Ten Signs of Oily Skin

People who have an oily skin type may have several or all of the following
skin characteristics.
See how many you have to determine whether you have oily skin.

1. Pores of the skin are larger in size than normal skin and clearly visible.

2. The skin appears to be thicker and firmer than normal skin.

3. Skin, especially on the forehead, nose and chin has a shiny, oily sheen to it.

4. Blemishes including blackheads, whiteheads and acne occur frequently.

5. If you cleanse the skin and leave it bare for an hour then blot the skin with a tissue you will seee an oily residue left on the tissue.

6. Skin becomes oily only hours after it has been thoroughly cleansed.

7. Oil on the face after waking in the morning.

8. Can be olive in colour rather than fair and tan easily.

9. Makeup tends to ‘slide’  hours after it has been applied.

10. Fine lines and wrinkles are slow to show on the face.

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Dehydration & Oily Skin

Dehydration and our skin

Dehydration is just as common in oily skin as it is in other skin types. When the body becomes dehydrated it becomes evident on our skin.  The skin becomes dull and dry looking and may become flaky, tight and uncomfortable. As the body becomes dehydrated the skin cells lose their water content and therefore the plumpness of healthy skin cells and the glow we associate with healthy skin fades. If you have oilier skin you may not notice the dehydration on your skin  as readily as other types but the symptoms of dehydration and the dangers still exist.

Our bodies are losing water all the time –through evaporation, perspiration, organ function and cell processes and excretion. Add to this the water we lose through heating, cooling, flying, exercise, being in hot climatic conditions and air-conditioning and you have a large quantity of water that needs replacing on a daily basis. Heavy exertion and exercise vastly increase this loss. Some medications and illnesses cause us to lose more water than usual.

The drier our skin the more prone it is to fine line formation.

Signs of dehydration:

• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Dry lips
• Decreased urination
• Dark coloured urine
• Loss of appetite

Seek medical help immediately if you suspect someone has severe dehydration – it can be a life threatening condition but is quickly treatable.

What to avoid:

• Exposure to the sun without adequate protection such as hats and long sleeved shirts.
• Not re hydrating adequately after exercise or exertion.
• Alcohol and caffeine are diuretic – meaning they cause us to lose water. Compensate if you drink either of these with a glass of water.
• Prolonged exposure to central heating, sitting too close to a radiator or heater.
• Air conditioning robs the air and therefore your skin of moisture.
• Windy conditions both hot and cold winds.
• Letting ourselves become thirsty – rehydrate frequently throughout the day.

What to do:

• Increase raw foods and fruit in the diet that have a high water content such as grapes, tomatoes, oranges and on.
• Increase your water intake – little and often is a good way to start if you are not used or do not like to drink large quantities of water.
• Water can be made more palatable for those people not to keen on drinking it by adding a squeeze of lemon, lime or mint. Use a small amount of fruit juice to flavour if needed.
• Change the temperature – some people find it easier to drink warm water rather than cold.
• Carry a water bottle to remind you to increase your daily intake.
• Drink frequently to avoid becoming dehydrated – especially if you are not a ‘thirsty’ person.
• Compensate water intake with water loss when doing manual labour or exercising that causes you to sweat.
• Use a humidifier or a water spritzer to keep moisture levels high in heating and air –conditioned places.
• Ensure the diet has adequate good fats such as avocado, flax seed and olive oil. Water is not the only answer to keeping our skin cells hydrated. We must have adequate good fat intake in order for our bodies to produce water for our skin cells.
• Use a moisturiser that provides the skin with long lasting hydration in order to reduce the water lost through the skin and keep the skin cells from drying out.

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How To Help Oily & Problem Skin

Can we help problem skin?

There is a lot we can do to help our skin look and feel its best. The good news is all we do to help our skin will also improve our general health as well, so we look and feel better in ourselves. Some changes can have an immediate effect. However, we may have not been supporting our skin for some time so the changes we make can take a while to show on our skins. If the problem you have with your skin is of a more serious nature such as acne, dry skin that has cracked or bled or eczema or psoriasis, even moles or skin discolouration you may be unsure about it is best to seek professional advice.

What to do to help?

By reading the guidelines below and working out a plan for how you could improve your health and therefore the health of your skin. If there are a number of changes to be made, start off slowly and make small steps towards changing your lifestyle. Making too big a promises to yourself and taking on too much change at once can set yourself up to fail. For example, if you think alcohol consumption is a problem –rather than saying you’ll never drink again – try having alcohol free days or having a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink. Choose mocktails over cocktails, experiment with drinks at the bar that look the part but have no alcohol. Enlist the support of a friend that wants to improve their skin too.

Every small step in the list below will help you on the way to having skin that is less of a problem.

• A well balanced diet with fresh, unrefined foods, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid greasy, fried and fatty foods.
• Avoid overly processed and refined foods including sugar.
• Choose water over fizzy drinks and keep well hydrated.
• Avoid excessive alcohol, smoking and drugs.
• Get plenty of sleep at night.
• Avoid sun tanning and use sunscreen to avoid skin damage.
• Avoid heavy makeup.
• Exercise regularly, walking is fine to increase blood circulation.
• Use  effective skin care products with a gentle but effective  cleanser both morning and night to remove daily grime build up that clogs pores.
• Use lukewarm water to rinse the skin and pat gently dry.
• Use an effective moisturiser that will help support skin function with no harmful ingredients.

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Why our skin needs to produce oil…

Why does our skin produce oil?

Our skins need to produce oil which they do from tiny sebaceous glands hidden in the skin. Part of the job of this sebum that is produced is to maintain the protective acid mantle of the skin. The acid mantle refers to the sebum which is a complex blend of various lipids or fatty like substances, sweat and cellular debris that collects on the surface of the skin and hairs. The acid mantle has acid in the name as the pH typically ranges between 4.5 – 5.5.

The acid mantle is part of the skin’s defence system as the acidity helps to prevent bacteria invading the skin. The acid mantle forces the epidermal and the skin hairs to lie flat in a structured way to look a little like scales on a fish.

• Without an acid mantle the skin cells would pull apart leading to dehydration.

• Loss of the acidic protection would mean bacteria are more able to enter the skin.

• Hair would become more brittle and break more easily.

• With no acid mantle to protect it the skin would become more prone to irritation and sensitivity.

When we purchase products to wash and cleanse our oily skin we should not use harsh skin care products that strip away our natural oils. We need to use gentle but effective skin care that protects the acid mantle of the skin such as skinsaviour skincare products.

Skinsaviour skincare products are carefully formulated to gently and effectively cleanse the skin without stripping natural oils effecting sebum production.

The entire content of Oily Skinsaviour is for information purposes only.
View our Disclaimer Statement

Why our skin needs to produce oil…

Why does our skin produce oil?

Our skins need to produce oil which they do from tiny sebaceous glands hidden in the skin. Part of the job of this sebum that is produced is to maintain the protective acid mantle of the skin. The acid mantle refers to the sebum which is a complex blend of various lipids or fatty like substances, sweat and cellular debris that collects on the surface of the skin and hairs. The acid mantle has acid in the name as the pH typically ranges between 4.5 – 5.5.

The acid mantle is part of the skin’s defence system as the acidity helps to prevent bacteria invading the skin. The acid mantle forces the epidermal and the skin hairs to lie flat in a structured way to look a little like scales on a fish.

• Without an acid mantle the skin cells would pull apart leading to dehydration.
• Loss of the acidic protection would mean bacteria are more able to enter the skin.
• Hair would become more brittle and break more easily.
• With no acid mantle to protect it the skin would become more prone to irritation and sensitivity.

When we purchase products to wash and cleanse our oily skin we should not use harsh skin care products that strip away our natural oils. We need to use gentle but effective skin care that protects the acid mantle of the skin such as skinsaviour skincare products.

Skinsaviour skincare products are carefully formulated to gently and effectively cleanse the skin without stripping natural oils effecting sebum production.

The entire content of Oily Skinsaviour is for information purposes only.
View our Disclaimer Statement

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 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.

The entire content of Oily Skinsaviour is for information purposes only.
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