How to Stop Oily Skin - Find the Best Products to Treat Oily Skin

The key to fighting oily skin is keeping pores clean and unblocked, and achieving a balanced moisture level.  The more congested your pores become, the more oil your skin will produce. Here is a regimen to disinfect pores & keep oil production down, along with some product suggestions for oily & acne prone skin.

First, wet your face with warm water.  Using circular motions, rub on an exfoliating scrub to unblock pores and allow debris to be freed.  Scrub for about 30 seconds, and then rinse away granules with warm water.  Why does this help? Every day, our skin cells turn over, leaving dead dry skin behind. Using a scrub, such as St Ives Apricot Scrub or Skin Obsession's Microdermabrasion Crystals will remove this old skin that is blocking up your pores, paving the way for cleaner, clearer skin with fewer blackheads.   

Next, treat open pores with a bacteria killing facial wash such.  Some good choices are: 

Acne Free 24/7 Foaming Face wash, Proactive Renewing Cleanser or Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Face Wash.  All three of these contain at least one ingredient that will destroy bacteria buried deep in the pores without over-drying skin. Why does this help? Once you’ve exfoliated with the scrub in step 1, pores are open and ready for treatment.  Oily skin harbors bacteria and oil in pores - washing with a quality facial wash will kill existing bacteria and prevent new bacteria from forming throughout the day.  

Third, apply a toner to a cotton pad and gently rub over your entire face.  This treatment also penetrates pores with bacteria killing ingredients, thereby fighting excess oil production.  Proactive Toner works wonderfully – it fights bacteria but doesn’t strip skin of its natural moisture.  Many harsh alcohol based toners you can purchase in the supermarket will only make the oiliness worse – they dehydrate the skin, forcing it to produce even more oil than you had in the first place!  Why does this help? Proactive toner is meant to keep skin at a healthy PH level.  When skin is balanced (not too dry & not too oily) it regulates oil production and leaves you with a fresh complexion.  

Fourth, apply a bacteria fighting moisturizer, such as Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Effect Refining Cream.  This is a very light moisturizer & a little goes a long way.  The Tea Tree Oil, Salicylic Acid, and Botanicals cleanse pores while moisturizing, and helps to control excess oil.  Some people with extra oily skin, may want to skip this step, or moisturize only occasionally.  Personally, I only use moisturizer when seasons change and my skin goes through a dry/flaky phase.  Otherwise, even the lightest moisturizer seems to be too much.  Use moisturizer at your discretion, or only apply once every few days. Why does this help? Again, the more dehydrated your skin becomes, the more oil it will produce. If skin feels very tight after washing, or you have peeling areas, then you probably need to moisturize to prevent additional oil production. Alternately, you can prevent skin dehydration by drinking ten 8oz glasses of water per day, and avoiding caffine & alcohol.  During times you don’t get enough water, but too much caffine & alcohol, compensate by using this Dr. Brandt Moisturizer.  The Tea Tree Oil in this product makes skin feel wonderfully refreshed and hydrated, without feeling greasy. 

Fifth, apply an oil absorbent powder to keep skin fresh and dry for hours. One of the best on the market is called Mattify! Loose Powder.  This is a transparent powder that can be applied alone, or before and after foundation.  Why does this help? Skin oil causes most foundations and eye shadows to deteriorate.  Using the Mattify! Loose Powder both underneath and over your makeup helps it bond to the skin while preventing both smudging and fading.  Women who don’t use makeup, and men as well, can use Mattify! Loose Powder to absorb excess facial oil all day long. The Kaolin Clay in the product absorbs 3x its weight in oil to keep your skin grease-free. 

To apply, dip a powder brush into the mixture and apply in swirling motions all over your face.  The more you blend, the more transparent the powder becomes. Those of you with extremely oily skin might find it helpful to apply with a powder puff instead of a brush.  This technique allows for more concentrated application, and really presses the powder into your pores for maximum oil control.  There is no need to worry about this causing blocked pores – it actually cleanses your skin as you wear it.  The Kaolin Clay in the powder bonds to dirt and oil, so that when you wash your face at the end of the day, all debris is whisked out of your pores.  Re-apply the Mattify! Powder throughout the day for continuous oil control.  Most people will find that they only need to re-apply once every 4-6 hours. The powder continues to go on clear, and will not disturb your other makeup.   

Finally, apply a makeup setting spray, such as Model in a Bottle or Ben Nye Setting Spray.  This is most helpful if you wear foundation and eye shadow – only to find that your oily skin causes “makeup melt-down” half way through the day.  Once ALL of your makeup has been applied, use the spray to set makeup for all day wear. Why does this help?  These sprays form a protective barrier over your makeup to prevent foundation from creasing and rubbing on to clothing.  They also stop eye shadow & liner from traveling south of your eyes.  These formulas allow skin to breathe, while absorbing excess oil, so are also suitable for sensitive and acnegenic skin.  

To apply, hold the spray bottle 6 – 8 inches away from your face.  While keeping eyes closed, spray once onto forehead, chin, sides of face, and then once directly on to the center of your face. If you accidentally get too much on your eye area, just keep your eyes closed until it dries (about 30 seconds).  A slight stinging sensation may occur if the formula gets into eyes, but will pass quickly.  If you suffer from oily skin, you will find these sprays to be your best defense against makeup melt-down.   

If you follow these steps, you will find that your oily skin is decreased drastically.  This is a regimen I discovered on my own, after trying what seems like every product & diet on the market to combat oiliness.  It does seem that those of us with oily skin have an unfair burden – but, those myths you hear are correct… People with oily skin show their age MUCH slower than those with dry skin.  While we may require a more high-maintenance skin care routine, we reap the benefit of looking younger longer!  
 

Products to AVOID – these will block pores and cause oiliness to become worse.

Makeup and primers that contain Silicones

Oil based foundation

Cream eye shadow

Chap Stick

Oil based moisturizer 

Myths to IGNORE – Common things that have been tried, but aren’t true

Stop eating greasy food, chocolate, or meat and oily skin will disappear

Going on an all apple or all fruit diet will get rid of oily skin

Taking high amounts of Pantothenic Acid banishes oily skin & acne

People with oily skin should always use moisturizer, day and night

Exfoliating will make oily skin worse – this one is SO untrue!  
 

Most of the products mentioned in this article can be found either online, at supermarkets, or at Sephora or Ulta.