Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin | Skin Care Plan for Healthy Skin

How to check if you have oily skin | Best skincare plan for oily skin | Choosing the right product for oily skin | Dos and don’ts for oily skin | Home remedies for oily skin

Having oily skin can be quite disheartening. For one, the greasy appearance refuses to leave your face; additionally, it is more prone to breakouts. The best way to manage the oily skin problem is to maintain a suitable skin care routine specially designed for an oily skin type.   

The sebaceous glands in our body are responsible for producing natural oils that keeps our skin hydrated. Well-hydrated skin appears healthy, and the oil protects it from many environmental hazards. However, sometimes the glands start producing excess oil, resulting in your skin become too oily or greasy. There are a few other reasons behind an oily skin, too. For example, teenagers often develop this condition due to sudden changes in their hormones. According to the National Health Service, acne can result in oily skin as well. 

People with oily skin often feel unclean due to the shiny appearance of the face and enlarged pores. The condition can worsen due to your lifestyle, diet, and stress. The good news is that you do not have to continue living with an oily skin. The best way to handle the situation is to adapt to a suitable skin care routine.

Allow me to take you through the specifics and tell you all you need to know about caring for oily skin.

How can you check if you have oily skin?

In most cases, oily skin is self-diagnosable. The condition has many signs, which will let you know if the skin is producing too much oil.

• Change in appearance – The clearest sign of the condition is the change in your appearance. If you notice oil buildup on your face, in the form of a sheen, especially by the afternoon, it is a clear sign.
• Enlarged pores – The excess oil on your skin often leads to clogged pores around your nose, forehead, and chin. When this occurs, the pores become enlarged, which you will be able to notice.
• Breakouts – Breakouts mostly occur due to clogged pores on the skin from overproduction of oil. Hence, if you get regular breakouts, it may be because of oily skin.
• Blackheads – The bases of your hair follicles often are clogged by the excess oil in our skin. When that happens, the oil particles oxidize due to high contact with air. This turns the oil particles black and creates spots that we recognize as blackheads. 
• A greasy feeling – Excess oil makes your skin congested. Your skin is never dry or tight due to the condition, creating a greasy feeling. If you constantly feel this way, I can help you treat the situation with a proper skin care routine.

What is the best skin care plan for oily skin?

Oily skin is not uncommon. If you have concerns relating to this, it is important to develop a suitable skin care routine. The plan must have four basic steps, which are as follows:  

• Cleansing – If you have oily skin, the most important thing to do is clean your face thoroughly at least twice a day. Use a quality cleansing product to clean your face before going to bed at night, and then again in the morning. If the oil concentration is excessive, you can cleanse the face more times during the day, too. Try to use a face wash with Glycolic acid, Mandelic acid, and Lactic acid as they can help to cleanse the skin without over drying. Stay away from heavy SLS-based face washes or soaps, too.
• Using a toner – An exfoliating toner is an essential product for oily skin. After you thoroughly clean your face, use the toner on the skin. It must include glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or lactic acid. If your face wash contains exfoliating properties, you can use the toner only twice a week, or skip it altogether.
• Exfoliating scrubs – Using a scrub removes the dead skin cells, making your skin appear fresh and healthy. Make sure that the scrub is not alcohol-based and does not contain any ingredient that can irritate your skin.  
• Treating the skin – Oily skin comes with certain side effects such as clogged pores, acne, and other breakouts. These conditions have to be individually treated in order to manage your skin’s health. Depending on your skin type, I will suggest skin care products to help manage oily skin better.
• Moisturizing the skin – Some people believe that oily skin does not require moisturizing. This could not be further from the truth. All type of skin needs proper moisturizing multiple times a day. However, if your skin has excess oil, it does not require over-moisturization. Instead, choose a water-based, lightweight moisturizer, a Vitamin C-rich cream, or Niacinamde cream to hydrate and brighten the skin without clogging up the pores. Moisturizers made for acne-prone individuals are suitable for oily skin too.  

On a more positive note, oily skin is less likely to develop early signs of aging like fine lines compared to dry skin. 

How to choose the right skin care products for oily skin?

There is a popular belief that eating oily foods lead to oily skin. Harvard Health informs that there is no proof supporting the theory, and oily skin occurs only due to the sebaceous glands producing excess sebum. The condition can be successfully managed by sticking to a healthy skin care routine and using the right products.

If you are worried about how to pick the most effective skin care products for your skin, let’s go through the below guide to get a better idea. 

• Facewash – I always suggest that washing your face is the first step towards developing a healthy routine. When buying a cleanser or facewash, remember to look for a foaming liquid type product. These type of cleansers create an airy foam as soon as it comes into contact with water. These help to reduce excess oil and clean dirt from your face.
• Toner – When choosing a toner for oily skin, first look for its ingredients. An effective toner must contain vitamin C and E, beta and alpha hydroxy acids, and hyaluronic acid. Toners with green tea extracts and rose water are also effective. If your toner has exfoliating ingredients, it is better to use it only at night. Other toners are perfect for any time of the day.
• Vitamin C Cream – Vitamin C has antioxidants that can benefit oily, acne-prone skin. A vitamin C-based skin care cream can reduce inflammation while making your skin healthy and bright. While choosing the cream, ensure that is formulated for your skin type.   
• Day cream – When buying a skin care cream, be careful about its ingredients. I always suggest that the cream you use in the morning must contain sunscreen to protect you from UV rays and antioxidants to ensure that your skin is protected from pollution. These creams are generally lightweight.
• Night cream – A night cream must contain retinol, the ingredient which improves cellular regeneration of the skin. The cream should also have moisturizing ingredients so your skin does not dry up too much. Night creams are designed to repair damages suffered by your skin due to external irritants. Keep in mind that products with Retinol have to be started with minor strength and then increased gradually. Other creams with molecules like Azelic Acid, Niacinamde, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid, Hexyl Resorcinol help in brightening the skin and reducing oiliness of the face while improving skin texture and brightness.
• Sunscreen – I can assure you that a sunscreen is the most important product for skin protection, irrespective of your skin type. When choosing a sunscreen for oily skin, stick to a lightweight product. Also, ensure that it offers a wide-range SPF of 30 or more. 

What mistakes to avoid while caring for an oily skin?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, having oily skin is not a serious concern. Apart from giving you fewer aging lines, this type of skin is also thicker and naturally moisturized. Hence, oily skin requires special care as you must remove the excess oil without making your skin dry. Here are a few dos and don’ts that I recommend you follow:

• Remember to clean your face in the morning, evening, and after sweating. Practice gentle scrubbing to avoid skin irritations
• If you have the tendency to wipe your skin often to remove the oiliness, do not use a handkerchief or towel. Constant rubbing of the skin can result in darkening and thickening. That can lead to a skin condition known as Macular Amyloidosis. It is best to use a tissue paper to dab the skin and soak up the excess oil
• Use non-comedogenic and oil-free skin care products. These products ensure that your facial pores do not clog up 
• Always use a foaming facewash for oily skin. A gentle product is always the best option. A harsh facewash will irritate your skin, causing more oil secretion
• Moisturizing your skin regularly is important to keep it healthy. It should be a lightweight moisturizer or a vitamin C-based serum, which improves skin texture and brightness. The moisturizer must also have a wide-range SPF of 30 or more to protect you against the sun’s harmful rays
• Buy a high-quality sunscreen product to ensure that UV rays cannot damage your skin. If you have oily skin, exposure to sunlight can result in more breakouts. It should not be an oil-based product and must contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide
• Use blotting papers to soak up excess oil from your face. However, never rub your face with it as that will only spread the oil. Press the paper on your face gently and give it a few moments to do its job
• Do not use facial cleansers that are alcohol or oil-based. This type of products can irritate the skin and have an adverse effect
• Do not forget to wash off makeup from your face before going to the bed. Sleeping with makeup can harm your skin
• Do not touch your face without washing your hands first. The dirt and oil from the hands can worsen the oiliness of your face

What are some home remedies for oily skin?

There is hardly any better home remedy for treating oily skin than using honey and Aloe vera . Apply a thin layer on your face, wait for ten minutes, and then gently wash it off. Honey or Aloe Vera will keep your face moisturized without making it oily. You can also add three teaspoons of ground almonds with two tablespoons of honey or Aloe Vera to create a natural face scrub. This will soak up excess oil and gently exfoliate the skin.  

Aloe vera can also help treat oily skin. Apply a thin layer of it on your face before going to sleep and wash it off the next morning for best results. 

Closing thoughts

Oily skin can be a source of embarrassment because it makes your face appear greasy and causes breakouts of acne. However, this condition is simple to treat if you follow an appropriate and simple skin care routine. I always suggest oil-free, lightweight skin care products for people with oily skin as they help reduce excess oil while improving the health of your skin. Book and appointment with me today and let’s chart out an effective treatment plan for you.

References

1. National Health Service: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acne/
2. Harvard Health: https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/dont-fall-for-these-skin-myths
3. American Academy of Dermatology: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/oily-skin