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May 12, 2010

Tips & Tricks By Ginger: “I have oily skin and need an oil free moisturizer”





“I have oily skin and need an oil free moisturizer”

I hear this same complaint day after day.  Reading the ingredient labels for oily skin treatment products sends me right through the roof.  Not many mass consumers understand their oily skin and why it behaves the way it does.  It’s understandable because truly oily skins think about nothing else besides how to stop the flow of sebum.  And the cosmetic industry only complicates the problem….spending billions of dollars on advertising their “latest and greatest” acne/oil control formula and zero on educating their customers.

I always use the analogy of an orange.  Think of the last time you bought a fresh orange….its plump, ripe, and ready to be eaten.  Now think back….have you ever had an orange that has kind of hung around for way too long.  It doesn’t look juicy and inviting anymore…its shriveled and you can actually see the pores of the orange skin.  This is exactly the same thing that happens when human skin becomes dehydrated. 

The epidermis functions best when the hydro-lipid barrier is in balance.  This means your skin is fully hydrated and maintains its normal sebum output.  If water level drops, oil production can become amplified causing some “normal to combination” skin to believe they are oily.  Now don’t get me wrong, there are people with oily skin…they would actually become even OILIER.  So what’s the answer?

First, avoid products that contain heavy concentrations of alcohol.  This ingredient can facilitate dehydration – exactly what you don’t need.  Most commercially produced acne/oily skin products have very high alcohol content because it’s a cheap ingredient and will make the skin “feel” less oily.  Its best to concentrate on bulking up the epidermal water content and use products to treat and address without further “harming” the skin.

Oil is good for the skin.  Period.  There are different oils for different skin types of course, and some oil is NOT GOOD for skin, however, oily skin should not avoid oil all together.

Here are some tips and tricks to help put your skin back into balance and make shopping for skin care easier:

Topically applied HYALURONIC ACID will help restore water content, thus slowing sebum production – MIZU HYDRATE SERUM PURE is a great choice or MIZU HYDRATE SERUM CLEAR if you have congested and blocked pores.




A non-alcohol toner that contains a small amount of salicylic acid will help keep your skin fresh and clean – PEEL RX ALPHA BETA TONER works well.  If your skin is excessively oily, SALICYLIC 2% can be used in the am in place of the Toner and for spot treatment when you feel a pimple coming on.



Drink lots of water and avoid smoking, caffeine, hot liquids, spicy food- I know this sounds like something your mom would told you when you were a teenager, but its all true.  Caffeine dehydrates, smoking decreases the blood oxygen levels, hot liquids and spicy food may cause your pores to dilate and promotes pimples.

Next week I will provide some helpful hints when it comes to reading your product labels to further arm you against oily skin! In the meantime if you have any questions please check out Natural Skin Shop where you can speak directly with a skin care specialist.

2 comments:

Julissa said...

The topic is very useful and informative. I have oily skin and Aloe vera gel absorbs skin oil. So I use it for my skin.

Eye Creams said...

You can also use retinoids but advisable to consult a dermatologist first before applying it to your face. It's clinically proven that retinoids effectively treats any skin disorders.

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