Oily skin is hereditary. It can be passed down from generation to generation like an unwanted inheritance. It's a problem that some have been battling since puberty. It can prolong bouts of acne and turn flawless makeup applications into a shiny mess. Blotting papers, primers and countless products promise to mattify the skin, but you must first understand the cause and what can aggravate those temperamental pores to understand what you can do to nix the shine.
Sebum is the oily substance connected to your hair follicle that your body naturally produces to lubricate your skin and hair. Your sebaceous glands produce sebum as a reaction to dehydration. It coats the hair and skin to moisturize it and then waterproofs it to lock in moisture. It's a myth to think that trying to dry out skin will help with shine. It has the opposite effect. Withholding moisture will exacerbate the problem by stripping the skin of vital hydration, enlarging sebaceous glands, producing more oil and stimulating breakouts. The key to healthy, less oily skin is hydration.
Step 1: Cleanse
Start with a cleanser that balances and nourishes skin without stripping it of vital moisture, such as Purity Clean. It's okay to use a cleanser that contain oils like tea tree or peppermint, as these oils help calm and balance pores. When paired with ingredients such as Lactic Acid and Salicylic Acid, the skin is exfoliated to remove dead skin cells that impede moisturization, and clarified to remove excess oil and dirt.
Step 2: Tone
Ryan Christopher, director of global education at COSMEDIX, recommends immediately following your cleanser with a toner such as Purity Balance because it contains salicylic acid. “Salicylic acid helps decongest the pores and sterilize the follicle,” Ryan said. “It helps open up your skin so other active ingredients can penetrate deeper.” It essentially helps replace sebum with moisture for more glow and less shine.
Step 3: Moisturize
An oil-free moisturizer is the last daily essential for matte skin. Ingredients that not only moisturize the skin, but restore the skin's lipid barrier is the key. A weak surface layer contributes to transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which means moisture evaporates from the skin leading to dehydration. A strong lipid barrier helps lock in moisture so your body won't signal your sebaceous glands to produce sebum to moisturize your skin.
Some moisturizers are using advanced technology to help control shine and its effects. Lilac Stem Cells have been proven to help control excess oil and balance the skin for a more matte complexion while also reducing redness and improving skin’s tone and texture. It has noticeably been used to treat acne a side effect of oily skin. Shineless Oil-Free Moisturizer contains Lilac Stem Cells as well as Trehalose and Niacinamide. Trehalose acts a humectant that draws moisture into the skin, and Niacinamide helps improve the skin's barrier function that stores moisture for lasting hydration.
Step 4: Change Your Habits
A good regimen is a good start, but there are other factors that stimulate oil production that you can also control. Though cleansing and exfoliating your skin is good for it, over doing it can have the opposite effect. Again, squeaky clean leads to dryness, which is the opposite of what you're trying to achieve. Also, makeup must be compatible with your skin type. Oily skin should opt for oil-free foundations and complexion products. Moisturizing before makeup application and setting your look with a moisturizing spray helps curb shine. Lastly, calm down. Stress can stimulate oil production that minimize the effects of a shine-free regimen.
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