Take care of your oily skin

Not everybody has the same quality or type of skin. Some may have dry skin while others may experience oily skin. Oily skin needs a great deal of special care as it tends to get greasy and shiny. The pores on the forehead, nose and chin tend to be large and open. The excessive oil causes the skin to look dirty, tired and unattractive. However, there is an advantage of oily skin – the skin ages better because the oil helps to protect the skin and lubricates it. This means that as you grow older, your skin appears younger than it would have otherwise.

However, having too much oil is unsightly and should be removed on a daily basis in a manner that will not dry out the skin and strip away the oil that the skin needs. When taking care of your oily skin, you have to consider the cleansing and moisturizing process. Cleansing the oil off your skin should be done without drying the skin. The moisturizing process brings back the moisture that was lost in the cleansing process. Both processes are equally important. Failure to do either could lead to breakouts and blackheads.

Cleansing your face twice a day will help remove the excess oil that builds up during the day and night. Upon waking up in the morning, you should wash your face from the oil that was produced during the night. Before sleeping, you should wash your face again to remove the oil produced during the day. You can do a slight cleansing during mid-day to remove the dirt and oil and freshen up. Be careful though. Too much washing can be disastrous as it can wash away the oils that the skin needs for protection. It can make your face become excessively dry. Your skin will react and may produce even more oil than before.

After cleansing, you should apply a moisturizer. The cleansing process will take away oil that the skin needs and the moisturizer helps restore the skin’s natural moisture. If your skin feels tight, that is an indication that it is dry. If you leave the skin dry without moisturizing it, the skin will produce more oil to compensate for the dryness and you will end up cleansing endlessly.

When selecting the right moisturizer, look for the “Oily skin” tag and the “Oil-free” tag. Moisturizers for oily skin should be water based. Some of the good moisturizers are called gel moisturizers because they are lighter than the standard face cream and absorb more easily. If you use a foundation, select one that is light, oil-free and controls shine. It will control the shine throughout the day and tighten the pores.