Oily Skin - What Causes It and Effective Fixes

Your skin's natural oil - also known as sebum - helps your skin stay supple, hydrated, and well protected from environmental irritants. Although sebum is a natural part of healthy skin, some skin types can produce too much of it. The result is skin that looks and feels greasy or shiny, and can often lead to more acne-prone skin.

Many believe that scrubbing away the excess oil is the best way to solve the problem, ensuring that your skin remains smooth and safely away from acne. However, too much scrubbing or stripping your skin of oils can actually do more harm than good. Sometimes it causes your skin to overcompensate for an imbalance, thereby causing it to produce even more oil.

As frustrating as that may sound, encouraging your oily skin towards more balanced sebum production is entirely possible. Education is key, so let’s take a deeper look at the causes of oily skin - and how you promote more balanced skin.

No matter how frequently and thoroughly you cleanse your skin, oily skin remains oily because of the following most common reasons:

Genetics:

Unfortunately, oily skin can be genetic. It’s a hereditary trait characterized by larger sebaceous glands, thereby making your skin produce more oil naturally. This trait is actually quite common in asian populations, which is also while you’ll find a lot of asian skincare and K-beauty with super lightweight, non-greasy, and oil-free formulations. This trait is often also more common in males than females.

Hormonal changes:

More often than not your oily skin happens due to hormonal changes in your body. Oil production relies heavily on androgen, which often fluctuates. Once this happens, an increase in sebum production will ensue. Women especially maye find their skin becoming more or less oily at different times in their cycle.

Overwashing:

It can be tempting to wash your face frequently to get rid of the excess oil, but your skin looking shinier with each wash should be a cause of concern. Keep in mind that scrubbing too harshly, cleansing too often, or exfoliating too often can interrupt your skin's processes - prompting your skin to produce even more oil. It’s best to shy away from harsh cleansers, and moderate how often you exfoliate.

Environmental and lifestyle factors:

Hot weather and humidity are known to support sebum production, which ends up making your skin look greasier and oilier. Your skin absolutely changes with the seasons, where you live, and your lifestyle.

The best approach to oily skin is to keep your routine fairly simple, and use products formulated for oilier skin types.

• A good non-stripping cleanser that keeps your skin barrier intact.
• A good non-greasy moisturiser that hydrates your skin, and delivers actives that can help
• A lightweight non-greasy daily sunscreen.

Niacinamide is one of the few actives with studies proven to show it helps regulate sebum production. Most of these studies are conducted with Niacinamide at 4% or 5%, so be sure you’re using a product with around that concentration. Above that, and you’re probably paying extra for no proven benefit.

There are also multiple ‘sebum regulating actives’ from many industry suppliers. Most of these have internal studies to back up the claims that they reduce or regulate oil production. It’s a little harder to find this information as a consumer, so sticking with Niacinamide at 5% is the easiest way forward.

It might seem counter intuitive to use moisturiser if your skin is oily, however it’s essential to keeping your skin hydrated to encourage healthy skin function. Skin that is too dry or dehydrated can cause your glands to act up and produce more sebum to compensate for the dryness. As a result, you get more oil.

Moisturising daily is paramount to your skin’s health, but you also need to invest in the right type of moisturiser. Learning how to check your skin type can be helpful, especially since your moisturiser needs to fit your skin’s specific needs.

Avoiding heavy and greasy products is also just as crucial, but combination skin may prompt you to invest in more than one type of moisturizer. For the best results, however, a personalised moisturiser from August Skincare may just do the trick.

Treating oily and acne-prone skin takes time. No product or practice can produce overnight results. By sticking to a good routine with a good cleanser, moisturiser, and SPF - you’ll be able to achieve healthy, glowing and supple skin. Something a simple change can make a big difference - the only thing left to do now is to make the move.

If you wish to invest in a personalised cruelty-free moisturiser, August Skincare offers one of the best in Australia. We offer personalised skincare products, all of which are made to order according to your needs, goals, and skin type. Shop Aussie-made products—order your new favourites today!