If you have oily skin, it can be hard to find a natural balance. You need the oils to protect your skin and stop it from drying out, but excess oil can lead to pimples, overly shiny skin, and other complexion problems.
Fortunately, most people with excessively oily skin can improve their complexion by following a few simple tips.
Cut Back on Washing
It might seem counter-intuitive, but it's important not to go overboard with washing your face. You may be tempted to wash often to stop oil from building up, but this will simply make the problem worse.
Clearing the oil from your face too frequently will send signals to your sebaceous glands that they're not productive enough, and that your skin is drying out. The unwanted result is that the more often you wash, the oilier your face will become.
If you can, stick to washing your face only twice a day. If between washes you can't stand the greasy feeling any longer, simply moisten your face with warm water and gently pat it dry with a cotton pad. This will remove excess grease without stimulating your glands to overcompensate.
Check Your Diet
A poor diet is one of the main causes of over-oily skin. If you eat a lot of foods that are high in sugars and processed fats, you'll see the effects pass through to your complexion.
Replacing these unhealthy foods with fruit, vegetables, and lean proteins will give your skincare routine a strong nutritional foundation to build on.
Importantly, don't forget that a typical soda is packed with sugars, and this leads to glucose spikes in your blood. In turn, this can increase skin inflammation which your body tries to solve by producing extra oil. Try cutting back on your sugary soda consumption by switching to diet versions, or even better, plain water.
Use Moisturizer
The idea of using a moisturizer on oily skin may seem strange, as it risks adding to the sense of greasiness. However, a cream that's formulated for oily skin can improve the situation by locking in moisture at a sub-dermal level. This helps prevent your skin from producing unnecessary oils.
However, go easy with any cosmetic use. If your skin is already unbalanced, adding extra agents to it will simply make the problem more complicated to solve.
Get the Right Cleanser
Lastly, a good cleanser designed for oily skin can work wonders as part of your daily beauty routine. Finding the right one for you will be a matter of trial and error, but look for cleansing lotions containing salicylic acid. This natural, plant-based compound helps to reduce inflammation and bacterial contamination, both of which prompt your pores to produce more oil.
When looking for the ideal cleanser, keep a diary of which product you use, and how your skin reacts in the days and weeks after starting with it. Once you've found one which seems to give the best results, then stop trying new ones. Frequent switching between different cleansers makes it harder for your skin to reach a long-term balance.
You may consider making your own natural face cleanser using Liquid Castile Soap.
Change Your Pillowcase
Different fabric types absorb oil and dirt more than others. You may not notice how oily and dirty your pillowcase becomes over time if the color of the fabric and designs makes it hard to see. Your pillowcase becomes a breeding ground for the proliferation of acne-causing bacteria, it needs to be changed and/or disinfected frequently.
Fabrics made of cotton, bamboo, hemp, and microfiber absorb and accumulate the most oils and dirt from your oily skin. Use a plain white pillowcase to see how much oil and dirt your pillowcase accumulates over a week, which may be contributing to your acne breakouts.
Pillowcases made from satin or silk are least absorbent, hence are better for acne-prone skin. Alternatively, you may use an antimicrobial spray to disinfect the pillowcase a few times on a weekly basis. Doing both is recommended to get the maximum protection against acne-causing bacteria.
Use Cocoa Face Masks
Chocolate isn’t just good for your heart; chocolate can be great for your skin too. Cocoa contains lots of antioxidants, which eliminate age-causing free radicals and help reduce wrinkles. It’s also great for all skin types, and there are plenty of different kinds of chocolate-based face mask recipes available online.
Here is a chocolate face mask recipe that you can try making at home.
You’ll need...
- 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
- 1.2 cup of honey
- 2 tablespoons of besan (which is also known as gram or chickpea flour)
- 3 tablespoons of curd (or water for vegans).
To make your chocolate face mask, just combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix them until they’re nice and smooth. You can use a blender to make sure that it gets blended evenly. After you’re done mixing everything together, let the formula sit for about five minutes or so. Try not to eat it, because you might not have enough left over for your face! After it’s settled, pull your hair back and smooth it evenly on your face, leaving space for your eyes, nostrils, and lips. Leave the face mask on for a while; read a book or watch TV for fifteen to twenty minutes. Afterward, just wash everything off with some warm water, and pat your skin dry with a nice, soft towel. You’ll love how your skin will glow once you’re done!
Benefits of Cocoa Face Mask Ingredients
Cocoa’s skin benefits are fairly self-explanatory; we’ve already discussed them earlier.
Honey’s also another super-food. Online, you’ll find plenty of websites and articles singing honey’s praises as a health product. Aside from being a really healthy sugar substitute, honey has even been used to treat wounds and burns. It’s been known to reduce signs of skin aging since the days of Cleopatra. Like cocoa, honey is also loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that help repair and nourish your skin.
Cream and curd are dairy products, and they serve as the liquid base for the face mask. If you want your mask to be vegan, you can replace the cream or curd with three tablespoons of water. The mix will end up being a little thinner for it, but at least you can be sure that no animals had to suffer for your great skin! The curd, on the other hand, is made by making milk coagulate using acidic substances like lemon juice or vinegar. It’s great for detoxifying your skin and controlling the secretion of excess oil or sebum.
Besan is a kind of cereal flour made from garbanzos or chickpeas, and it is a common ingredient in many South Asian dishes. Besan is great for oily skin because it absorbs the skin’s excess oil, and is a great cleaning agent that can really help clarify your skin and tighten your pores. In fact, in India, it is often used as a facial exfoliant.
Everyone's skin is different, and being naturally oily needn't be a big problem. But if you suffer from the effects of too much oil, a little daily care and attention can make a huge difference.