The right regimen and care for oily skin

Behind its leathery appearance, oily skin is quite fragile. It’s therefore important to pamper it with the appropriate skin care products.

Symptoms

The telltale signs of oily skin are as follows:

• Blackheads in the T-zone of the face (forehead, nose, chin)
• Thicker texture
• Dilated pores
• Shininess
• Possibility of pimples (acne).

Oily skin is not without significant advantages though. It is less prone to irritation and skin disorders, such as eczema. And while no scientific study has proven this popular belief, oily skin appears to age better and develop fewer wrinkles than other skin types.

Causes

Many factors can cause oily skin:

• Heredity — as a result of genetics, oily skin has more sebaceous glands and therefore produces more sebum than so-called normal skin
• Hormonal changes — play a role in stimulating sebum production
• Rosacea — sometimes leads to an excess production of sebum, especially around the nose
• Environment — warm, humid environments promote the excess production of sebum.

Care

A suitable skin care routine does not decrease the excess production of sebum, but it does help to keep skin clean and healthy looking. If you have oily skin, you should:

• WaWash your skin with hot water to better dissolve sebum.
• Avoid soap (alkaline) and products containing alcohol and use gentle cleansers with normal pH levels.
• Carefully pat your skin dry rather than letting it air dry.
• Remove blackheads (using a paper tissue, since nails can damage the epidermis).
• Use water-based, non-comedogenic foundations and blushes and avoid makeup that contains oil.
• Apply mud or clay masks as these remove the layers of dead skin.
• Diet — No scientific studies have been able to find a connection between poor eating habits and oily skin. Obviously, a healthy diet is always a good idea.
• Use oil-free, non-irritating sun protection.