Oily skin happens when the sebaceous glands in the skin make too much sebum.
Now Sebum is not entirely a bad thing, it's that waxy, oily substance that protects and
hydrates your skin.
Its the amount of sebum you produce, which will determine if your oily skin will work
for you or against you.
And ironically, where your sebaceous glands are located, like behind the ear, on the face,
upper chest, and back, are typically where youll experience the most acne.
So from that point of view, controlling oily skin to healthy levels should be the goal
instead of getting rid of oily skin forever.
In this video we will look at how to bring oily skin to normal levels, and also talk
about an oily skin care routine that actually works, so stay with me till the end.
Also, real quick before we get started, it would mean the world to me if you hit the
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Lets actually define our parameters.
The average rate of sebum production in adults is 1mg/10 cm squared, every three hours.
And When rates are less than 0.5mg/10 cm squared every three hours, youll get dry skin.
When sebum production exceeds 1.5mg every three hours, it is considered excessive and
oily.
And there are so many factors that go into how much sebum youll produce.
Men generally have higher sebum output due to higher testosterone levels.
And women produce more during ovulation as a result of increased progesterone.
Other risk factors are: Genetics, stress, cosmetics: especially if they mess with your
skin pH, and of the least talked about cause, which is food.
So before we get into the actual routine, lets look at 7 tips to combat oily skin.
And prevent it because, there is not point to have a routine for oily skin without knowing
what these are first.
The first: Wash your face regularly.
Dont scrub or rub your skin too hard, this can irritate it to produce more oil.
You want to avoid products that also have alcohol, since they can dry out the skin and
make it produce even more oil.
A foaming cleanser or gel would be ideal, every morning, evening, and after exercise.
The Second: Which comes to no surprise is, use products that are oil free and non comedogenic.
This makes sure that the products won't clog the pores and affect the sebaceous glands.
The third: Dont ditch the moisturizer.
It does seem counterintuitive.
But because parched skin produces more sebum, hydrated skin will tell your sebaceous glands
to not work so hard to keep up.
There are many moisturizers created specifically for oily skin, that are light, fast-absorbing,
and won't leave your skin shiny.
Which we will discuss in a bit.
Fourth: Use a broad spectrum mineral sunscreen, preferably one with zinc oxide.
As topical zinc may reduce oil production.
Fifth: Choose oil free water based makeup.
Sixth: Dont sleep in the makeup.
And lastly, Avoid touching your face throughout the day.
You can spread the oils on your hand onto your face, which wouldnt be good.
There are a few other tips too, like eating foods lower on the Glycemic index scale, and
reducing processed foods which are a big contributor to oily skin, and avoid living in areas that
are generally humid, like tropical climates vs dry and temperate regions, it will definitely
be harder to manage, but not impossible.
If that is you, then you definitely want to pay attention to this routine.
The first part of the oily skincare routine is.
Change your pillowcase.
Do this once a week.
Thats the first place to start.
I left below the best pillowcases for oily skin in the description below, so definitely
check that out.
The second is: Using a cleanser with gentle salicylic acid.
I would recommend 0.5% percent salicylic acid, as 2% ones can be a little harsh for some
people.
Go with 0.5% if that’s you.
A good one that cleans without irritation is the Paula's choice pore normalizing cleanser,
it has 0.5%, and is great at removing excess oil.
It is up to you, if you want to do the double cleanse method, but this will largely depend
on how much sebum you produce.
More info on double cleaning in this video here.
Thirdly, a non alcoholic toner, which helps reduce the appearance of pores and “tightens”
the skin.
Not all toners are the same.
So be careful with which one you're using.
The one I would go with is the eltaMD skin recovery essence toner.
Since it is pH balanced.
Sometimes toners become necessary when you live in an area with hard water as they can
counteract the alkalinity of the hard water.
So if thats you, and you think your water is bad, then try considering a toner.
Fourthly, a niacinamide serum.
This will decrease pores and oil on the skin.
Preferably if it has a ZINC PCA combined with it, as it regulates sebum production.
One that a lot of people like is the naturium one that has 12% niacinamide, 2% zinc pca,
hyaluronic acid, and vitamin e, which can help reduce the look of large pores too.
Interestingly, even formulations of 2% niacinamide, may be “effective in lowering the Sebum
excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals.”
Which I thought was interesting.
Fifthly, the next step would be to use a moisturizer, that has mattifying properties.
The effaclar mat by LRP, is a good option since its anti shine, and uses a lipo hydroxy
acid which also has skin renewing properties.
Oily skin is often a sign of dehydrated skin.
That's when your skin tries to compensate by producing more oils and goes a little overboard.
This moisturizer helps combat that.
And lastly, top it all off with an oil free sunscreen.
A broad spectrum one, spf of at least 40 or more, that has 9% zinc oxide and doesnt leave
a white cast, is the one by eltaMD UV Clear.
Everyone loves this one because its non greasy, and I personally use this one currently and
it works amazing.
So those are usually the 6 steps.
In addition to this, you can add a clay mask that has mattifying properties too, at least
once a week.
A mask that has both kaolin and bentonite clay that seems to work is the cetaphil dermacontrol
purifying clay mask as its gentle and effective.
And Since washing your face in the middle of the day isn't always possible, and youre
on the go, blotting paper like the one by tatcha that has abaca leaf, is a good idea
to keep with you as they absorb excess oil to help give your skin a more matte finish
throughout the day.
In the end, you can't entirely turn off your sebaceous glands, but for the most part, you
can control the symptoms of oily skin with the right skincare routine.
And keep in mind, this process wont be an overnight fix, wait at least several weeks
to see the results, following the steps I gave you though, as well as some lifestyle
changes, like controlling stress and managing what you eat, will help keep oily skin under
control in the long run.
But it does take some patience.
Im more curious to hear from you guys though.
What are your thoughts on this oily skincare routine.
Would you add anything else to it?
Subtract something.
Let me know in the comments below.
Subscribe if you found this video useful, and ill see you on the next one.