Oily skin

[JGmakeup]

Help!! I have oily skin and I have bumps on my chin and I'll get huge breakouts at least once a week! I've tried clinique, murad, and clarins! Nothing works and I even eat right and change my pillow cases everynight and wash my face religiously!! I recently got the Mia 2 and I use that every morning and night with my clinique products but I've been using it for 3 weeks and it barely has made a diffrence. Any suggestions?

[avat02]

Oh my goodness I use the same differin cream everyday! I have found it helps my acne, but doesn't do much for my oil. Do you find it makes a difference in your oil production?

[missjr · Accepted solution]

Hi, JGmakeup!

I have to agree with Irina56.  I also have oily skin even at 40-something that's prone to hormonal breakouts.  I use the Clarisonic Mia also, but I only use it at night.  I tried using it twice a day but found that I was over-cleansing my skin.  Plus when you first start using the Clarisonic, your skin will go through what is called a "purging period" where all the built-up oils and other gunk are being brought to the surface.  However, at some point your skin will start to look revitalized and your breakouts will be minimized.  

By cleaning my skin at night, I not only remove that day's grime off my face but also all traces of makeup and oils.  Once my skin has been cleansed, my serum and moisturizer can do the work that they're supposed to.  I also find that my skin has a chance to heal and calm itself while I am sleeping.  When I wake up in the morning, I'm amazed at how clear, healthy and glowing my skin looks.

I also used Clinique products for years.  However as I got older, I discovered that the Clarifying Lotions for Types 3 and 4 skin were way too harsh because of the alcohol.  Initially it seems to work but my skin ended up producing even more oil to compensate for the lack of moisture.  If you still wish to use Clinique, the product line has a Mild Clarifying Lotion that contains no alcohol or witch hazel.  It makes a world of difference even if your skin is oily.  Clinique also has facial cleansers and makeup removers that are quite gentle.  

I ended up switching to the Caudalie skincare line because the products are more gentle to my skin and are quite effective.  I especially love the Instant Foaming Cleanser, which is soap free, as well as the Cleansing Water and Toning Lotion, which is alcohol free.  Make sure that whatever moisturizer you use is oil free and leaves your skin balanced.  I like Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel and the Moisture Surge facial spray is great.

Boscia also has a really great skincare line for oily skin and comes highly recommended.  Be sure to check out that line's oil-blotting linens, which I carry in my purse.

I hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Have you tried tee tree oil, witch hazel worked the best for me

[YourSkincareBff]

I would have to disagree I have tried witch hazel myself but although it may work now it could damage and strip your skin in the long run. Hope this helps!

[annietwo2]

I agree

[elea33]

I’m a big fan of the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser w/ Glycolic Acid. It is one of the more affordable cleansers without Parabens. I have tried a few items from the Kate Somerville line, but they are considerably more expensive. You should give a new cleanser a few weeks to do its thing though. Changing constantly creates bipolar skin. I’m not an expert, so someone feel free to chime in on this, but I believe it has something to do with the cell turnover.

[Annnj]

You actually are correct. It takes between four to six for new cell turnover to began. ☆

[Apocalyptica]

Ren's CleanCalm 3 Clay Cleanser is awesome! It's really helped me reduce my oiliness and redness. I also use Origins Acne Spot remover to help with the larger, more noticable pimples.

[irina56]

Having read that you use your Clarisonic twice a day, I suspect you may be over-cleansing your skin. I was guilty of the same for a long time, but having oily skin as well I just wanted to cleanse it as often as possible and get as much oil as possible off my face! However, the more you strip your skin of oil, the more oil it will produce to make up for it. Oil is there to protect the skin, so your skin's natural response to being over-cleansed or exfoliated is to make more of it. I've since started a more gentle cleansing routine and my formerly very oily skin has now become combination skin, and is normal everywhere except my T-zone.

I would suggest not using your Clarisonic in the morning. I know if I used mine twice a day my skin would become a bit stripped and get oilier faster! You don't actually need a deep cleanse in the morning since you will have cleansed your skin the night before, and slept on a clean pillowcase all night. Your skin isn't very dirty when you wake up, so you should try to use a cleanser that is really gentle and will just get rid of some excess oils. Cetaphil is a great gentle cleanser which is cheap and available in most drugstores. As for night, I would use a good makeup-removing cleanser such as Philosophy's Purity with your Clarisonic to get rid of any makeup as well as dirt/pollution from the air. If you use a toner afterwards I would recommend staying away from ones that contain alcohol (such as Clinique clarifying lotions) since they can be very stripping and actually make your pores larger. Salicylic acid however is a good ingredient to look for in toners for acne control and mild exfoliation. Also, don't forget to moisturize both morning and night or your face will make up for it by making more oil! If you can, try to go to a Sephora store and ask for samples for a few mattifying and/or light moisturizers to see which work best for you. A good one would leave your skin feeling comfortable and hydrated without making you too oily later in the day.

Anyway, those are just a few things I've learned from my own experience with oily skin. Let me know if you try any of these tips, and if any of them help!

All the best,

Irina

[Annnj]

You gave the best response.