A Guide to Oily Skin Care

Do you know why some products are designed specifically for oily skin care?  It’s because one of the major components in cosmetics is an ingredient called petrolatum, which clogs the pores and causes greasiness.  So, the oily skincare products from the major cosmetic companies do not contain that ingredient, but the ingredients that they do contain can cause other problems. 

The first question that I ask clients is their age.  Teen-agers tend to have over-active sebaceous glands.  It is sebum, secreted by the sebaceous glands that can naturally cause that greasy feeling.  Then, I ask a few other questions about diet, environment, cleansers and the other personal care products that the person uses, so that we can come up with a complete plan. 

You see, my goal is to discover the cause of the excessive oiliness.  If it is overactive sebaceous glands, then there are specific ingredients that address that issue.  But, I like to rule out other causes, first. 

Eating a lot of fried or greasy foods is a problem for oily skin care.  Try eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Grill or bake your meat, instead of frying it. 

If you live or work in a humid environment, particularly a restaurant, you will need specific oily skincare products for cleansing and you may need to clean your face two or three times per day, at least at first.  The best cleansers for oily skin care are plain orange oil, tea tree oil or manuka honey. 

Orange oil and tea tree oil are not “oils” in the way that most people think of them.  They are actually natural astringents.  They have antioxidant activity and tea tree oil has antibacterial activity, which is highly beneficial for those with acne. 

The most popular oily skincare products for cleansing contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, both of these cause redness, burning and irritation.  It is possible to remove excessive oils, without doing any of those things. 

Manuka honey must be properly formulated for use in oily skincare products.  Obviously, rubbing honey on your face will not clean it.  Companies are able to include it by dehydrating it to a powder form and then adding it to an emulsifier.  This process allows it to retain its antibacterial and antioxidant activity.  Manuka is highly beneficial for treating acne.

If cosmetics were properly manufactured, they would not need separate lines for dry and oily skin care.  The companies cause many problems for their customers, because of ingredients like petrolatum.  So, look at the products that you are currently using and if they contain petrolatum or mineral oil, stop using them.

Once you have done that, watched your diet and purchased effective cleansers, there are some effective oily skincare products that you use on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on how severe your problem is.  They are masks that contain bentone gel and kaolin, clay extracts that absorb excessive oils and pull dirt out of the pores.  Those are the basics of oily skin care.  Hope that helps!

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