You are tired of your face being shiny, skin tone dull, and feeling greasy. Oily skin is the culprit behind what you are seeing and feeling and can be caused by a multitude of things. Depending upon your age and circumstances, you could have oily skin due to heredity, dietary choices, or the most likely reason of hormone changes. Shifting hormone levels tends to be the biggest reason for oily skin. These hormone shifts can be due to puberty, menstrual cycles, birth control pills, pregnancy, or menopause.
Whatever your specific reason for having oily skin is, there are ways you can tame your oily skin and turn it back to healthy looking manageable skin.
Keep it clean. Though oily skin does not necessarily mean dirty skin, the extra oil can aid in trapping extra unwanted particles close to your skin, as well as dead skin cells that normally should just fall off. These trapped components can lead to clogged pores which in turn mean acne and blackheads for you. Therefore you should keep your skin clean by washing it a certain amount every day.
Time it right. There is no definitive number of times you should wash your skin because each person has different skin types and thus have different skin needs. Washing too often will strip your skin of too many of its natural oils and it will only produce more, which does nothing for your problem. Try starting out by washing once a day and if you feel like you need to wash again, bump the number to twice a day and see how your skin reacts. Once you know the correct number, you can continue that routine in order to combat your oily skin.
Scrub it. Give your skin some exfoliation by scrubbing it with products made specifically for oily skin or other home remedies you find that work well. A good scrub can also help rid your skin of extra oil on its surface, but be warned, as just like dry skin, too much exfoliation will produce your skin into making more oil which again fails to help your problem.
Wear a mask. No, this is not to imply you should go out into the world disguised or with a bag over your head. Wearing a mask, such as clay, for a few minutes of your day can do wonders to help soothe your skin and absorb extra oil. You can either buy mask products or find proven methods of making your own.
Astringent. Wiping your face with a good astringent can also be a good tool against oily skin. The astringent will help remove the oil and also can come as individual wipes that you can carry with you in case you need a quick swipe later on in the day.
Keep it blotted. If you do not have any astringent wipes with you, you should at least carry around tissues or special oil blotters to help soak up any extra oil your face produces during the day. This way if you notice your face becoming too oily a quick dab can put you back on track.
Forget the moisturizer. In case you have not already heard; do not use a moisturizer on your face! The oil your skin produces already acts as your skins natural way of keeping your skin moisturized. Adding any type of moisturizer, even those that claim to be oil free, is adding to your problem. You have no reason to put any extra moisture on your skin.
When it comes to putting any products on your skin for long periods of time, at most you should use a sunscreen to help prevent sun damage to your skin. Nothing more.
Ease up on the makeup. If you can go makeup free, then by all means do it. Makeup may only aid in the buildup of oil on your skin and become a clogging mess by the end of the day. If you do have to wear makeup, find water based cosmetics or products made for oily skin. Start small and make sure the products you choose work well for your skin; they have to deliver and not just make promises. Use as little as possible and try using powders instead of liquids.
Following a good routine that enables you to see results should be followed for as long as you have oily skin. Take control of your oily skin and do not allow it to control you any longer!
