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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