Dr. Deepthi Prasad, MBBS.
Written by Our Editorial Team
Having a perfect or well near perfect skin care routine can make or break your day and that's an ideology that we all wholeheartedly believe and swear by. We have had our ups and downs, some hits some misses, basically our fair share of experiments with various products and ingredients and we know how absolutely terrifying it is to wake up and find your skin completely on a different trajectory from you. It wouldn't care about your first date with the person you've wanted to go out with forever, or the fact that you've your placement drive in the afternoon and potential employers will be there or the most important dates in your life, but guess what we would. That's why we're here with a list of tips, some tried and tested, others highly recommended by trusted professionals, to help you out throughout your skin care journey.
Let's start with the most basic yet important question,
How do you determine if you've oily skin?
Oily skin is primarily characterized by an over secretion of sebum, which is an oil produced by the sebaceous glands in our skin to capture and retain moisture. Too much secretion of it would cause oily skin, cause your face to appear unnecessarily shiny, greasy and glowy (not in the way that we want), oilier area tends to have more whiteheads, blackheads and acne in general, visible and large looking pores and make up would wear off quickly and easily. So if you relate with any of these situations or know someone who does, then keep reading because this article is definitely for you.
Basics of oily skin care routine
It’s important to build a prototype for your skin which can be used time and time again with slight variations depending on weather conditions, any unwanted and unforeseen skin breakouts or even if you want to pamper yourself and indulge yourself. We’ve broken down skincare regimens into 3 primary steps that are absolutely essential and feasible for everyday and occasional events. These steps would even be enough for the days when you don’t feel like getting out of the house or if you’re running late for a meeting but still have to look presentable.
- Cleansing- wash your face
- Toning- balancing the skin
- Moisturizing- hydrating and softening the skin
- Sunscreen- optional depending on other factors but highly recommended
The process behind a skincare routine is to bring out the natural tone of your skin and work on any areas that are problematic and itchy. One thing that you should always keep in mind is whenever trying a new product, give it some time and constant effort. So for example- testing a new sunscreen would require using it at least once or twice daily for 6 weeks to get optimum results.
Focused skin care routine for oily skin
Cleanse
The first and foremost step in any skincare routine is to cleanse your face. In this case, prefer gel based or foam based mild cleansers. Go for facial cleansers, preferably ones which have Salicylic acid, as it goes deep inside the pores and removes extra sebum and grime content.
Tone
Look for an alcohol free, fragrance free toner which will help maintain the optimum pH levels in the skin and remove any kind of dirt and excess oils in the skin. Alcohol based products have a tendency to strip away moisture from the skin so beware of it too. Pore Minimizing Toner is one of the best options out there.
Serum
Although, a lot of people take this very lightly which they should not especially, if you've oily skin. Go for BHA serums ie, Salicylic acid based serums if you want to treat blemishes and/or breakouts. If you want to, however, treat uneven skin tone, pigmentation and fine lines then we highly recommend to go for AHA serums which are Lactic acid or Glycolic acid based. They not only help get rid of dead cells but also increase cell turnover which in turn, reduces excess oil production.
Tea tree oil and Neem are also extremely helpful in clearing out acne if you want to stick to natural products. HA super serum might be a good option too!
Also Read : How To Get The Most Of The Serum : Massage Techinques
Moisturize
A rule of thumb you need to keep in mind while looking for a moisturizer for your skin type is that they should come labeled with "non-comedogenic" or "oil-free". Oil free hydrating gel would moisturize the skin whilst not being too heavy on it.
Choose matte sunscreen
Now the last step is to find a powder or gel based sunscreen formula that leaves your skin looking matte and absolutely perfect. You can check out Ultra Light Sunscreen Gel and if it works then hold on to it and never leave it. It's hard enough as it is to find a sunscreen that works for oily skin.
Here's a little bit about the products that might help you make a sound decision
1.Pore minimizing toner
It's one of the most effective ways to visibly reduce the size of your pores and make your skin look more smooth and youthful. Pore minimizing ultimate toner penetrates deeply into your skin and ensures long lasting moisturization too.
2. Ultra Sunscreen Gel
As the name suggests, protects the skin against any chemicals and dirt in the other.
3. HA super serum
It firms the skin, boosts collagen production, protects skin barrier and makes the skin plumpier, softer and healthier, these are only some of the benefits of our incredible Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
Ingredients to keep a lookout for
So now that all the primary bases are touched, let's look at some of the most important ingredients that might help you with oily skin. When buying products, just make sure to include the ones that we're going to talk about and there are some of these which you can put on your face directly too!
- Kaolin is a naturally occurring white clay which absorbs oil, dirt and mattifies skin. Make sure to use face masks or creams which have Kaolin as an ingredient.
- Glycolic acid is the OG ingredient when it comes to unclogging the pores and reducing oil secretion by the sebaceous glands. Feel free to use lotions, creams, moisturizers having high glycolic content.
- Niacinamide is unarguably the powerhouse of ingredients. It has plenty of benefits from strengthening the outer layer of the skin to fix hyperpigmentation, acting as a catalyst in the natural production of collagen and most importantly easily absorbing high amounts of sebum.
Also a quick hack because you've made it to the end of this article- blotting papers are your best friends, keep a stash of them at your bedside table and use whenever you need, whenever there's excess oil on your face, instead of making rounds of your washroom.
So, these were some of the tips that have helped us through our hard times, hope it does the same for you!!
Also Read : Niacinamide - Skin Care Benefits And Uses
About Doctor :
Dr. Deepthi Prasad specializes in Dermatology, Cosmetology, and Aesthetic Dermatology and has been practicing for over 15 years. After completing MBBS from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences Andhra Pradesh in 2009, she earned a MD in Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad in 2014.
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