If you have naturally oily skin it can sometimes feel like you drew the short straw. You might be super prone to breakouts or have an oily sheen on your face, making it look shiny in certain types of lighting, especially in evening photos.
The topic of moisturisers, or even face oils presents a challenge. Should you or shouldn’t you? It’s not always apparent.
In this post we clear up some of the confusion around best skincare routines for oily skin. There’s no reason why your complexion can’t be balanced and glowing, even if it tends to produce a little extra oil from time to time.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Oily skin is perfectly natural. In fact, it’s necessary. If your skin didn’t naturally produce oils, providing lubrication, then it’d crack, leading to painful sores and infection. Dry skin is associated with a range of painful conditions, including eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis.
Sebaceous glands in the skin produce a compound called sebum. Ideally, the body should only produce enough of this compound to keep the skin healthy. However, some people produce so much that it makes their skin’s surface look shiny.
The causes of skin oiliness fall into three broad categories: genetics, aging and environmental factors.
Some people have naturally oily skin from a young age because of highly active sebaceous glands inherited from their parents. Production tends to ramp up considerably during puberty and the teenage years, associated with breakouts and acne, before dialling back a little in adult life.
Age is also a factor. Young people tend to produce more sebum than older people in general, regardless of genetics.
Finally, there are a host of environmental factors that contribute to your skin’s oiliness. These include using the wrong skincare products, and, ironically, skipping on moisturisers.
How To Control Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, don’t panic – there’s much you can do to help control it.. Here’s a rundown of the type of products you should consider using.
Choose A Cleanser For Oily Skin
If you wear make-up, choosing the right cleanser is essential. Most cleaners include pro-skin-health ingredients such as vitamin C, skin-friendly enzymes and probiotics. For example, you could choose our Clear Skin Kombucha Citrus Cleansing Gel. With purifying Willow Bark and cleansing Aloe Vera Polysaccharides, it clears away excess oil and dry, dull surface skin cells.
Find A Facewash For Oily Skin
The purpose of face washes is to help unclog pores, remove excess oils and help prevent breakouts. Quality face washes for oily skin often include ingredients like aloe vera, famous for its help preventing blemishes, and salicylic acid, just like cleansers.
Choose A Toner For Oily Skin
While cleansers clean the skin, toners help to balance its pH (or acidity level). The reason for this is simple: after you use a cleanser, it can alter the skin’s pH and make it more challenging to nourish with creams and serums afterwards. Toners correct any imbalance, priming the dermis to receive nutrients.
If you have oily skin, look for toners with natural ingredients like Willow Bark to purify your pores and Aloe Vera polysaccharides to hydrate your skin without using oil.
Use A Moisturiser For Oily Skin
The idea that moisturisers contribute to oily skin and breakouts isn’t accurate. In fact, if you are using skin-drying ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, products that moisten the skin are almost essential.
Finding the best moisturiser for oily skin, though, can be tricky. If you’re confused about what to buy, look for products that say “non-comedogenic” or “oil-free,” like our Clear Skin Acai + Kombucha Oil Free Moisturiser. This product cleanses and nourishes your skin with Argan Stem Cells, Acai Berry, and Kombucha Probiotics, while Aloe Vera polysaccharides hydrate and soothe your skin without using oil.
Choose A Suitable Treatment
The last step is to choose suitable treatments for oily skin. Treatments can help you target specific skincare concerns, and Andalou offers treatments geared towards helping oily skin.
You could incorporate our Clear Skin Willow Bark Pure Pore Serum, which can help absorb excess oil and purify your pores and curb bacteria. Or, if your oily skin is leading to blemishes, you could choose our Clear Skin Blemish Vanishing Gel, which can calm and combat blemishes with Willow Bark, Salicylic Acids and Camphor Extracts.