It is important to first
understand the cause behind Oily skin. Put simply, Oily skin is the result of
excessive production of sebum (an oily substance that is naturally produced by
skin). As in most things, excess is bad and excessive sebum is
bad. It leads to clogging of skin pores, resulting in an accumulation of dead
cells and the formation of comedones (whiteheads and blackheads),
pimples and acne. Moreover, Oily skin can spoil your looks too making the face
shiny especially down the central panel (T-zone) of your nose, forehead and
chin.
The root causes of why some people
get acne and others do not are not fully understood. While it is known to be partly hereditary, several other factors are recognised as having a significant impact.
Oily skin needs special
cleansing to keep the pores unclogged. “Oily skin care” starts with the use
of a cleanser. However, not all cleansers will work. The basic
aim of “Oily skin care” is the removal of the excessive sebum or oil from the skin.
However, Oily skin care procedures should not lead to complete removal of oil.
Over washing can strip the skin of all oil which simply stimulates the oil
glands to replace it.
Most of Oily skin care
products are oil-free; however, it is always good to check the ingredients of
the product, before you actually buy it. This is especially important if a
product is marked as “suitable for all skin types”, instead of “Oily skin care”. For extremely Oily skin, only Oily skin care products are
suitable. Your oily skin care routine can include an alcohol based toner (for
an extremely oily skin). This can be the second step in your oily skin care
routine i.e. just after cleansing. However, excessive toning can harm your
skin.
The next step in your Oily
skin care routine can be a mild moisturiser. Again, the degree of oiliness of
your skin will determine whether you need to include. If you decide to include a moisturiser, be sure to use one
that is oil-free, wax-free and lipid-free.
For acne specifically, the first principle for a skin
care treatment is to control the acne and prevent it from getting worse. Avoid over drying by using mild cleansers and treatment products. Over drying the skin leads to over clogging of the pores .... Do not touch the blemishes over and over again
(in fact, don’t touch them at all), or you will probably end up aggravating the
condition. Also, do not try to scrub too hard or squeeze them.