Did you know that natural oils (sebum) is a good thing for your skin.

Before you cry out in disagreement, hear us out.

Sebum produced by your skin is going to help prevent premature aging, keeping your skin supple and is also an integral part of creating and maintaining a healthy acid mantle.

But we do also know that an overabundance of oil can cause acne and blemishes, which can make you feel self-conscious about your appearance. Excess oily skin gives you that “greasy look” not to mention playing havoc with your makeup. 

So we want to find that happy balance between less oil, but by no means dry and dehydrated, right? 

Let’s look at just how we can get oily skin and breakouts under control, for good.

Some main causes of oily skin/breakouts

• Environment - heat and humidity can trigger oily skin types even more! 
• Use of benzoyl peroxide/alcohol-based acne products - these products strip away your natural moisture layer (the acid mantle), which can then trigger your sebum glands into action, thus creating a vicious cycle.
• Overcleansing/overwashing - Similar to the use of acne products, overly frequent cleansing or washing causes damage to your acid mantle, causing an overproduction of sebum to repair the damage.
• Hormonal changes - at times such as puberty or pregnancy.
• Stress - When your stress levels are high, your body produces cortisol, which in turn triggers sebum production in your skin.
• Under moisturising - When you have oily skin, you probably feel like you need less, not more, moisturiser! When in fact, skipping moisturizer can contribute to your oily complexion. When you don’t provide your skin with enough hydration, it can trick your skin into producing too much oil. 

So obviously some of these things, like hormones and the environment you live in, are out of your control! But don’t lose heart - you can still control that excess oil production with some simple changes and tips.

 

 

Consider switching to an oil cleanser

Hear us out before you dismiss this crazy notion. Fact: Oil dissolves oil. One of the most basic principles of chemistry is “like dissolves like.” By using the right oils, you can cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally, gently and effectively, while replacing the dirty oil with beneficial ones that heal, protect and nourish your skin. In this way, you will heal any damage done to your skin’s acid mantle, and keep your skin hydrated, thus removing the need for your skin to try and produce excess oil to replace its hydration.

We have created our Supercharged Trio for just this purpose, to help clear and balance oily and breakout-prone skin types.

Regular exfoliation

When your skin is producing an excessive amount of sebum, there is an increased risk of clogged pores and breakouts, if you do not remove dead skin cells regularly.

The skin is very fragile no matter what your skin type, so there’s no need for excess exfoliation (we recommend twice a week) or scrubbing. An exfoliant for oily skin should additionally provide a balancing and polishing effect, to help regulate the production of sebum and effectively remove dead cells, bacteria and unclog those pores.

We recommend our superfine Bright Skin Polishing Powder (as part of our Supercharged Pack), which combines AHAs to dissolve and organic brown rice powder to softly buff. The addition of Kaolin Clay is going to help balance and draw out clogged pores, while oat extract works to soften and soothe your skin.

Cleanse skin morning and night and after exercise

This will keep your pores clear as well as work on repairing your damaged acid mantle. After exercise is especially important, as sweat will push any built-up dirt and bacteria up through your pores and you want to flush that away with your oil cleanser to avoid breakouts.

Keep up the skin hydration

We know your skin probably feels super hydrated already, what with all the oil. But one of the reasons your skin may be overproducing sebum, is because it is actually dehydrated. Consider the addition of an emollient facial oil, to help repair your acid mantle even further and help to seal in moisture. Follow this with a humectant serum to enrich and balance your skin, without that heavy moisturiser feeling.

Food changes

The root of your oily skin issues could actually lie in your gut. Make some changes to reduce your intake of sugar and dairy, as they feed and increase oil production. A diet deficient in zinc, magnesium, vitamin B and omega 3 may contribute to oil production. 

In addition, zinc-rich foods help to regulate the oil-producing glands, so they behave better! Great sources include shellfish, legumes and nuts.

Read more about foods for healthy skin here.

Add retinol to your skincare routine

Did you know regular use of retinol can help to shrink sebaceous glands and reduce oiliness? But take note: When you’re a newbie to retinoids, they can dry the skin’s surface and induce peeling.

We recommend opting for a natural alternative. Bakuchiol is just as effective and active as retinol, but without the nasty side effects. Add Bounce, our 1% bakuchiol formula combined with potent Vitamin C.