Proper care for oily skin

introduction

If oily skin occurs mainly on the face, this is annoying for those affected. For this reason there is a large number of products that have taken on the elimination of this problem. It should be noted that oily skin can occur for a variety of reasons.
Depending on the cause, the therapy should also be adjusted accordingly. There are different approaches to taking care of oily skin types.

In addition to the skin creams, which can be purchased in the drugstore or pharmacy, nutrition and general cleaning of the skin play a major role in the treatment and prevention of oily skin.

Cleansing the skin

Cleansing the skin in particular has a great nourishing effect on the affected skin. The skin should be cleaned regularly with lukewarm water, taking care not to completely rid the skin of its protective fatty film. In addition, a skin that has been freed from the entire film of fat by too frequent cleaning tends to overproduce sebum because the skin wants to compensate for the loss. For this reason, care products exist that can control oily skin and strike a healthy balance between completely defatted skin and skin that is too oily.

The skin should be cleaned about once or twice a day, always with careful observation of the skin's condition. The skin can be freed from excess fat, care product residues and sweat.
In addition to water, certain detergents can be used that have been specially designed for oily skin. It is important to note that these agents do not re-oil and should be adjusted to the pH value of the skin. The normal pH value of the skin is around 5.5, i.e. in the acidic range. The care products used and so-called face tonic should therefore have a similar pH value.

The use of strong measures, such as exfoliating the skin, can be useful, being careful not to use them too often. If used too often, they can damage the skin and have a negative effect on the texture of the skin. Depending on the skin type, such a peeling can improve the development of acne. Since the skin is irritated after such a peeling, it should be handled with particular care and, above all, germs should be kept away (for example, do not touch the skin with your hands).

Cleansing oily skin in women

There is a huge selection of care products for oily skin in drugstores, but not all products are really good for the skin.

Although men's skin is more prone to blemishes, female skin also requires special care. The skin tends to increase sebum production, especially during hormonal changes, for example puberty, but also during normal cycle. Cleaning is particularly important for oily skin. Oily skin should be cleaned thoroughly with neutral detergents regularly, but not too often.
Every few days a peeling and a cleansing face mask are also good to remove dead skin and excess sebum.

Those affected should avoid products with a lot of alcohol, as they dry out and additionally irritate the skin. In response to such irritation, the body may even produce extra sebum.
After cleansing, the skin should be cared for with creams that are high in moisture and low in oil. Some creams also have an antibacterial and soothing effect on the skin.
Thick make-up and perfume-based care products should also be avoided.
If you are unsure which care products are suitable, a dermatologist can be consulted.

You might also be interested in: Skin changes during pregnancy.

Cleansing oily skin in men

Caring for oily skin in men is basically no different from caring for oily skin in women.

Above all, it is important that no fatty creams are used, which make the skin environment even more oily. Since oily skin is more robust than dry skin, it can be treated with degreasing soaps. It is important to ensure that the products used do not have an excessively lipid replenishing effect, as otherwise the undesirable effect of even oily skin is provoked.
At the same time, these products often contain agents that counteract the production and inflammation of pimples, a common problem for people with oily skin.

Read about this too The right skin care for men

A peeling can also help degrease the skin, as long as it is not used too often. In addition, there are some face masks that, when used correctly, can temporarily reduce the production of sebum on the skin of the face. However, since sebum production is not stopped or reduced for a long time by any agent, regular skin care is essential for optimal results. Only if the skin is degreased regularly will impurities such as pimples slowly develop.

Read more on the subject below Oily skin in men

Cleansing the skin especially for acne

People with very oily skin often also have to deal with blackheads and pimples.
The sebum glands clog and sebum builds up in the ducts. The inflammations with pus formation are mostly triggered by bacteria. Oily skin has a smaller protective layer of acids, making it easier for bacteria to penetrate.

When caring for the skin with acne, aggressive agents such as alcohol should be avoided, as the skin dries out and bacteria can get into the skin through the smallest cracks. Basically, the care for acne is the same as for normal oily skin. Cleaning should be done gently. In addition, anti-inflammatory, plant-based care products such as marigold flowers or chamomile can be used.
Disinfecting detergents can also reduce bacteria and thus prevent inflammation.
In severe cases, however, a dermatologist should be consulted. Some acne care products and medications require a prescription and require medical attention.

Please also read our article on this Oily skin and acne.

Oily skin due to improper care - what to do?

Incorrect care can lead to the development of oily skin. Cleaning agents are mostly aggressive cleaning agents with alcohol and perfumes. This irritates the skin and reduces the skin's natural protective film. In response to the irritation, the body tries to rebuild the protective film and produces additional sebum.
Even thick make-up can lead to oily skin. The make-up settles in the pores and clogs them so that the sebum no longer gets on the skin. The body increases the production of sebum in order to get enough sebum on the skin despite the blocked glands.

In order to care for the now oily skin, skin care must be changed. The cleaning products should be pH-neutral and not contain any perfumes. When it comes to skin care creams, moisturizers with a low fat content should be used. Make-up and sun cream should also have the lowest possible fat content.
With proper care, oily skin caused by improper care can be rearranged again.

Read more about the topic here Causes of Oily Skin.

Influence of lifestyle

Proper skin care, however, not only includes cleaning and applying creams, powders or home remedies, but also a proper diet. Lately it has been discussed again and again whether an alkaline diet has a positive influence on the texture of the skin. The theory that a diet whose ingredients have an acidic effect on the organism has a direct influence on the texture of the skin has so far not been confirmed by independent study results. In addition to the theory of alkaline nutrition, there are a large number of other theories that recommend certain foods for healthy, non-oily skin, or that make other foods responsible for the presence of oily skin.

It is true that the diet has an impact on the entire organism. This confirms that a balanced diet has a positive influence on the condition of the skin. If sufficient vitamins and energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fat are added to the organism, there is no reason to blame the diet for the oily skin. The situation is different, however, when the ratio of these main components of our food is greatly shifted. A diet that has a high percentage of fat is not healthy, which can definitely be seen in the texture of the skin.

Another measure that has been shown to reduce the appearance of oily skin is to refrain from consuming nicotine in the form of cigarettes or cigars, and from consuming alcohol.By consuming these stimulants, the hormonal balance can get out of balance, which is why people who normally do not have to struggle with too oily or impure skin can, among other things, have such skin problems.

Read more on the topic: Oily skin from diet

Care products and make-up

In addition to cleaning the skin, there are also care products that have been designed for the skin of people with the problem at hand. These primarily include creams, powders and tinctures. There is a large selection of commercially available products: night creams, lotions, moisturizers, day creams, and many other products advertise that they are the right product for combating oily skin.

Above all, it is important to avoid ointments and creams that contain fat when caring for oily skin. A greasy ointment or paste would aggravate the problem, as these sebum glands would clog and the oily skin, which is already prone to acne development, would have even more problems of this type. For this reason, creams for oily skin contain a large amount of water, while the amount of fat is low. Some creams also contain antibacterial agents and can thus prevent infection from blemishes. Most of the creams available on the market also contain substances that have a calming and sometimes cooling effect on the affected skin.

A key question for women with oily skin is how to choose the right makeup. The use of too much make-up can clog the glands that are responsible for the production of sebum, and thus also the oily texture of the skin, and possibly lead to inflammation. However, there are make-ups, mostly powder-based, which do not contain any comodogenic ingredients (which promote the formation of blackheads) and are suitable for people who tend to have oily skin. With a mattifying effect, these make-ups can also hide oily skin by making it less shiny.

Home remedies for the care of oily skin

In addition to these products, there are also a number of home remedies that can be effective for the care of blemished and oily skin. The best known remedy for oily skin is the use of chamomile. A bath in particular or the selective application of chamomile tea to the skin can have a calming effect on the skin due to the ingredients of chamomile. A steam treatment with chamomile can also have this effect on the skin. It is important to ensure that the products are not too hot when they come into contact with the skin, as hot temperatures can stimulate the production of sebum.

The topical application of apple cider vinegar can also combat the clinical picture of oily skin. This home remedy is particularly helpful in treating blackheads.

Another well-known method for oily skin, acne, and blackheads is the use of skin masks. There are a number of different masks, most of which can be made well on a basis of yoghurt or quark itself. Regular use of the face masks can treat oily skin and provide additional care.

Find out more about the topic here: Blackheads - Causes and Treatment

In order to treat the skin gently, care should always be taken that the agents used are not applied with a towel or washcloth, but that the affected skin only comes into contact with soft paper towels that do not irritate the skin additionally.