What can I do for oily/acne prone skin???

[danaass]

I’ve tried the most common ones that work for others like cerave and youth to the people, but nothing seems to calm my oiliness down!

I drink a lot of water and I don’t eat terrible. Not sure what products are good/affordable, or what’s even a good mix for a full face cleaning routine. 

[Westcoasty]

@danaass  You haven't mentioned what you're doing at present, though you've mentioned a couple of brands. So I'm going to offer some general recommendations. 😊

First of all, I would recommend seeing your doctor and/or a dermatologist, to make sure there are no underlying conditions causing your acne.

So....oily skin can't be cured, sorry. Depending on your age, however, it will probably become less oily as the years pass. The research indicating that hydration can help is limited. However, hydration is always beneficial for your body, so carry on!

As for the acne, it will require patience, and constantly changing products is likely to make matters worse by irritating your skin. Try a skincare routine for one to three months before assessing how well it works and changing products.

A basic acne skincare routine is:

1. a gentle cleanser, morning and night

2. (optional) alcohol-free toner (since you have oily skin), morning - I note that some recommend this, some don't

3. acne treatment over entire face in morning, spot treatment at night - if using retinol, reverse this to use retinol at night

4. oil-free moisturizer (this can actually help with reducing oil production, as it keeps your skin in balance, and can make it easier for your skin to tolerate acne medications) - morning only

5. sunscreen (morning), especially if using retinol or prescription treatment

Clean items that come into contact with your skin on a daily basis to remove oil and bacteria. Change sheets once a week and pillowcases 2-3 times a week.

Both The Ordinary and The INKEY List are skincare lines that have good reputations and are economical options. Here are links to their acne kits (add items as needed):

The Ordinary The Acne Set 

The INKEY List Back to Basics: Goodbye Acne Skincare Set 

I hope this helps. Good luck!

[danaass]

Hi! Thank you for replying 🙂

Currently I use neutrogena oil free salicylic acid acne wash. It’s always been the face wash I come back to, followed by the melanated bar moisturizer, and a sunscreen. I don’t have bad acne but the neutrogena keeps me from breaking out so I tend to stick to it. I was really concerned with my oiliness at this point and have been trying to find products that might be better for me to keep it at bay and clear up clogged pores. Didn’t know it was no cure though, since it’s so many products on the market that claim to help. 

I’ve never consistently tried a toner, I felt like I was putting a lot of my face as is and my skin is very sensitive. I also didn’t know exactly what a toner was supposed to do for my skin. But I will have to look up more info. 

&& yes I have seen a dermatologist, but there were no known conditions or issues that I was said to have. They gave me a something from the break out at the time and after it dried my face out and cleared my skin, it was back to my greasy face. 

Thank you the info, I will definitely check out the links you sent me. 

[Westcoasty]

@danaass   If the Neutrogena facial wash and other products are working for you, keep going with them! I'm not familiar with the Neutrogena acne products, so check that the moisturizer is oil-free (non-comedogenic ... meaning it won't clog pores).

Toner or astringent can help get extra oil out of your pores, but if your skin is irritated by it, skip that step, absolutely.

Primarily you want to keep your pores clean so that oil can exit the follicles instead of getting trapped and causing issues. So gently cleansing is critical, and some type of exfoliant (not the scrubby kind, to avoid irritation) to get rid of dead skin cells. Both oil and dead skin cells can "feed" bacteria, which you don't want. Usually this (as I understand it) is the goal of non-prescription acne treatments, to provide chemical exfoliation.

Usually products that are said to help with oily skin are meant to treat the symptoms, not effect a cure. You could try a mattifying moisturizer - do a search for the term on the Sephora website to see what comes up. There's only a few products on the Sephora Canada website, but the Clarins Re-Boost Mattifying Hydrating Cream 1.7 oz / 50 mL specifically mentions acne. However, with only two reviews, it's hard to know how effective it is.

If you wear makeup, you could also try a mattifying primer - there's a lot more of those around. However, I'd be cautious that such a primer doesn't clog your pores. Always check the reviews. 😊

Good luck to you.