Having oily skin is both a blessing and a curse for most of the people who have it. The benefits of this skin type is that it’s always kept very smooth due to the excessive oil, so it’s less prone to formation of wrinkles even in old age. This is the complete opposite of dry skin, which can easily wrinkle even when one is relatively young.
However, this benefit comes at a price which most people consider too high to pay. Excessive oil production translates to a higher incidence of pimple formation, since the ducts that transport the oil to the surface of the skin can easily become clogged. The surface oil can also combine with environmental contaminants such as dust and pollen to form clogs that can plug the ducts as well, leading to more complex problems such as abscesses and infection. If you are interested in taking care of this type of skin, you could try out a few things such as:
Avoid the wrong foods
The key problem with oily skin lies in the fact that your skin produces oil at a higher than normal rate. However, this does not happen when you don’t have the substrate from which the oil is formed: fat. If you simply cut out excessive fat from your diet, you can easily deny your skin of the basic building blocks of oil and this will make it easier to manage. Taking this step also has other additional health benefits such as reduced risk of cardiac disease.
Never use harsh cosmetics
The default decision that many people with oily skin make when they are frustrated by oily skin is to use very harsh chemicals to strip it off the surface of the skin. However, this is never advisable. When you get rid of all the oil on your skin, your body will sense this and think that your skin is far too dry. This will then cause an increase in the rate of production of sebum from your sebaceous glands in the skin. You will then have a bigger problem in your hands, since increased oil production is associated with a greater risk of duct blockage. This is also likely to lead to other cosmetic issues such as very shiny skin. If you are to take any steps to keep your skin oil free, being gentle is the only option you have if you are to be successful.
Use skin products that are meant for use on oily skin
When going shopping for cosmetics, you should always look out for products that have been specifically made to deal with oily skin. These contain chemicals that attempt to modulate the amount of oil that is produced by such skin without upsetting it and increasing oil production. Some of them are also made to keep the skin looking matte to counter the shine caused by too much oil on the skin.
Try home remedies
There are a few home remedies that are meant for use specifically on oily skin. This includes the use of milk to cleanse the skin as well as the use of homemade almond facial masks. The benefits of these remedies is that they are very cheap and easy to make. The fact that most of them depend on use of natural products also means that they are very mild on skin and are less likely to cause harm to the skin when compared to commercial cosmetics.
The only downside to using them is that since they are very mild, it takes long for them to show any positive effect. This means that you have to be very consistent and patience in order to get any benefit out of them. However, being patient with them is always worth it, since they have very good results when they work.
When all else fails, consult a dermatologist
In rare cases, you will try most of the common remedies but not see any improvement in the condition. In these cases, it would be wise for you to consult a dermatologist who can then assess your skin and advice on stronger medications for it. Most dermatologists will start treating you with the milder medications and then graduate to more potent ones in case the initial ones do not work.
As you can see, there is a lot that can be done to make your skin look healthier when it is oily. You don’t have to despair when you find yourself in this kind of situation; you should simply find what your options are and then explore them till you find one that works for you.
Jay is a blogger as well as a self-proclaimed metrosexual guy who has tried novel cosmetic services such as skin resurfacing and ultherapy.