Oily Skin And What You Need To Stop Doing To Fix it

“Is that my face or a frying pan?” I’d wonder whenever I’d look at my face in the mirror. Thanks to the excess oil oozing right out of my skin, most of the times, I’d feel like raw material for fast food joints. I never thought there was any goodness in the oil, for obvious reasons. There I’d be, stuck to my soft tissues all day, trying to dab out excess oil, while my skin would work overtime to pour water, sorry oil, over all of my hard work. Oily skin is the problem, but what is the answer.

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Oily skin has been a part of my skin’s personality since forever. I had tried every possible product, listened to every Aunty who’d come up with innovative kitchen remedy, and even tried medication; but nothing ever wiped the oil off my skin. Frustrated, I decided to enlist help from Mr. Know-It-All, a.ka. Google. And, to my utter surprise, I was doing many things that I shouldn’t be doing.

So, if you are like me, struggling with oily skin, here are a few things you should steer clear of.

Wrong Moisturizers
Just because your skin is oily, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need to be moisturized. However, unlike dry skin, its oily counterpart will not be okay with just any moisturizer. If you are applying one with an oil base, stop right away. Instead, opt for liquids, serums, and gels that contain glycerin and humectants.

Makeup Mask
In case you feel that concealing your oily skin with oodles of makeup will work like a charm, sorry to disappoint you, it won’t. In fact, that’s a common mistake many people with oily skin make. Ensure that you choose the right kind of foundation, and like mentioned earlier, avoid the ones with an oil base.

Harsh Scrubbing
It’s natural for many to assume that scrubbing off as much oil as possible will stop the unlimited oil supply, but remember, the operative word here is ‘unlimited’. Your skin is working overtime to produce oil, and contrary to popular belief, scrubbing will just give your skin the sense that there is a lack of oil, triggering the production of excess oil. So, all you’ll end up with is sore skin.

Washing Your Face Too Much
Yes, soap can help reduce your oiliness, but it’ll make your skin lifeless and scaly. So, show some love to your skin as too much of anything can be terrible. Soap can even lead to rashes. So, in your quest to have oil-free skin, don’t end up washing your face every chance you get but use a regular schedule like once or twice a day or according to your cleanser instructions.

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Skipping Washing Altogether
This is the other extreme of the spectrum. Just because you should avoid washing your face too much doesn’t mean you should skip it altogether. Use a mild exfoliating face wash to help clear the dust and the grime covering your pores. Ensure you clean your skin, especially after coming back home, or post workout.

Not Using A Toner
While many tend to believe that using a toner will add to the oiliness, it’s actually otherwise. After cleansing, use a toner to shrink all the open pores so that your skin doesn’t break out. However, what you should remember is to avoid the ones with an alcohol base.

Popping Pimples
Pimples are the ketchup on all the fries, quite literally! If you have oily skin, you are most likely to sport those not-so-welcome pimples as well. Now, because you hate them so much, you might be tempted to pop them every now and then so that your face is flawless. However, popping them will leave behind scars that you will regret forever.

Eating Wrong
While you might be led to believe that oiliness is an outward thing, it’s not. What you eat determines how your skin will be, so making the wrong food choices will harm your skin even more. Avoid foods that have saturated fats like beef, lamb, sausages, and bacon. Stay away from dairy products and avoid fast food like a disease.

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I remember my niece worrying about her oily skin just before her prom, and all I could tell her was, “Eat well and make sure you are getting enough vitamins.” Same goes for you too! Okay?

Stress
Stress is bad for you. Not only does it bring with it a crop of lifestyle diseases, but it also causes harm to your skin. This is true, especially if you have oily skin. Increase in stress spikes up oil production in your skin, or the sebaceous glands, because the levels of cortisol increase. So, avoid taking stress.

So, if you, my friend, have oily skin like me, you should drink a lot of water and use the right products. More importantly, you should religiously avoid all the points mentioned above because oily skin is a tough nut to crack.

Reema

Reema is a certified professional in Fashion Design and Styling. With an expertise in beauty, makeup, and hairstyles, she finds writing to be an ideal platform to connect with readers. She is a regular contributor to www.StyleCraze.com, and her articles are what most girls in love with makeup and hairstyles would swoon over.