Does your skin appear shiny and greasy? Are you always looking for tips on how to rid your skin of excess oil?
With oily skin and acne, you probably wish you have a different skin type. But oily skin isn’t totally bad. At least, you know your skin less likely to wrinkle than dry skin types.
Nevertheless, oily skin and frequently occurring acne outbreaks can be frustrating. With the right care. you can keep the oily shine in check, improve acne and learn to adapt to your skin type. Below, we share some vital tips with you:
Clean your face less than twice a day
A quick way to check your oily skin is to regularly cleanse your face. Wash your face morning and night; that is twice a day. Instead of cream-based or lotion cleansers, use a foaming soap or facial cleanser. Foaming cleansers work far better to remove excess oil and make the skin feel fresh and clean.
If you do any serious exercise or just finished a workout session, make sure to cleanse your face (and body, if you’re struggling with body breakouts). Sweat can irritate outbreaks and cause a particular type of acne known as acne mechanica.
Exfoliate your skin
Oily skin benefits greatly from exfoliation or removal of dead skin cells. As the dead skin leads to blocked pores, use a good gel-based scrub twice weekly to leave your skin soft and smooth. It can also serve as a facial cleanser to eliminate blackheads and whiteheads. Nonetheless, over-exfoliation must be avoided as it can lead to excessive drying and therefore unnecessary oil production.
Don’t scrub the skin
People with oily skin look are particularly conditioned to scrub away and it can be a tough habit to break. After all, will skin scrubbing not help to purify the pores, clear acne, and reduce oiliness?
Amazingly, no. Scrubbing your skin with pads, washcloths or other abrasive materials will not make your skin less oily and will not improve acne. Nonetheless, it will irritate the skin. Be kind to your skin and treat it carefully.
Use an astringent
Another effective way to control oil is to use an astringent. They are a special kind of toners made for oily skin types. Astringent substances help remove excess oil from the skin and tighten pores – even if it’s just for a few hours.
Use astringents with a ball of cotton or cotton pad and gently run the mixture throughout the face and neck. Do this just after using your cleanser and before applying your moisturizer or topical acne products.
Astringents are also useful for washing excess oil and eliminating oily shine that occurs during the day. Some astringents contain ingredients such as glycolic acid or salicylic acid, which can also help clear breakouts.
Choose skincare products that are oil-free and water-based
Of course, you don’t want to put more oil on your skin than there is now. Find “oil-free” on the label, especially for moisturizers, sunscreens and makeup. Natural products like the Okana Skin Care NZ range are a good suggestion.
You may also want to use products with a label that says “non-comedogenic.” This means that they are less likely to cause pore blockage and less likely to trigger acne breakdowns.
Another great option for oily skin types are water-based products. Water products use a gel base and leave no heavy residue on the skin. When you apply them, it feels almost weightless on your skin. Water-based moisturizing gels, sunscreens and makeup foundations are available for people oily and breakout-prone skin. Just check the label.
You also have water-based options for your topical acne medications. Differin, Retin-A, Onexon, and more are all produced in a gel form. If you are not comfortable with your current acne medication because it feels too heavy or greasy, ask your dermatologist if there is a gel alternative.
Eat oil-free diet
Make a habit of regularly eating meals rich in vegetables, fruits and lean proteins. Reduce consumption of fried and processed foods, as well as sweetened sugar drinks. Munch lots of lemons and kiwis for acne care and skin balance.
Exercise regularly
Learning to do light daily workouts helps to increases blood flow and nourish skin cells. It also opens blocked pores which then help to eliminate toxins. Drinking 5-6 glasses of water daily also helps to flush toxins out of the body.
On a final note, as with all good things, improvement takes time, whether you want to remove breakouts on your skin or just reduce its oily shine. You can do this with a good skincare routine tailored to your oily skin. If you need help, do not hesitate to call your dermatologist.
