One of these components, the sebaceous glands, produce oil, known as sebum, that can help your skin not only protect your body effectively, but also help keep the moisture in your skin from escaping. But what happens when your sebaceous glands are a bit hyperactive? Well, you end up with oily skin.
Oily skin can be a problematic thing, especially during autumn and winter. While sebum is necessary for healthy skin, excess amounts can cause clogged pores, and in severe cases, give you a terrible case of acne breakout. Managing oily skin is not that hard, however. Everything you’ll need to know about dealing with oily skin during autumn and winter is in this article, so read on.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Oily skin is a common skin problem for many people, especially for teenagers and young adults. Most of what causes the excess oil on your skin, however, is nothing too serious. Here are just a few reasons why your skin might be oily.
Hormonal Fluctuations
It’s not a coincidence that people who are undergoing puberty, when the body is experiencing the most hormonal fluctuation, are prone to oily skin. Hormones are chemicals produced by the various cells in your body that regulate normal bodily functions. This includes the secretion of oil on your skin.
Hormonal fluctuations happen when your body undergoes sudden changes, such as puberty or menopause. This can cause your hormones to go haywire and can result in your body going out of whack, including the production of too much oil on your skin.
Health Conditions
Some systemic diseases, particularly auto-immune diseases that affect the skin can also cause excessive oil production. Diseases can really screw up your body’s equilibrium, and your body tries to compensate by producing substances that are meant to protect it in the first place, including oil on your skin.
Microbial Causes
Although oily skin in itself isn’t a bad thing, it does provide the perfect place for microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites to live in and thrive. One particular bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes, loves to spend time in the oily regions of your pores, and if left unchecked, is able to trigger your body’s immune response and inflame the area it spends its time in.
This immune response is basically an acne breakout, to which the bacteria is named after. The presence of bacteria and other microbes can also influence your skin to produce more oil, which unfortunately exacerbates the problem.
Changes in the Temperature
Another reason for oily skin is the sudden changes in temperature. Whenever your skin is exposed to the sudden increase or decrease of temperature, its initial reaction will be to produce more oil, mostly to try and conserve as much moisture in your skin as possible. During the colder months, such as in autumn and especially winter, the air tends to dry up, which causes the moisture in your skin to evaporate more quickly.
That’s why your skin becomes oily during autumn and winter. Your skin is basically trying to protect itself from drying up and putting oil production into overdrive, which it is prone to do during such seasons.
Steps to Moisturize Oily Skin
Dealing with oily skin isn’t too hard, and treatments are available and most of them are very accessible. Here’s a checklist of what your daily habits should look like if you’re looking for oil-free skin.
During the Day
1.1 Wash Your Face
In the morning, right after you wake up, make a habit of washing your face before you even start the day. In order to properly wash the oil that has been building up on your skin, use warm water. Use a cleanser afterward to safely remove any excess oil you’ve missed.
1.2 Use an Oil-Control Toner
Once you’ve washed your face and removed the oil build-up, it’s time to dry. Use a soft towel and pat yourself gently. Washing your face may cause it to dry up temporarily, and being a bit rough when you’re drying out your skin can cause breaks on it, and might produce further blemishes.
Once you’re dry, apply some oil-control toner. The oil-control toner is going to help you by lessening the amount of oil being produced by your skin throughout the day.
1.3 Hydrated Eye Cream and Lotion
Washing out your skin can cause it to dry up, since you’re basically washing away the thing that’s meant to keep the moisture in, namely the oils. To prevent your skin from becoming dull, use creams and lotions to moisturize your skin.
The skin surrounding your eyes is particularly vulnerable, so make use of hydrating eye creams to prevent them from drying out. As for the rest of your face, use a refreshing lotion specifically formulated for oily skin.
1.4 Use Sunscreen Before Going Out
Remember when we told you that sudden changes in temperature can cause your body to produce excessive amounts of oil as a response? Well, being under the hot sun can also trigger that reaction. If you can’t avoid going outside, then at least wear protective clothing.
Aside from changing your wardrobe, it’s also a good idea to use sunscreen on top of all your daily skincare products. In order to effectively protect your skin, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
In the Evening
2.1 Face Detox Massage and Face Masks
For at least once or twice a week, before going to bed, do a facial detox massage. This particular massage is a self-massage technique designed to help improve the circulation on your face and helps reduce wrinkles. It takes no longer than 10 minutes, and can definitely take years off of your skin.
After that, you can apply face masks that can both hydrate your skin and nourish it. There are numerous types of face masks in the market, but the ones you’re after are face masks that moisturize your skin.
2.2 Exfoliation
Another side effect of severe oiliness on your skin is the build-up of oil in your pores and on other parts of your skin in general. A good way to keep your skin fresh and radiant is through exfoliating. Exfoliating basically removes the build-up of dead skin cells and oil on the outer layers of your skin, exposing the healthy, new skin underneath.
Too much exfoliating can cause more harm than good though since you’re practically chipping away at your body’s outer barriers. This makes you more vulnerable to microbes entering your body, especially if you’ve caused a break on your skin because of all your exfoliating. Exfoliating once or twice a month is a safe bet if you don’t want to overdo it.
Other Tips
Keep Yourself Hydrated and Always Moisturize
Getting rid of the oil can cause your skin to dry out quickly. The oil itself actually keeps the moisture in, after all. So if you’re taking steps to remove excess oil, never forget to moisturize in order to maintain the healthy skin. Another good practice is to keep yourself hydrated by drinking ample amounts of water. Drink at least 3 – 4 liters of water a day. It’s a healthy habit not just for your skin, but also for your entire body overall.
Avoid Spicy Food and Focus More on Fruits and Vegetables
Changes in temperature cause your body to secrete more oil, hence causing your oily skin. We’ve already established that, but did you know that these temperature changes aren’t exclusive to your immediate environment? Sudden changes to your body’s temperature can also trigger your skin to produce more oil than usual. That’s why it’s not advisable to eat so much spicy food.
Limiting the amount of spicy food you take will lessen the amount of oil that’s being released from your body through your sweat. While you’re at it, focus more on consuming healthier food options, such as fruits and dark green leafy vegetables. Both will help improve your skin’s overall health and help stabilize your sebaceous glands.
Use Oil-Free Cosmetics
Once you’ve rid your skin of any excess oil, it wouldn’t make sense if you do something that can actually ruin all your hard work. Although it can improve your looks significantly, makeup can actually clog your pores, causing you to have breakouts. While using makeup itself doesn’t cause acne, the ingredients used in making them do.
Does this mean you’ll have to give up on using cosmetics? No, not at all. There are oil-free cosmetics available in the market that can help you look pretty without ruining your skin. Oil-free cosmetics are a type of makeup that won’t clog up your pores or leave any oily residue behind that can worsen your oily skin condition.
