Tips on dealing with oily skin

Oily skin is deceptively difficult as a skin type. While some oily skinned people will drop certain products, like moisturiser, because they feel they don’t require them – oily skin needs more care than you first realise.

Here some tips from Cosmopolitan about how to look after excessively sebaceous skin – as well as a recommendation from the Abloomnova team.

1. Find the right cleanser. It might sound counterintuitive, but oil cleansers were made for greasy skin types. The oil in the face wash attracts your skin’s sebum, so you can rinse both away without stripping your face. Your skin should feel soft, not tight, after washing. If oil-based cleansers aren’t your jam, she also recommends ones containing salicylic acid. It not only exfoliates and removes pimple-causing buildup, but the powerhouse ingredient is also a lipophilic—meaning it likes fat—so it goes straight to the source (hint: the oil in your pores).

2. Go easy on the toner. Instead of reaching for toner every day to control oil, use it once or twice a week at most. And if it’s an astringent (most likely containing drying alcohols, menthol, camphor, or peppermint), stop using it altogether. Overusing toner can lead to sensitive skin, which might not be able to tolerate an acne regime. And although they can dehydrate the skin’s surface temporarily, they can be irritating, causing skin to produce more oil.

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. One of the biggest mistakes oily-skinned people make is skipping moisturizer. Moisturising is important to keep the skin’s barrier intact. This key outer layer of skin is in charge of blocking out external irritants (like bacteria or UV rays) and keeping important moisture inside. But you don’t need to use creams with heavy-duty ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil. In fact, you shouldn’t. Although they’re beneficial for dry skin, they are known to clog pores on oily skin. Instead look for lightweight lotions or serums containing hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Both act like micro sponges to pull moisture into the skin and hold it there.

4. Consider a retinoid. AKA some type of vitamin A product, which speeds up cell turnover, making it one of the best anti-aging. But it also works wonders for acne. “It will reshape the lining of your pores, so oil comes out easily as opposed to getting trapped and causing a clogged pore, blackhead, or pimple.

5. Alternative your actives. Overusing powerful ingredients on any skin type can lead to irritation. But on oily skin, that irritation manifests itself as more oily (lose, lose!). Mattioli tells all of her clients to stick to one active a night. That means if you use a chemical exfoliator with low concentration of acids or enzymes, which you should, use it only on the nights you’re not using your retinoid product.

6. We can blame certain brands and websites for perpetuating unhealthy fads and myths about the number of products and regimen steps required to maintain glowing skin. Frankly, all that will make the skin worse. Rather than play a guessing game, defer to your dermatologist. And if you’re struggling with excess oil or mild, acne (blackheads and whiteheads) at any age, see your dermatologist before it worsens and becomes harder to treat.

A lot of our customers who experience oily skin seem to love Dr. Spiller Biomimetic Skin Care Terrasil Beauty Clay Mask is a drawing and resurfacing clay mask to re-balance excess oil production and reduce the formation of impurities. Terrasil Beauty Clay Mask restores balance and clarity to very oily complexions.

Benefits:

• Wash-off mask formula: Absorbs excess oils from the skin, then is washed off leaving no residue.
• Drawing mineral clay: Absorbs excess oil whilst providing a mild exfoliation.

How to use:
For acneic conditions, blend one teaspoon of Terrasil Beauty Clay Mask with 3 teaspoons of Herbal Cleansing Lotion and mix into a paste. Apply to the skin with a mask brush.

For oily conditions, blend one teaspoon of Terrasil Beauty Clay Mask with 3 teaspoons of Moisturising Toner With Herbal Extract and mix into a paste. Apply to the skin with a mask brush.

Let the mask mixture dry for up to ten minutes then remove with damp compresses.

Active ingredients:

• Bentonite
• Dr Spillers RX