Hello Beautiful,

Ever since I hit puberty I've had problems with my skin type. Over the years I've learned some tips and tricks to managing oily skin.

First of all, what is oily skin?

A common misconception about oily skin is that it only takes place in common areas such as the t-zone and chin. True oily skin affects the whole face. Oily skin commonly has coarse pores and is prone to pimples and blackheads. Oily skin has overactive sebaceous glands and produces more oil than needed.


What causes oily skin?

Oily skin can be caused by many things such as heredity, diet, hormone levels, cosmetics, weather conditions and so much more. Oily skin is most common in teenagers due to the hormonal shifts of puberty but can occur at any age, even though skin tends to get drier as you age. Other causes for hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menopause, and starting a birth control pill can cause your sebaceous glands to become overactive and for your skin to become more oily.

How do you care for oily skin?

Skin care is important for any skin care at any age, but it is especially important for people with oily skin because it is more prone to acne.
The first step is to cleanse your face. It is important to use a foaming cleanser that is gentle enough to not completely strip your skin of all oils. That causes a reaction called Seborrhea that makes your sebaceous glands work overdrive, producing too much oil. My favorite cleanser is the Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Foaming Scrub. (It is gentle enough to remove just the right amount of oil and has exfoliating beads!)
Next, you need to tone. I don't use a normal toner on my skin. Although, you can use a product by Neutrogena or Clean and Clear that work well, it is cheaper and more natural to use Witch Hazel. (I get mine at the dollar store!) I've noticed that the Witch Hazel helps make my skin less oily. I don't really have a medical explanation to why it does this, but trust me, it does!
Lastly, you need to moisturize!  Moisturizing may seem like an unnecessary step when your skin is so oily, but you need to restore the moisture the hot water and soap removed from your face or else it causes premature wrinkles! Make sure that your moisturizer is oil-free! My favorite moisturizer is Pond's Lasting Oil Control Vanishing Cream!

How do you manage oil throughout the day?

Every girl with oily skin has had that moment: you're out with your friends and go to the restroom to "powder your nose," look in the mirror, and it looks like you've fried bacon on your forehead! What do you do?

I have 2 words for you: blotting paper! My favorite the NYX Tea Tree Blotting Paper!

You should always have some of these babies in your handbag (or even in your back pocket!) Trust me, they will save your life! They remove the oil without touching your makeup.

One last tip...NEVER apply more than one well blended layer of a translucent powder (obviously and oily girl's BFF, right?).  It creates a ghostly-white glow that is far from pretty! Let's just put it like this: Too much translucent powder + flash photography = makeup malfunction!

It's even happened to Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore and Nicole Kidman....YIKES!




xo

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