When your skin is prone to feeling oily, it may feel overwhelming to care for. While pollution, diet, seasonal changes (especially during the hot summer months), hormones, and many other factors play a role in how your skin behaves and feels, it is important to remember that your skin's natural oil has crucial biological functions including maintaining skin resiliency. In fact, every skin type is prone to feeling oily at some stage in life. Finding the right skincare routine is the key to getting healthy and glowing skin.
Read on to learn more about managing your skin's natural oil production without drying it out.
Why is Your Skin's Natural Oil Good for You
Sebum, your skin's natural oil, plays a crucial role as a natural moisturiser and forms a barrier to preserve the skin's hydration level and prevent water loss. It also protects the skin against external stressors such as pollution or UV radiation. Sebum also contains antimicrobial properties to protect the skin from harmful bacteria and fungi, while antioxidants help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals.
While excess sebum production can lead to issues such as acne, an appropriate amount of natural oil is essential for healthy, hydrated, and protected skin.
Three Ways You Can Manage Skin That Feels Oily
1 - Build an Oil-balancing Skin Care Regimen
Listening to your skin’s needs is essential. The basics of your skincare routine must include cleansing, hydrating, and protecting. Crafting an effective oil-balancing skin care regimen requires carefully selecting products that effectively keep your skin hydrated without stripping away the skin's natural moisture and oil.
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Start your regime with a gentle cleanser to remove impurities and excess oil.
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A toner containing containing oil balancing ingredients that help minimize the appearance of pores.
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Follow this with a lightweight moisturiser to hydrate the skin.
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Use a gentle exfoliating product once or twice a week to cleanse and detoxify the skin.
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Never skip using a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect the skin from UV damage.
2 - Find Out What's Making Your Skin Oily
There are a number of factors that contribute to skin dryness, such as the weather, hot showers, and the use of harsh soaps and cleansers and medication. Parched skin can inadvertently stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce excess oil to compensate for the scarcity of moisture. This surplus oil can accumulate and congest the pores, causing acne breakouts. Furthermore, oil accumulation can cause the skin to adopt a lacklustre and oily sheen.
To counteract these unwelcome effects, it is imperative to maintain a harmonious balance of moisture and oil within the skin and prevent the overproduction of oil. Avoiding harsh, drying ingredients and washing your face with cold water can help maintain healthy skin.
3 - Do Not Ditch Hydration
Neglecting proper hydration can provoke an excessive secretion of oil from the sebaceous glands, which are activated to compensate for the lack of moisture when the skin is dehydrated. This can clog the pores, and cause an acne breakout, among other skin concerns.
Conversely, optimal skin hydration preserves the skin's tautness and suppleness while simultaneously regulating sebaceous gland activity, enabling an appropriate amount of oil secretion to moisturise and protect the skin. Parched skin becomes dry, flaky, and susceptible to irritation, culminating in an aggravation of oil production.
It is essential to keep yourself well-hydrated. Drink enough water and use hydrating skincare essentials that retain moisture in the skin. This can prevent excess oil production and keep the skin healthy, glowing, and well-nourished. Apply lightweight makeup to allow your skin to breathe and stay light.
With a healthy skincare regime, a few tweaks in your lifestyle, and you will see visible changes to your skin that feels oily.
