I used to think that oily skin was like the plague, as did many of my clients and friends. The truth is, oily skin is the "golden" skin type, and here's why:
First and foremost, it ages slower than all other skin types because of the amount of oil produced and the thickness of the skin. Without this oil our skin would be dry and flaky and thin, which ages must faster because it lose moisture much faster. The oil on the skin is part of the skin's Natural Moisture Factor (NMF) and without that it will lose moisture quicker and turn into a dryer skin type.
The NMF is a product of the skins natural oils and sweat mixing together to create a protective layer that is acidic enough to disallow the growth of acne causing bacteria. Click here for my post in the importance of products with the proper pH. Without this NMF, airborne bacteria or bacteria that can be transferred from our hands, phones, pillows, and anything else that comes in contact with out skin (makeup brushes, be sure to clean those regularly!) can settle into the skin while it is trying to replenish the oil level, further clogging the pores and causing acne and blackheads. This is what gives sebum and oily skin types and bad name, and the products geared towards young skin and pubescent skin aren't making things any better, they're wreaking havoc on your skin!
Products like Clean and Clear and Neutrogena are products that are meant to strip away the oil on the surface of the skin to reduce "shine", however they are causing more damage than that "shine". Not only is it stripping the oils causing the skin to turn alkaline and allowing bacteria to enter it and infect, but after a few hours the effects of the shine reducing and acne cleansing products will be reversed.
The skin is a fully functioning organ, it does everything your internal organs can do, and I will have another post on that another time, but one of those things is secretion. The skin has sweat glands and oil glands, just like the body has a thyroid gland, hormonal glands, adrenal glands, etc. These glands become overactive when stimulated, same for the ones directly affecting the skin. The action of scrubbing the face too aggressively or using products to strip the oils will stimulate these glands to produce more. So, all that oil stripping is backfiring, because it will produce twice as much, if not more! The more oil is left on the skin and the more gentle the products used, the better your skin will react and there will be less oil produced.
So, if you have oily skin and you're looking for products that wont strip the oil, but help to hydrate and keep the NMF exactly where it should be, you should look for products are that based on natural essential oils. Essential oils and vegetable and plant based oils actually mimic our own oils produced and are readily absorbed into the skin. Essential oils should NOT be applied directly to the skin, they should be massaged into the skin with a carrier oil (any vegetable or plant oil, like grape seed oil or jojoba oil, or even avocado oils). Essential oils act as very good serums as well because most have healing properties that can help with excess oil or acne and even dry parts of the face without stripping the skin.
If you don't want to play the guessing game with essential oils and you would like a product that does it all for you, look for Phyto5 by Phytobiodermie, it is a professional product usually only sold in spas. It is based on essential oils and there are 5 different lines you can chose from depending on your skin type. If you have oily skin the product you should be using is the Phyto5 Wood element line. This product contains a lot of essential oils specific to the needs of oily skin and after using my night cream for some time now, I have noticed a huge difference in the amount of oil produced on my T-zone. This line also has milk cleansers and toners to gently cleanse the skin of impurities and leaving a healthy amount of NMF.
The proof is in the pudding, after a few weeks of taking care of your skin, using gentle products (click here for the skin care routine post), essential oils (if you want to) and properly moisturizing the skin, you will notice a difference in your complexion! But keep in mind, that change within the skin doesn't happen overnight! You have to be patient!
Thanks for reading, keep hydrated, keep smiling and have an awesome day!
Presley Charlotte :)
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