How to Get Rid of Oily Skin Forever

Around 50% percent of the adult population suffers from persistent oily skin that leads to acne problems. Have you ever looked in the mirror and realized just how shiny your forehead looked? Or touched your face and was left with greasy fingers?

We get you, it can be extremely frustrating to deal with issues that should stay where they belong – teenage years! There are many misconceptions about how to get rid of oily skin, so we round up the best and most accurate tips for oily skin care.

Will oily skin ever go away? How can we stop oil production?

To understand how to get rid of excess oil it is useful to understand the science behind skin types.

The fact is that everyone has oil in their face, no matter what. The sebaceous glands inside the skin produce sebum, a natural lubricant that has many benefits to our skin and hair. It moisturizes our face and clears dead skin, protecting the surface from drying out and becoming irritated.

This is especially important for sensitive skin, so it is safe to say that we should not aim to eliminate sebum from our lives. What we should do is help our bodies to regulate how much sebum to produce.

If you think you have excessively oily skin, there are some factors that may contribute to that:

Genetics: As with anything else in our health and appearance, genetics plays a big role in skin type. It may be worth asking your parents what they did to tame their sebaceous glands, as they may have been dealing with this for their whole lives!

Age: This is not a universal rule, but our skin tends to reduce sebum production the older we get. It is essential to keep assessing skin type throughout the years, as people with oily skin can get dry skin at a later age.

Different climates: We all know that a humid climate can really affect some hair types, giving us all kinds of annoying frizzy locks. But did you know that is also true for skin? Living in a very humid area can make the condition worsen a lot, and even different times of the year will give you different skin.

A wrong skin care routineUsing the wrong products or overdoing some activities will definitely exacerbate skin problems. Washing your face too much is a big no, and using heavy products increases pore obstruction. If you have different skin in the summer and winter, it is imperative you use different products for the two seasons as well. Listen to your body and watch your skin for any changes, and the results will show!

How to stop oily skin permanently?

The thing about oily skin is that the issue is deeper than we think. Using cosmetics to cover-up oil or absorb it will only be a temporary fix that can even make it worse in the long run.

Many people believe that the best thing to bid farewell to oil is to wash your face regularly. So it may come as a surprise that washing your face too much can actually worsen the situation!

Our skin needs oils to stay healthy and to self-clean, so washing it too often strips away the layer of protection our skin tries to build. As a result, cells try to overcompensate for that and create excess oil, aggravating the condition. Instead, try the following tips.

Wash your face no more than twice a day

People with oily skin should wash their face with a mild cleanser product twice a day. Use warm water as temperatures too high are aggressive and can harm your skin.

Hot water also dries the skin, and while that may feel great at the time, it will lead your skin to produce more oil as a result. That initiates an unending cycle of ‘washing, drying, excess oil, washing, drying, excess oil…’.

Remove makeup every night, also with warm water – leaving it on will clog pores and contribute immensely to an oily face.

Moisturize, always

While it may seem counterintuitive to moisturize oily skin, since you’re basically putting more oil into it, this is key to all skin types. Balancing the moisture in the skin will help a lot with stopping overproduction. Look for water-based moisturizers and use it after a 10 minutes gentle cleanse at night.

Don’t be afraid of an oily product

I know it sounds like a bad idea to use oil on oily skin; after all, why would you want to make it worse right? We have said it before, but we will say it again: moisturizer is your best friend. That includes oils – they will stimulate the correct amount of sebum production and keep your skin fresh and healthy. It is crucial to read the leaflet and, if possible, consult with your dermatologist, however.

Use non-comedogenic products

The word “comedo” refers to a blemished blocked pore, so you can see that noncomedogenic products are specially formulated to prevent pore blockage. They are not designed to cure oily skin, so don’t expect any miracles. They are fantastic on prevention, however, and if you are prone to have blocked pores, you should use noncomedogenic products, including makeup.

How do you get rid of oily skin naturally?

While there is nothing wrong with using a product to balance your skincare, there also are natural ways to reach an equilibrium. Since we are talking about natural products, there is virtually no harm in trying them around and seeing what works for you, and you probably have all you need at home already!

1. Egg Whites

Egg whites help close pores and clean build up on the skin as a result of its natural astringent properties. There are several ways you can take advantage of that and don’t worry about the smell, the whites are not nearly as funky as the yolks!

Recipe: Beat one egg white until it’s stiff, then add one teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey. The lemon will help with oil absorption, and the honey is a fantastic moisturizer, also having antibacterial properties. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and wash it well. Do not expose your skin to the sun while you have this mask on, since the lemon juice can cause burns.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is one of the most common ingredients in natural shampoos, conditioners, masks, you name it! That is because it has antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and it is also particularly anti-inflammatory. Aloe Vera is great to maintain the skin clean and clear, and can also help with acne and small pore inflammation. 

Tip: Many people can be allergic to it, so test it on your arm before using it. If nothing appears in two days, apply a very fine layer on your face and leave it on for 20 minutes, washing thoroughly afterward.

3. Tomatoes

You’ve probably seen salicylic acid products in your pharmacy. Salicylic acid exfoliants, creams, and cleansers. It works by breaking apart cells on the top layers of the skin, encouraging exfoliation and unclogging pores. Well, do you know where salicylic acid can be found? In tomatoes! Make a tomato face mask and exfoliate your skin naturally and gently.

Recipe: Mix the pulp of one tomato with one teaspoon of sugar and apply it to your face in circular motions. Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes and wash it away with warm water.

4. Jojoba Oil

The idea of using Jojoba Oil in skin care is that it will trick your glands into thinking that your skin is moisturized enough! A little goes a long way here, and a few drops every two weeks is all you need. Every skin is different, so don’t forget to watch for any improvements (or deterioration!) signs.

Silver lining: Benefits of having oily skin

While an oily face can be annoying, and having peachy skin without any oily patches is the dream, there are some advantageous people with dry skin simply don’t have. Creases are actually shorter and smaller in areas with a lot of sebaceous glands, so you’ll find that oily skin is more resistant to wrinkles.

Dry skin is also much less manageable, so you will require way fewer products to keep your skin balanced. And, in the end, sebum oil is a natural moisturizer filled with vitamin E – the ultimate organic and antioxidant sunscreen for your face!

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