Ingredients that Oily Skin Loves: Part I

Oily skin is tricky and temperamental. Even when we may think we have successfully eradicated all signs of shine, it always reappears with a vengeance.

Oily skin is characterized by overactive oil glands that cause a greasy sheen to appear, breakouts, blackheads, and enlarged pores. Often oily skin is caused by genetics, climate, and dehydration. It’s important to restore balance in the skin to prevent the oil glands from over producing oil.

You may be stripping your skin and worsening the issue without even knowing it. That is why being aware of ingredients in skincare products is essential. Once you are educated on what each ingredient does, with just a quick glands of an ingredient list you can determine if the product is right for you.

If you have oily skin, be on the lookout for the following ingredients:

Lemon: A natural antiseptic and antifungal, which can help reduce breakouts. The vitamin C also helps to brighten skin and combat hyperpigmentation, including acne scarring. Lemon can also whisk away greasiness / sebum due to its cleansing properties, which helps reduce shine and breakouts.

Tea Tree: Tea Tree is often used in skincare products formulated for oily, acne prone skin. This makes sense, as it has numerous benefits for this skin type. It is a gentle astringent, so it controls oil without drying the skin out. It is also antibacterial, which is what makes it effective against breakouts. Since blemishes are caused by bacteria, using tea tree oil will help to remove them and prevent new breakouts from forming.

Kaolin clay: To absorb excess oil without stripping the skin, using a product with kaolin clay is a great idea. This ingredient helps to draw oil, dead skin, and other debris out of the pores and tightens them, leading to clean, flawless skin. Many masks geared towards oily, acne prone skin contain this ingredient for its powerful results. Use a clay mask with kaolin clay two to three times a week after exfoliation and you will be amazed at how clear your skin looks afterwards.

Salicylic Acid: Salicylic acid is a BHA that is present in many fruit enzymes, like papaya and pineapple. Unlike other chemical exfoliators, salicylic acid reaches below the surface of the skin to clear out the pores. This removes dead skin, blackheads, and congestion without irritating the skin. It even helps to reduce inflammation and calm the skin, making it ideal for sensitive skin. You may either use a face wash with salicylic acid each day or use an exfoliator containing this ingredient two to three times a week.

Hyaluronic Acid: Oily skin is often caused by a deficiency in moisture. Because many with oily skin do not moisturize, the oil glands produce even more oil to make up for it. Also, dehydration, which can plague any skin type, is a lack of water in the skin that also contributes to excess oil. Hyaluronic acid draws water from the deeper layers of the skin to the surface to hydrate and soften. It will not leave a greasy sheen and will in fact help to reduce oil on the skin. It also has a plumping effect for healthy, glowing skin. Be sure to look for hyaluronic acid in either a serum or moisturizer.

Jojoba Oil: While those with oily skin are frequently warned of the perils of oil, the truth is oil is essential to healthy skin and will curb sebum production. However, don’t simply lather any oil onto your skin–be sure that it will not clog the pores, in other words, that it is non-comedogenic. Jojoba oil is one of the lightest oils used in skincare. It’s consistency is very similar to that of human sebum. As a result of applying jojoba oil to the skin, the oil glands stop producing oil, as they get the signal that the skin is properly hydrated.

Witch Hazel: Like tea tree oil, witch hazel is an astringent that will not strip skin. It tightens the pores for a more flawless look. It is also antibacterial, which will treat breakouts and prevent new blemishes from appearing. When blemishes appear red and inflamed, witch hazel soothes them and reduces redness. Using a toner with witch hazel will balance out skin, calm, and reduce pore size.

There’s a long list of ingredients that are beneficial for oily skin, however these are the standouts. Gently balancing out the skin with products that utilize these ingredients will help you to achieve shine-free, healthy skin.