OILY SKIN CRISIS

[Anonymous]

How do I successfully combat my issue with my oily skin? I feel like I have tried everything. I use a gentle cleanser (which contain salicylic acid) that doesn't cause my skin to feel tight or dry, an oil free moisturizer, and all oil free/matte makeup. I've also tried using oil as a mositurizer (such as coconut oil because it was recommened) to combat it which hasn't worked either. I am constantly having to blot my face numerous times a day and I still feel as if all my makeupis melting away. It feels like i'm going on an endless journey to find what is right for my skin.

[Madeline7]

Have you tried an oil cleanser?  A lot of cleansers strip so much oil from your skin that you'll overproduce to compensate

[Anonymous]

I don't use a an oil cleanser but i've started adding facial oil to my night time routine and it's helping 🙂

[RGbrown]

@Anonymous so glad to hear you are making some progress!

[Kav01]

My oily skin gets on my nerves a lot too, here's a few steps I took:

1- Drink more water ( I knoww but it's true )

2- Go for Oil free / Water based products

3- Exfoliate a few times a week ( I use the St-Ives one)

4-If it's a sos situation, I run to the bathroom and wipe the oily areas with toilet paper, it sounds weird but it works 😉 ( Serves as an oil blotting sheet) 

5-Eating food rich in omega 3 ( salmon, tuna, walnuts) Chocolate helps too

6-Drinking lemon water, using a toner and using a face mask that helps with this situation

Goodluck!!

[Anonymous]

Thank you so very much! Ive started using a water/ gel based moisturizer and it's worked SO much better than the crème based its amazing Im so happy

[Samtian]

Have you tried a toner? 

[Anonymous]

yes 🙂

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Anonymous This might be a roundabout way, but what about Retin-A or Differin?  I know they are intended for acne (and have anti-aging properties) but they can make skin less oil-prone due to cellular turnover.  Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much!!

[IZ95]

I totally feel you on all these problems. I haven't found the true answer yet but I've learned a lot about my skin and what works with it.

Make sure you don't over irritate your skin in any way (over washing, over exfoliating, over drying, leaving on clay masks for too long, etc.) because you can dehydrate your skin and it'll produce more oil to compensate.

Try ingredients like hyaluronic acid (maintains skin's moisture) and witch hazel (controls oil without dehydrationg) in your creams and stuff to make up for the lack of oil in your products.

If you do use an oil, do heavy research on what kind of oil you should actually use. Coconut and Seabuck thorn oil (i.e. the one made by fresh) will make oily skin worse, but others like rose hip seed oil are "drier" and will help maintain the balance of oil for us oily skin gals. I forgot the exact keywords for searching it up but there are different kinds of oils basically and you want to find the "dry" ones that won't leave your skin greasy.

You won't see results right away. If you change a part of your skincare regimen, stick with it for at least 2 weeks to see any long-term changes. Oil control is really difficult to accomplish and it is definitely not immediate. Just remember hydration and patience are key! 

[Anonymous]

How much oil do you recommend putting in a gel moisturizer? A few drops?

[Anonymous]

Oh my goodness thank you this was so informative! I will definitely try this:)

[TrysBeautyItems]

I wouldn't use salicylic acid (SA) daily, it helps cell turnover but is probably aiding in the excess oil, you're skin is currently dehydrated and producing more oil to make up for the loss. Oil free isn't always the best for combo/oily skin, skin needs oil to rebalance.

I once was super oily, after tweaking skincare skin is balanced. I use philosophy purity made simple cleanser and a basic moisturizer - currently using H2O+ oasis treatment really a moisturizer gel. I use SA, exfoliants etc as treatment products so not daily use and not every week. At night I will use a face oil instead of a moisturizer (my oil is thicker, so it's more of a sealer).

For makeup, mattifying will only hinder, usually it's full of silicones, silicones block pores (hence the plumping effect) so oil doesn't have much room to expel under that layer. Not saying never use mattifying but in moderation, don't pile it on.

What moisturizer are you using? Do you exfoliate, if so with what, how often?

@Anonymous

[Anonymous]

I am using Sukin's Nutrient Rich Facial Moisturizer and currently I don't have an exfoliator but my fash was contains Jojoba beads in them so I'm sure that helps (I use this morning and night)

[TrysBeautyItems]

I wouldn't use the Jojoba beads daily, still a form of exfoliation and most skin doesn't need it - skin has it's own shedding cycle. By expediting the shedding cycle the skin isn't getting a chance to balance itself nor rest. I would use a basic, smooth no particle/active ingredient cleanser daily, once a week or less an exfoliator to help balance - once balanced oil should be more manageable.

[Anonymous]

Makes sense, thank you so much:)

[RGbrown]

@Anonymous

I'd suggest giving oil another try; I too am extremely oily, and recently found great success with Tarte's maracuja oil. At night, I mix 1-2 drops with my moisturizer and apply. I started off using it in the morning as well, but I'm finding that now that the weather is so hot and humid it is just too heavy, and I really don't need it twice a day anymore...my face seems to have regulated itself a bit and is producing much less oil now. 

Tarte may not be the oil in particular for you, but definitely try a few options to see if you can find one that does work. Adding oil tells your face it doesn't need to make even more.

For moisturizers, I've used Belif Aqua Bomb and Clinique Dramatically Different Gel; both mix well with oil. I've also used the new Clinique Supercharged Concentrate, and it's good for times when you aren't applying oil, but mixing it with oil made it sticky and gooey and it just sat on the surface of my face.

I'd also stress the importance of exfoliating to get as much of that oily residue off your face as possible; it can greatly increase the efficacy of any other products you may try. 

Good luck! 

[Anonymous]

I'll definetly give it a try thank you so much!!

[justalilugly]

make sure your primers/moisturizers are mattifying. another thing you can do is use powder foundations. also, wayne goss on youtube has a trick where you apply a colorless loose powder on your face before your liquid foundation, which helps to control oil. it doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. hope some of this helps

[Anonymous]

Thank you 🙂