Why is it oily? Your skin can be oily for a number of reasons.
- Of course, you may be predisposed genetically to having oily skin (one or both parents had oily and/or problem skin).
- Diet plays a big role in how much oil is being produced.
- Climate (temperature) will affect your oil gland activity.
- Heat stimulates glandular activity, so a hot summer’s day can cause your skin to be oily.
- Puberty and the onset of hormonal surges can cause oily skin to appear.
- Even the beginning of menopause can bring about fluctuations in the oil glands that can cause more oil to be produced for a period of time.
- Soap, because of its stripping action, can signal your glands to compensate by pumping out more oil.
In general, your skin is oily because your sebaceous or oil glands are producing too much oil. The excess oil will just sit on the surface of your skin, making your face look and feel oily as well as causing a buildup of oil and debris in your pores.
What to use on oily skin. Keeping oily skin clean is of the utmost importance. What you are cleansing it with is equally important. Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t want to “dry out” oily skin. Drying it out sounds logical, but this method is ineffective and won’t clear up problems. However, you do want to keep the surface cleaned out. This is done through using non-alkaline cleansers on a twice-daily basis (morning and evening). For a deep and thorough cleansing, use a clay mask once or several times per week. Finally, exfoliating actively with a gommage or scrub will help keep the dead skin buildup to a minimum. It is dead skin and oil that clog the pores, so keeping the skin clean and well exfoliated will help curb congestion.
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