Oily Skin and Hormones

Oily skin is often associated with the teenage years and dry skin with older skin, but for some oily skin is a lifelong issue to deal with.  While you may have inherited your oily skin in part from your parents, oily skin has also to do with our hormone production. When our hormones are stimulated into action their levels can fluctuate and cause more oil to be produced. This is why oily skin becomes worse in teenage years and for some during pregnancy and during their menstrual cycle as hormone production surges.

Stress can cause oil production to be increased as hormones are also produced when we experience strong emotion. Although stress does not cause pimple outbreaks, people often find it makes existing outbreaks of pimples or acne worse. When we become extremely stressed or have high stress for long periods of time the adrenal glands produce a substance called cortisol which is released into the bloodstream. Part of this chemical chain reaction that is caused by the initial stress is an increase in sebum production.

Male hormones are responsible for the start of sebum production and are found in both males and females at puberty, but in differing quantities.

What we can do

• Oil production is one of nature’s responses to irritation – gentle cleansing will reduce irritation and therefore oil production.
• Avoid soap – squeaky clean is not what we want for oily skin.
• Stripping away natural oils will cause more to be produced.
• Don’t over wash – Morning and night is sufficient for even the oiliest skin.
• Clay masks may help soaking up excess oil. It can leave the skin looking fresher and less oily for some hours after.
• Use a moisturiser that is non-comodegenic.
• Reducing stress will reduce the production of hormones that signal oil production.

Acne – Fact & Fiction Part 2

Following on from Part 1 in our last post, we continue to look at myths and misconceptions about acne.

Acne – myths and misconceptions

#6 – Certain foods cause acne
Although there is little research to prove that certain foods cause acne, some people find that certain foods do cause their acne to become worse. Greasy and fries foods should be kept to a minimum in everyone’s diet no matter what their skin type is. Don’t avoid all fats though as the body needs some good fats such as flaxseed and olive oil keep healthy and these will not make our skin worse. If you suspect a food – stop eating it for 3-4 weeks and then reintroduce it to the diet and see the effect.

#7 – Acne is improved by sunlight
Sunlight may have some effect on drying out the pimples you already have but it does not specifically help acne nor does it prevent you from getting acne. The damage caused by sun exposure will only further damage your skin. Be aware too, that if you are using oral or topical medication from the doctor such as a cream with a retinoid in it , it may make your skin super sensitive to the sun.

#8 – Squeezing pimples makes them go more quickly
It is very tempting to squeeze pimples to get rid of the unsightly head but it really doesn’t help the acne to clear faster. If you absolutely have to do this, wait until the pimple is close to popping itself as possible and use sterilised instruments and putting pressure on either side of the pimple.. Trying to force them and can cause scarring

#9 – Stress makes acne worse
There is evidence to suggest that acne can be made worse or a flare up can happen at times of stress such as exams or relationship breakups. Stress does not cause acne to start though. Sometimes drugs can cause acne as a side effect – see your doctor if you suspect this.

#10- Acne is a skin problem
It is true acne affects the skin but it also has an effect on the person suffering from it as a whole. Bad skin and scarring can cause people to not feel so good about themselves resulting in depression and self esteem issues. Seek help from a professional if you are struggling with these issues – you don’t have to do it alone.

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.

Causes of Unhealthy Skin

Is my skin unhealthy?

Problem skin can have many causes but in general doesn’t have the look of healthy skin.  Healthy skin has clearness about it, a healthy glow with a smooth, unblemished look. Problem skin can look dull, tired and sallow either too greasy and possibly with blemishes or too dry and prematurely wrinkled. Pigmentation does not necessarily mean the skin is unhealthy but can be a problem in how the person feels about it. There is a lot we can do to improve the health and therefore look of our skin and need to look at some of the causes and see what we can identify what could be causing our own unhealthy skin.

What are some of the causes of unhealthy skin?

Although the causes are many, the main culprits are a diet that doesn’t support the heath of the skin, lifestyle factors and a skincare regime that we do not adhere to or the products are not effective.  The skin is the largest organ of our body and needs the same things our body needs to perform its best – adequate sleep, hydration and good nutrition. Excessive lifestyle habits such as overindulgence in alcohol, smoking, late nights and a poor diet will show up on our skin – sooner or later. The good news is our skin will respond to changes we make to support it and while specific skin problems will have specific solutions; these general suggestions below will help improve all skin problems to some degree.

Look at the list below and see how many of the causes of problem skin you can see in your own life:

• Late nights, lack of sleep in general
• Excessive alcohol
• Smoking
• Use of sun beds or tanning
• Lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet
• Fried and greasy foods high in fat
• Dehydration, not drinking adequate water
• Excessive tea and coffee
• Heavy makeup
• Not cleansing the face morning and night
• Not using an effective moisturiser
• Use of harsh cleansers with soap or sulphates, not a gentle but effective cleanser