Skin Care

To really understand oily skin care, we must first understand what causes it. In essence, on overabundance of sebum - the skin’s natural moisturizer - will cause oily skin . It’s a well known fact that too much of anything is bad, so too much sebum is also a problem. excess sebum can clog the skin’s pores which, together with dead skin cells may lead to acne. Moreover, oily skin spoils your looks too. As a result oily skin care is as important as caring for any other type of skin.

The trick to caring for an oily skin is to remove the extra oil without drying it out. So be careful not to remove all the sebum from the skin. Proper cleansing is an important part of caring for oily skin. Look for one which has a beta hydroxy acid (for example salicylic acid) as an ingredient. Cleansing both morning and night is important and even more if the weather is warm.

Products especially formulated for oily skin don’t contain extra oil, however do check the label to prevent unpleasant surprises. If a product is manufactured to suit all types of skin, chances are it will contain some type of oil. Caring for this type of skin is also dependent on the degree of oiliness. If your skin is excessively greasy only use those products made especially for oily skin. Always use a toner after cleansing and make sure it contains no alcohol. Using a toner which contains alcohol tends to stimulate the skin’s sebum production.

The next step in your oily skin care routine can be a mild moisturizer. Be sure to use one that is oil-free, wax-free and lipid-free. You could also use a clay mask (say once a week) as an oily skin care measure.

When selecting the right products for your skin, it’s a matter of trial and error before you find the right one.

If you have tried all the above tips and are still plagued by excess oil, a dermatologist may be able to provide some extra help. He may recommend alternative oily skin care products such as Retinol (a derivative of vitamin A) which has a known drying effect on the skin.