Having oily and acne-prone skin is a nightmare for many. Oftentimes, people who struggle with such skin try out too many products in hopes of ‘treating’ it.
It can be extremely uncomfortable and unsightly. The grease and shine can be so overwhelming that blotting papers and powders can only fix it for a short while.
Oily and acne-prone skin can be quite technical but fret not, we will provide you an overview of effective treatments.
If you wish to regulate your sebum production and say goodbye to your oily and acne-prone skin, keep on reading.
Use milk of magnesium
Some people may find this treatment a bit unusual, but it is definitely effective. Milk of magnesia is an affordable treatment and very easy to source and use.
You can buy this over the counter at your local drug stores or pharmacies. To use this, thoroughly shake the bottle and apply a thin layer on your skin.
Make sure that your skin is clean and damp, it’s best to apply this after cleansing. Let it sit on your face for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing it with warm water.
With regular and consistent use, you will observe that your skin no longer produces as much oil.
Use oil instead of moisturizer
It may appear ridiculous to you, but it is one of the most effective ways to fix oily skin.
The thought of having oily skin and then putting more oil to it sounds uncomfortable and straight-up absurd.
However, using the right essential oil on your face can actually aid in regulating your sebum production.
If you haven’t heard of it yet, essential oils are capable of ‘tricking’ your skin into believing that it already produced adequate sebum.
Therefore, it helps prevent pores from producing too much oil. It can also dissolve dirt and impurities inside clogged pores.
Sometimes, the sebum inside your pores can harden and plug your pores, this then develops into blackheads and/or whiteheads.
Using the right essential oil on affected areas can ‘melt’ and rid them for good.
For the face, the best oils to use jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and avocado oil. Avoid using oils that are too thick in consistency as they could ‘seal’ your pores and end up clogging them more.
Make some changes to your lifestyle and diet
You may find yourself still suffering from oily skin even after quitting bad skincare habits.
This could mean that your bad skincare habits aren’t the only problem.
More often than not, oily and acne-prone skin is heavily influenced by internal problems like diet, lifestyle, and even hormones.
Studies suggest that consuming too many unhealthy foods such as processed and sugary foods can result in a hormonal imbalance.
As a result, your skin overproduces oil and cause acne breakouts. If you can relate to this, it is best to cut back on processed foods and start eating clean and healthy.
Improve your diet by eating more vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods. You may also decrease your dairy intake as some dairy foods heavily affect sebum production.
Apart from improving your diet, you may also want to improve your lifestyle. Exercise more, get plenty of sleep and avoid getting too stressed.
Use lukewarm water only when washing
Hot water can dry out your skin and further irritate it. It can also encourage sebum overproduction.
So make sure to only wash your skin with lukewarm water.
Do not over-cleanse
There is a myth that when you have oily skin, you need to wash it until it feels squeaky-clean. That is absolutely false.
Over-cleansing can not only dry your face it can also strip your skin of its natural oils and compromise the skin barrier.
The skin barrier is the skin’s natural moisturizer; when it gets compromised, the skin could become dry and this could lead to further skin problems.
It is ideal to only wash the face twice: after waking up and before going to bed. If you become really oily midday, you can use a blotting paper or apply toner to regulate it.
As much as possible, avoid cleansing more than twice. For cleansing, using cleansers that are milk or jelly-based are best.
Absolutely avoid using bar soaps on the face as they can be extremely drying.
For more tips on how to take care of your skin, read the following articles.
Treat acne naturally using herbal products
The different types of acne scars and how to get rid of them
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