Oily Skin Care
What Is Oily skin?
People with oily skin are usually well aware of their skin type. Oily skin tends to be shiny, thick, and prone to black heads and acne. Oily skin contains an excessive amount of sebum, or the oils produced by the body to lubricate the skin. Oily skin also tends to attract more dirt and dust than dry skin.
The oil in the skin is produced by special oil glands known as sebaceous glands. These glands are bigger and more concentrated on the neck, chest, and back areas. On the face, sebaceous glands are most active in the region of the nose, causing trouble spots even for people with normal or dry skin types.
Who Gets Oily Skin?
Oily skin is most common during the teenage years, because of the hormonal shifts of adolescence. But it can affect people of any race, gender or age. Typically, the older a person is, the drier their skin becomes. Conversely, during pregnancy and menopause, hormonal imbalances can also upset the oil balance and increase the activity of sebaceous glands. And many people have "combination skin," or skin that is oily in certain areas and dry in others.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Oily skin can be caused by a number of factors. Genetics plays a role in the development of oily skin. Some people have glands that over produce sebum and cause skin to appear greasy or oily; the production of oils is also affected by hormones. In the pubescent years, the body experiences a surge in the level of sex hormones, known as androgens. These androgens stimulate the production of oil, causing the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. Other factors that may influence the production of oil include diet, pregnancy, medications and various environmental factors.
Caring for Oily Skin
Oily skin requires special care. If your skin type is oily, here are a few tips to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh and healthy throughout the day.
Cleansing: Oily skin benefits from organic soap and water, so washing with a natural cleansing bar is an ideal way of caring for it. However, steer clear of harsh or abrasive soaps. These soaps will not clean your skin any better than a gentler cleanser would. But they often aggravate the oil glands, stimulating the production of even more sebum. Use warm water to loosen the dirt on your skin. Next, gently massage a cleanser made especially for oily skin into your skin and rinse with lukewarm water. Use a toner, like Aquaspirit®, to provide extra cleansing and moisturizing. Very oily skin doesn’t shouldn’t need any additional moisturizing product.
Moisturizing: If you skin is only mildly oily, you may still wish to use a light moisturizing product to lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. For best results, choose a moisturizing product that is made specifically for oily skin. I recommend the product Parfait Visage™.
Protection: Even though oily skin is not as sensitive as dry skin types, you must still take precautions to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Use a light sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to prevent damage.
Oily Skin Care Diet Tips
A diet rich in green leafy vegetables and restricted in sugar and salt can help to keep oily skin from becoming a problem. A healthy diet rich in nutrients will help to keep skin nourished and hydrated. Vitamin deficiencies, such as a vitamin B2 deficiency can cause oily skin. Good sources of vitamin B2 are whole grains, beans, nuts, wheat germ and royal jelly. Buckwheat, black beans and whole rice are excellent ways to supply the body with iron and rejuvenate pale skin. Drinking plenty of purified water will help to move nutrients and waste through your system more efficiently. Also avoid sugar, alcohol, soft drinks, chocolate and junk food in general.
Herbs for Oily Skin
Aloe Vera has wonderful healing properties that can help to improve the condition of skin and keep oily skin from becoming bothersome. You can apply aloe vera topically as needed.
Burdock root, chamomile, horsetail, oat straw and thyme help to nourish the skin and reduce the natural production of oils.
Lavender also helps to reduce the production of oils. You can mist your skin several times daily with lavender water or Aquaspirit® to achieve the maximum results.
Witch hazel is very good at absorbing oil from the skin. It also has wonderful astringent properties and may be useful in preventing acne.
Cucumber juice is great for oily skin. You can drink it throughout the day or mist your face with it to reduce oil production and improve the condition of your skin.
About the Author
Dr. Edward F. Group III continues to develop and sell exclusively high-end natural and organic skin care lines to support a wide range of skin conditions. The products he promotes are free of toxic tag-along herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, heavy metals, fumigants, irradiation, liver-toxic glues, binders, or gelatin capsules with animal-source risk and toxic preservatives. For more information on skin care please visit Skin-care-support.org.
