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.

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.

Oily skin and genetics

What do genetics have to do with oily skin?

Anyone who suffers from oily skin and finds it a real problem to deal with will wonder why they have oily skin in the first place. Our skin needs to produce oil to maintain the lipid barrier for protection and to give suppleness to the skin. DHT or dihyrotestosterone which is a metabolite of testosterone is the hormone responsible for triggering the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. If you have higher than normal levels of this hormone or your sebum glands are more sensitive than normal to this hormone you may end up with very oily skin.

What do hormones have to do with oily skin?

Around the time that you reach puberty for both girls and boys, the hormone DHT first appears. The menstrual cycle has an effect on DHT levels. Increasing amounts of progesterone and ultimately the increase in levels of DHT effects the sebum production. This is why we can often find women’s skin becomes oilier and prone to skin blemishes such as acne and pimples just before the menstrual cycle. Hormones also play a part in acne outbreaks and excess oil later in life.

What can we do?

• Accept the genetics that you have and try to work with them.
• Accept the fact that you can’t cure oily skin overnight but you can make a difference over a period of time.
• Eliminating oily skin is best done with products that are effective yet are gentle.
• Harsh products with soaps and detergents will only strip the skin of natural oils it needs.
• Use facial blotters to gently pat away excess oil during the day.
• Use skin care and cosmetic products that are not oil based and non comodegenic, that is, they will not block the pores.