Oily Skin Care: A Frustrating Problem with a Simple Solution

You might disagree, but hear me out on this. If you have oily skin, you really are lucky. The tell-tale signs of aging won't show up on your face as early as they will on the rest of us dry and normal-skinned people. This is because the oil works to keep precious moisture locked in the outermost layer of your skin. However, oily skin care can be a frustrating problem. And using most oily skincare products oftentimes seem to make the shininess, blackheads, and pimples worse. But the good news is that there is a simple solution that can "accentuate the positive" and "eliminate the negative" aspects of having this type of skin.

The problem with this type of skin comes from the body's over-production of a natural skin lubricant called sebum. The challenge for oily skin care is to remove the excess surface sebum, and dead skin cells without completely stripping the skin of its natural oils. Some cleansing methods and oily skincare products are so severe they defeat the purpose by causing the oil glands to go into "overdrive."

If you have oily skin, you can get the results you want with this simple solution:

1. Cleanse your face

• limit to no more than three washings per day
• use HOT water, since it dissolves facial oils more easily
• use a lathering cloth which helps to gently exfoliate/scrub skin
• cleanser/soap should be mild and not contain oils or waxes

Note: You can follow up with an astringent, but make sure that it is alcohol-free.

2. Only use non-synthetic, nature-based oily skincare products

• Deep cleanse, twice-monthly, with nature-based cleansing mask
• Moisturize with products that use high concentrations of bio-active ingredients (CoQ10, keratin, kelp extract, Vitamin E)
• Avoid products with mineral oil, parabens, dioxanes, alcohols and fragrances

3. Eat a diet aimed at oily skincare

• Avoid/reduce fried and processed "junk" food, animal and dairy fats, starches and sugars
• Increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates
• Drink 6-8 glass of filtered water daily
• Add Vitamin A, B-6 and lecithin, which have been show to be helpful