3 Reasons Why You Should Thank Your Oily Skin

What causes oily skin?

 Oily skin is caused by the overproduction of sebum from sebaceous glands located just under the skins surface. Sebum is important for helping to moisturize and protect your skin. But since sebum is essentially made of fats too much of it can cause clogged pores and acne.

 No one likes greasy skin so, we’ve put together a few ways you can manage it.

Tips on managing oily skin:

1. Wash your face twice a day – If your skin is prone to acne try finding a very gentle exfoliating cleanser, preferably with salicylic acid, that can be used daily. Removing excess oil and dead skin cells is essential for maintaining a clear and smooth complexion. But don’t go crazy with the washing. Washing your face too often can dry out your skin to the point where your body starts producing more oil to balance out the dryness. 
2. Remove your makeup – This may seem obvious but you would be surprised to know how many women don’t take of their makeup at night! All that foundation and blush that’s been seeping into your skin all day is clogging your pores. By keeping your makeup on at night you are preventing dead skin, dirt and oil from being removed, which causes those nasty breakouts.
3. Moisturize – Yes, that’s right, you need to moisturize! A lot of people who suffer from oily skin tend to think that dry is good and that lotions and moisturizers will make your skin oilier. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Moisture is not the same thing as oil. By skipping your moisturizer you are causing your skin into producing more oil to compensate the lack of moisture. Although it is important to find the right moisturizer for your skin. Avoid moisturizers containing cocoa butter, lanolin, mineral oil and petrolatum. Instead look for a non-comedogenic (meaning it wont clog pores) moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, aloe and glycerin.
4. Use blotting paper – You wake up in the morning, cleanse, moisturize and put on your favorite foundation. You feel flawless…until you look in the mirror after lunch and realize your face is as greasy as a burger. Resist the temptation to cake on more powder and use your trusty blotting paper instead! Layering on more makeup will create layers of dirt and oil clogging your pores without actually removing any oil. Blotting paper will gently remove oil without smudging all your makeup. Gross tip: if you’re desperate for blotting paper and don’t have any you can use a piece of a toilet liner. A fresh, clean one! A bit gross but effective.
5. Choose your makeup wisely – Just like your moisturizer be careful what makeup you choose. Look for oil free, water based foundation and blush as these are the products directly covering the majority of your face. To prevent creasing on oily eyelids avoid using concealer on the lid and apply a primer made specifically for eyelids instead.
6. Natural remedies – You’re washing your face twice a day, maintaining healthy moisture levels and reading the ingredient labels on your products obsessively but you still need a bit of help? Some natural home remedies might do the trick. Honey has great antibacterial and antiseptic properties that will fight acne and moisturize. Egg whites and lemon are a great option to tighten pores and absorb oil. Mix any of these ingredients together to create a mask and watch your skin transform!

Why you should thank your oily skin:

1. It protects you – Your skin is your largest and most exposed organ. Research shows that the oil produced by your skin is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E. Antioxidants help protect your skin from free radicals and potentially prevent diseases such as cancer and even Alzheimer’s.
2. Slows down aging – Oily skin prevents wrinkles due to the natural smoothing and moisturizing effects of the oil. Also oily skin is less likely to become inflamed and inflammation leads to wrinkles.
3. Protects against the sun – Have you ever noticed that you don’t burn as much in the sun as some of your dry skinned friends? That’s because the excess oil on your skin is actually protecting you against the sun and the suns harmful UV rays. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t wear SPF but its nice to have that extra bit of protection. Thanks oily skin!

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