Suffering from oily skin is a common factor for many, not just teenagers and mine has been no different. Having just reached the end of my teen years, I’ve become friends with my oily skin and learnt to work with it instead of fighting against it.
However, it doesn’t end the second you turn 20 it can carry on throughout life. Oily skin is just as it sounds, skin that produces an excessive amount of oil due to the sebaceous glands beneath the pores producing too much sebum. This causes the skin to look greasy and shiny, and when not treated correctly it can be a contributing factor to causing acne and breakouts.
Nevertheless, the answer to treating oily skin is certainly not over stripping it or depriving it of moisture, a lot of the time oily skin can in fact also be dehydrated due to moisturisation steps purposely being skipped, which overtime can only make things worse. "Don’t blame your oily skin on eating that kebab on the way back from a night out. Although diet and lifestyle can have an effect on your skin’s oil levels it isn’t always the case, hormone levels and genetics have an overriding effect in oil production."
How I Handle It
A big mistake with oily skin is not giving it enough moisture and overcompensating, stripping the skin which in turn causes the skin to produce more oil. In my skincare routine firstly I use a hydrating cleanser, then a glycolic acid for exfoliating.
Physical exfoliators can be too harsh and abrasive on sensitive skin and can cause micro-tears. After an exfoliant I then moisturise, it doesn’t have to be too rich, oily skin sufferers can get away with using a lighter moisturiser but it has to be something to keep the skin hydrated.
If I’m having a breakout that day I will also apply a spot treatment if necessary. Face masks are a great way to introduce further moisture and all-round benefits for the skin. I try to incorporate a face mask into my routine at least three times a week, if not more.
The Multivitamin Mask is my personal favourite for keeping my skin hydrated and nourished, the Soothing Starter Pack includes this as well as two other great masks to maintain healthy skin. An important note is to never forget SPF in the mornings (yes even in the Winter) as it will help to protect the skin from sun damage, premature ageing, and environmental defects such as pollution. On the subject of wrinkles, a positive about oily skin is that it can keep wrinkles at bay for slightly longer than dry skin does. The natural oils in your skin help to hydrate it and keep it more supple.
Although this isn't to say you won't get wrinkles, they may not appear as early and in some cases fewer than those with dry skin. We know oily skin can be a pain but when the skin is balanced via the use of skincare, everything becomes easier.
Makeup woes are something of the past. By using a pore-refining primer, oil-free matte foundation and a setting powder, your makeup can last a lot longer and while everyone else is paying for the JLO glow, us oily skin sufferers can get it free! On the whole oily skin isn’t all bad, in fact, once controlled it can actually be very beneficial to have. recommended for oily skin
