Oily skin – DIY Help

If you would like to treat your oily skin to some skin treatments at home and are not sure what to use – try these simple recipes below to help improve the condition of your oily skin. They have been specially designed to help control the oil and unlike some harsher treatments available for oily skin will not actually make the skin oilier. When treating oily skin we do not want to strip away the skin lipids which protect the skin and will only cause the skin to produce more sebum and therefore look even oilier.

What we want to do:

When oily skin us a problem for us, we want to reduce the amount of oil on the skin and also to reduce the possibility of blemishes such as pimples and blackheads forming as oily skin is more susceptible to these. Skin treatments can be expensive to buy and these are easily made at home and it can be fun to try out different combinations.  There are no overnight miracle cures here, but regular use will help oily skin to be more under control.

If your skin is sensitive it would be wise to patch test any skin treatments on the inside of the wrist to see whether there is a reaction before using it on your face.

Oily skin mask recipe

• You will need a bottle of Milk of Magnesia which you apply a thin coating to the face on all the areas that are oily.  This can be bought at a chemist store and is in expensive and lasts for ages
• Let this dry and set on the skin which should take 10-20 mins.
• Rinse off with luke warm water and gently pat dry.

A mask for oily skin and a great pick up treatment for tired looking skin before you go out.

• Separate an egg.
• Whip the egg white with a beater until it is soft white foam.
• Apply to face and throat and let dry – 10-15 minutes, you will feel some tightening to the skin.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and pat gently dry.

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Oily skin – who gets it?

Oily skin can be something we have a problem with in our teenage years, when raging hormones cause oily blemish prone skin and then disappears as we grow older. Pregnancy can do the same.Other people struggle with oily skin as a lifelong skin condition. If we analyse the reasons for oily skin we can see there are some skin care practices we can change or adopt to help our oily skin and some we can stop altogether as they could be making our oilier skin oilier. Oily skin can also be made worse by some medications such as birth control pills.

Oily skin – What can we do?

With a skin care regime specifically designed for an oily skin we can improve our skin condition but attention also needs to be paid to our diet and lifestyle habits. For women, the makeup we use also has a part to play and how diligent we are in removing it. Following some of the steps below will result in a less oily looking skin so although you may still have an oily skin type it will be more manageable. However the process will be a gradual one so a little patience and perseverance will be needed.

Things to try:

• Remove the excess sebum but don’t dry the skin by using a cleanser that is gentle and has no soaps or detergents in it.
• Use a cleanser that easily rinses away so a film is not left on the skin.
• Do not scrub at your face to try to remove oil.  Pat dry gently rather than rubbing.
• Use lukewarm water not hot.
• Don’t use strong astringents or alcohol based toners as they will over dry the skin.
• Use non oil based makeup and sunscreen products.
• Try to eat a balanced diet, rich in vegetables, fruits and grains. Avoid fatty , fried or foods with high sugar content.
• Cleanse the skin morning and night and after exercise to keep the pores clean.
• Use a moisturiser that is formulated to be non comodegenic which means it will not clog the pores.
• Using a tissue or facial blotting paper to remove excess oil during the day.
• If over a period of time this doesn’t help, a visit to a dermatologist may be in order to look at underlying physical causes.
  

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What are blackheads?

A good, basic skin care regime is necessary to have smooth, blemish free skin – however blackheads can be hard to eliminate. Blackheads, or to give them their technical name comedones, start off life in the pores and hair follicles. Blackheads develop when a pore or the opening at the base of the hair follicle slowly fills with sebum which is oil that is naturally produced by the sebaceous glands and keeps our skin supple and smooth. This combines with dirt from the environment, makeup and old skin cells and fills the pore.

The oily mixture in the pores or hair follicle opening mixes with air and reacts chemically with melanin in the skin. The surface or head then turns black, giving rise to the name blackhead.  Unlike a pimple, a blackhead does not form above the skin but is flush with the skin’s surface.

What can we do about blackheads?

If you have numerous blackheads or have tried to remove them yourself and have had no success, a beauty therapist or dermatologist may be the best person to manually remove them. A good skincare regime is essential to help treat blackheads and to prevent them from forming again.

Removing blackheads:

• Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently – you can’t remove blackheads by scrubbing at the skin and it will only damage it.
• Use warm but not hot water or try to remove then after a shower as the pores will open and it will  be easier to remove the blackheads.
• Gently exfoliate to again avoid damaging the skin but to remove dead skin cells on the surface – a washcloth will do the job.
• With clean fingers gently squeeze the skin to the sides of the blackhead to allow the head to ‘pop’ and the rest of what is in the blocked poor to be pushed out.
• Pore strips can be bought – these are adhesive strips you can apply to the affected area and when they are quickly pulled off should remove the blackhead with them.
• Large areas of blackheads can be difficult and painful to try to remove yourself – you may need to get some expert help from a beauty therapist or dermatologist.

How to prevent blackheads:

• Gently cleanse the skin daily, preferably morning and night to prevent build up of dirt and sebum.
• All makeup should be thoroughly removed at the end of the day.
• Sunscreen, especially waterproof should be cleansed from the skin before sleeping.
• Apply the cleanser with a damp facecloth to gently exfoliate skin cells that have been shed.
• Use lukewarm water  to rinse away the cleanser.
• Use a moisturiser that is non –comodegenic – that means it is formulated not to block skin pores.

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What is oily skin?

Oily skin is caused by overactive oil glands which produce a natural lubricant for the skin called sebum.   Natural healthy skin has a normal amount of oil produced in order to keep it supple and give it a healthy glow – we call this normal skin. Oily skin produces too much oil and the skin becomes thick and heavy in texture and can look greasy and dull. Excess oil also means the pores are more likely to become blocked and therefore more susceptible to pimple, acne and blackheads.

Do I have oily skin?

If you look in the mirror you will probably see a greasy, shiny look to the skin, often with a coarse texture and large pores which can sometimes have an orange peel texture. Your skin may look dull and sallow and you may have blackheads and pimples. Women may find that makeup will not last long or stay in place with obvious shiny patches. You may have combination skin which will mean you have oily areas to deal with as well as dry patches. You may like to have your skin type diagnosed by a professional or take the simple tissue test and see what results you get.

Tissue skin type test:

• Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water.
• Do not moisturise afterwards.
• Wait for 30 mins.
• Place a tissue over the entire face and pat all over the face keeping the tissue in one place.
• Look at the tissue – if you can see oily patches on the tissue you have oily skin.
• If the oily patches are only on the chin, nose and forehead only, you may have combination skin so only the oily areas will need to be treated as an oily skin type.

What do I do if I have an oily skin?

• Treat it gently – harsh treatment and product can cause increased oil production.
• Don’t try to dry up the skin with ingredients containing alcohol and harsh astringents as this can also cause more oil to be produced.
• Avoid cleansers with harsh soaps and detergents, they can worsen the problem in the long term.
• Blot the excess during the day with blotting tissues or plain tissues, this will gently remove the excess shine.

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