Skincare routine for oily skin to keep your excess sebum production in control. Anyone with oily skin knows the continual struggle of dealing with extra shine and greasy skin all day long. By following a good skincare routine for oily skin helps to make your skin appear less greasy by controlling the excess sebum production.

The right skincare routine also battles against the common skin concerns resulting from oily skin, such as acne, blemishes, blackheads, and pigmentation.

Oily Skin Issues

How to determine if you have oily skin?

For oily skin types, sebaceous glands produce excess sebum, which makes the skin appear more greasy and shiny than the others, especially in the T-zone area.

You can easily determine whether you have oily skin by performing a small test. Start with washing your face with a gentle cleanser, pat it dry and then leave your skin bare for 30 minutes— refrain from using any other skincare products like toners, serums, or moisturizers. If your skin appears to be shiny throughout after that time period, including the cheek area, nose, and forehead, know that you have oily skin.

Other Ways to Determine Oily Skin -

  • Make-up doesn’t stay put in your skin; it always slides off after a while
  • The oilier areas tend to have more blackheads, whiteheads, and breakouts
  • The pores look visibly enlarged

Causes of Oily Skin -

1. Harsh and Chemical Based Skin Care Products -

If you seem to have suddenly shifted to an oily skin type, it’s likely that you’ve been using the wrong skincare product that isn’t fit for your skin.

Using chemical based products can throw off the skin’s pH balance or strip the skin of its natural oils, which in return, will produce more oil to compensate for the loss. Your daily skincare routine for oily skin should focus on adding hydration and nourishment without the grease.

Oily Skin and Blocked Pores

2. Genetically Oily Skin Type

If oily skin runs in your family, chances are you might have inherited the trait and thus also have over-active sebaceous glands. It’s possible for skin type to pass on through genes.

3. Over-Washing Your Skin

When you’re struggling with greasy skin throughout the day, it can be tempting to constantly cleanse and exfoliate your skin to get rid of excess sebum.

But in truth, overdoing it has a flip side. Over-washing or over-exfoliating will only aggravate your skin as it will rob the skin from all its natural oil. Sebum is essential to keep the skin moisturised and protect it from irritants. Thus to cope with the loss, your skin will become oilier.

4. Using a Good Face Cream or Moisturiser

It’s quite common to skip the moisturiser step in the skincare routine for acne-prone skin or oily skin. However, using the right kind of moisturiser is vital to keep skin in its healthiest form and prevent producing excess oil. Look for humectants-rich moisturisers like Hyaluronic acid or glycerin to keep skin nourished without making it greasy.

5. High Stress Levels

You might have noticed you tend to breakout more when your stress level is high. This happens because your body releases a stress hormone called cortisol into the bloodstream, which directly affects our skin during that time. It starts to produce excess sebum, leading to breakouts and blackheads.

Skincare Routine for Oily Skin

Step 1: Wash face with an Anti Bacterial Face Wash

Start off your skincare routine with a gel-based or foam-based mild cleanser to thoroughly cleanse the face without drying out the skin. Look out for salicylic acid based cleansers as they work the best when it comes to oily acne-prone skin.

They go deep inside the pores and eliminate all the excess grime and sebum clogged inside them. However, avoid using it more than twice a day.

Step 2: Go for an Alcohol Free Toner

Toners are essential for oily skin as they can cleanse the leftover dirt and sebum inside the pores that your cleanser couldn’t do.

 A good high-quality, alcohol-free toner will balance the skin’s pH levels and encourage a glowy appearance. Look out for a non-fragrance formula and one that soothes and refreshes your skin.

Step 3: Use AHA/BHA Serums

If your main concern is to treat breakouts and blemishes, go for Salicylic acid (BHA) based serums as they are the most effective chemical exfoliant. Ingredients like Tea tree oil and Neem are also helpful in clearing out acne.

AHAs like Glycolic acid or Lactic acid is milder exfoliants and best used to battle concerns like fine lines, uneven skin tone, and pigmentation. All these serums will help to remove dead skin cells and increase cell turnover to reduce oil overproduction. It’s best to apply any chemical exfoliant in the evening.

Oily Skin Face Wash

Step 4: Use an Oil Free Face Cream

The rule of thumb you need to keep in mind while looking for a moisturiser for oily skin is they should come labelled with ‘non-comedogenic’ or ‘oil-free.’

A lightweight gel formulation that is infused with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are best for oily skin, acne-prone skin or combination skin. Those humectants hydrate the skin without being too heavy on skin.

Step 5: Choose Matte Sunscreen

The top reason people with oily skin avoid wearing SPF is due to its sticky and greasy formulations. The solution here is to use a gel or powder sunscreen that leaves your skin looking matte. This matte finish also helps you to layer this beautifully under your make-up.

For more information on Oily Skin - Causes and Remedies - Read - Gust Chimes - Best Lifestyle and Beauty Blog for Women

Other Methods for Relieving Oily Skin -

  • Use Blotting paper: Always keep a stash of blotting papers at hand to blot away the appearance of excess oil throughout the day. It’s an easy and quick fix than washing your face every time.
  • Indulge in weekly clay masks: They are the best allies in targeting oiliness as they act as sponges that absorb the excess sebum deep from your pores. Bentonite clay and Kaolin clay are two of the best mud masks for oily acne-prone skin.
  • Choose foundation wisely: When it comes to foundations, the ones in powder-form work the best for oily skin as they are non-comedogenic. But if you want to go for liquid foundations, just investing in a good setting powder will do the job too.