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. There are several things to keep in mind when caring for oily skin, but most cases can be managed at home with over-the-counter remedies and proper skincare.
Oily skin can even feel greasy within hours of cleansing. Breakouts are also more likely because the sebum mixes with dead skin cells and gets stuck in your pores. The causes of oily skin include genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
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.
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).
Insulin resistance is a precursor to type 2 diabetes but is also responsible for oily skin. Many of us in the UK are thought to be deficient in vitamin D, especially during the winter when sunlight levels are low.
For people with oily skin, breakouts may never stop as they age. But oily skin does have a plus: It wards off wrinkles better than dry skin because the oils keep skin moister and smoother. Using moisturizer is one way to lessen the impact of wrinkles before they appear.
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.
Androgens are the hormones mostly responsible for oil production, and sometimes they can fluctuate, stimulating an increase in sebum production. This often happens during puberty, just before menstruation, during pregnancy and during menopause.
Oily skin tends to be thicker where there are more oil glands, which means forehead lines may be less apparent. However, oily skin may end up with deeper lines in the lower half of the face with more loss of tone. As for the eye area, it really doesn't matter your skin type.
Celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau says that oily skin tends to be thicker and less prone to dehydration, which definitely leads to less fine lines, but on the flipside, can result in deeper lines and larger pores.
Both sleep deprivation and excessive amounts of stress can cause a spike in androgen production – a hormone that is directly responsible for stimulating oil production. So it's important to get a proper amount of sleep every night and find time during the day to unwind.
Zinc can help control oily skin. Zinc and vitamin E are a couple of indirect vitamins for oily skin treatment. On their own, zinc and vitamin E have no affect on skin health and over-production of oil. When paired with a diet rich in vitamin A, however, they serve to boost the effects of the vitamin on skin health.
Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for healthy skin, and Vitamin D helps reduce oil production. We've already talked about zinc in skincare, but it can also reduce the quantity of your skin surface sebum upon consumption!
What vitamin C is best for oily skin? Vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid may be the best option for oily skin, because it's both lightweight and water-soluble.
Advantages of Oily Skin
Oil is a form of moisture so having oily skin will keep it naturally moisturized and softer! Unlike someone with naturally dry skin, you may not have to invest in as many moisturizing products. You also don't have to worry about dry or flaking skin on your face.
Combination skin is the most common skin type, says Hale. And it looks different from person to person: you might have an oily T-zone (nose, forehead, and/or chin) but dry skin everywhere else, or you might be dry and sensitive only in certain concentrated spots—say, around the eyes or mouth.
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.
Excess oil on the forehead may be treated with lifestyle and skin care changes, as well as topical medications. Salicylic acid-based toners or astringents or benzoyl peroxide creams can treat acne and help aid with skin cell turnover. They can also dry out excess sebum.
Our skin starts to lose more water towards the end of the day (and during the night), causing our Sebaceous (oil) glands to work in conjunction with eccrine sweat glands to “emulsify” the sweat, making it more lipid and not so easily lost during perspiration. This is what causes that thick oil buildup in the morning.
Hormonal fluctuations, particularly during menstruation, pregnancy, and with disorders of the ovaries, testicles, and adrenal glands, can also trigger sebum production. Stress can increase cortisol levels, which in turn can also increase sebum production.