Your sebaceous glands produce sebum, an oily or waxy substance that moisturizes and protects your skin and hair. Oily skin happens when your glands produce too much sebum, which can lead to a greasy surface, clogged pores, and acne. Oily skin is perfectly normal.
Although oily skin can clog pores and lead to increased acne breakouts, oily skin also has many benefits. Oil helps preserve the skin, and people with oily skin tend to have thicker skin and fewer wrinkles. The key is to strike a balance between having too much oil and maintaining your skin's natural moisture.
Hormonal medications such as antiandrogens could be effective in reducing sebum production. In one study , dermatologists used spironolactone to treat oily skin in females. They found that their skin produced less sebum. Other research also found that cyproterone acetate reduced sebum production in females.
Prevents Acne
Drinking ample water balances the oil and water content on the skin of your face. This helps to prevent excess oil and sebum secretion, which means fewer clogged pores and acne.
Overdoing your skin care routine
On the flip side, washing your face or exfoliating too often can also make your skin oily. This can seem like an oxymoron, since the purpose of washing and exfoliating is to get rid of oil. But if you do this too often, you strip away too much of the oil from your skin.
How often should you wash if you have oily or acne-prone skin? The urge to overcleanse is common in those with oily or acne-prone skin. There's no need to wash the face more than twice a day. In fact, doing so may dry out your skin.
Don't Over Wash Your Face
While it may seem like washing your face multiple times a day can help get rid of excess oil, cleansing too much can be counterproductive. It can actually cause your skin to produce even more oil because you're stripping your skin of essential moisture, causing your skin to overcompensate.
Will Oily Skin Go Away on Its Own? Since two of the main hormonal causes of oily skin are puberty and adolescence, some people see their oily skin fade with time, especially after puberty. Unfortunately, that's not the case for everyone.
Vaseline is safe to use, even if you have oily skin. But the heavy, greasy feeling of Vaseline might not be what you're aiming for with your skincare routine, especially if you have combination oily or extremely oily skin.
Apple Cider Vinegar Face Wash for Balanced Skin
WOW Skin Science Apple Cider Vinegar Gel Face Wash helps gently balance your skin, whether dry or oily. It not only cleanses your skin, but also helps restore lost moisture to the skin.
“Overwashing and overscrubbing may leave you with a squeaky-clean feeling, but this actually is damaging,” says Zeichner. This refers to damaging your skin barrier, the network of skin cells and fats in the outer skin layer that protects your skin from the environment, he explains.
If your skin gets oily quickly, you may be tempted to wash your face multiple times a day. However, this will do more harm than good. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should only wash your face twice a day (and after sweating heavily).
By cleansing with water only, you're less likely to over-strip the skin's natural oil and therefore reduce the risk of damaging your skin barrier. Cleansing your face with water only not only reduces the oil-stripping action but also the physical rubbing action, which would reduce irritation to the skin.
The answer: Moisturizer is the culprit. Dr. Neal Schultz, NYC-based dermatologist and creator of Beauty RX, explains that if you have oily skin, you can actually stop using moisturizer at night. "You should only use products that serve a purpose," says Schultz.
So should you moisturize oily skin? YES, you need to moisturize your skin, even if it is oily and acne-prone. To understand why, let's take a closer look at what a moisturizer really does. Moisturizers don't add water to your skin, but rather help hold the water in the outer layer of your skin to keep it hydrated.