Toners aid in controlling excess oil and helps shrink appearance of pores, balancing up the skin’s pH level which keeps the skin germ free and moisturized. Toners are water-based formulas that contain astringents that moisturize and soothe the skin. Some toners can contain alcohol which can over-dry and irritate the skin so choose a non-alcoholic toner for your oily skin to keep it hydrated. And a rule of thumb is always to use a toner after cleansing before moisturizing. You can also opt for a natural toner of apple cider vinegar. You can do this by mixing apple cider vinegar with water.
Tip 3: Moisturize:
The key to beautiful and healthy skin is keeping it hydrated. Moisturizers are made up of humectants, emollients and occlusive. Humectants attract and draw in moisture from air and skin, emollients are fats that repair skin and occlusive helps build a barrier on the skin to lock in moisture. Choose moisturizers that contain more of humectants and emollients to occlusive since occlusive can be thick and greasy and will not work well for oily skin. Moisturizers with glycerin, vitamin E or aloe Vera are great for oily skin.
Tip 4: Exfoliate regularly:
Exfoliating helps rid skin of dirt and dead skin that clog pores. Use a gentle face scrub once a week to exfoliate and ensure to be gentle while scrubbing. You can opt for a natural scrub like lemon sugar scrub or cucumber and walnut scrub which works best for oily skin.
Other skin care tips for oily skin
⦁ Apply sunscreen because sun protection is really important for oily skin. Over exposure can lead to wrinkles and skin damage. Choose a water-based sunscreen and one that is non-comedogenic which will not clog your pores.
⦁ Always remove your makeup before going to bed to keep skin pores from clogging.
⦁ Keep your skin hydrated from inside out by drinking lots of water daily.
Checkmating oily skin with your choice of food
⦁ Avoid dairy products which are packed with testosterone that can increase oil production. You can swap your milk and cheese for dark chocolate, almond milk and vegan cheese.
⦁ Fatty food can contribute to excess oil production so, invest in healthy fats like almonds and walnuts, cook with healthy oils and prefer grilling and poaching to frying.
⦁ Sugar spikes up blood sugar level which causes the body to produce more insulin which triggers the sebaceous glands. Avoid refined sugars found in soda, beverages, canned foods, and cereal etc. and go for natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables etc.
Remember your skin is the largest organ on your body and should be given maximum attention. Let me know about your oily skin routine in the comment section. Thank you.