Oh, that oily, slimy, dull-looking, lifeless skin! Hate those days when the skin is just so full of oil! No matter how many facial wipes you use, oil just keeps accumulating on the face. This is annoying for anyone to go through.
Let us learn a little about what causes oily skin and how to manage it effectively.
There are several reasons why skin can get oily, beginning from hereditary to the genetic makeup of an individual. This may drive a person to use or overuse beauty products to overcome this problem. While for some people, oil is secreted on the face and other bare areas of the skin daily, in some others, it is seasonal. For most people, it is a daily problem affecting the person’s activities. Medication like birth control pills and hormonal supplements can increase oil secretion. Stress can also be a factor as it increases the androgen hormone levels. Being tanned in the sun causes temporary dryness which could trigger excess oil secretion.
Oily skin is more common in adolescents as they go through a hormonal shift and are more prone to problems such as acne and clogged pores.
Now that we know what causes oily skin, let’s take a look at how to prevent them:
- The rule is to wash the oily skin as many times as possible in a day. Wash it frequently, neatly and thoroughly with fresh water as and when required
- Whenever possible, use fresh wet wipes on the oily skin and gently remove the excess oil, careful not to scrub too much and cause damage to the skin
- One must be very careful about the beauty products and cosmetics one chooses. For instance, if you use an oil-based face wash, it would increase the oil production of your skin and further aggravate the problem. Hence, people with oily skin should use a soap-based face wash that thoroughly washes away oil from the skin
- Opt for oil-free moisturizers, use products where benzyl peroxide is an active ingredient as this diminishes sebaceous secretions
People with oily skin are also prone to other skin conditions such as acne, clogged pores, uneven tone of the skin etc. Therefore, it becomes mandatory to take extra care of the skin:
- Use a gentle facial scrub at least twice a week. This facial scrubbing or scrubbing the skin with a gentle scrub unclogs the pores of the skin and reduces acne problems
- Make sure to use a mild scrub that does not damage the skin
- Drink plenty of water and fluids to prevent oxidative damage to the skin and to make it look fresh and supple
- Consume fresh vegetables and fruits often
- Avoid the intake of spicy, oily, and fatty foods. These are definitely not good for the skin
- Applying a mixture of lemon and cucumber juice to the oily skin half an hour before bathing helps cleanse the area effectively
- One can use aloe vera based cleansers and moisturizers for their oily skin as it has excellent protective value.
- Facial sauna with lemongrass and rose buds helps remove excess oil from the face
- Do not smoke as it increases the size of the pores and causes delayed healing of any skin condition including oily skin
- Regular exercise naturally clears the skin of its toxins, excess oil and other oxidative damage
Now that you know how to take care of your oily skin, wish you happy and youthful skin!
