Understanding your OILY SKIN

Hello Ladies, this article has been long overdue

We get alot of emails from our readers asking us to help them maintain their Oily skin, finally we’ve decided to write an article for those women with OILY SKIN type.

So How do you know I know I have OILY skin?

1. Oily skin is first recognized by Shiny, Thick and firm appearance.

2. Pores are usually enlarged due to oil trapped in the follicle.

3. Oily Skin tends to have occasional pimples on the chin and forehead area

4. The skin feels oily when touched

5. A couple of minutes after cleansing the face, it gets oily again.

6. A huge percentage of black women tend to have Oily skin

How do I manage my Oily Skin?

1. Living in hot, humid climates like Nigeria, tend to cause our oil glands to produce more oil, causing our already oily skin to be oilier! (Urggh!) To deal with this problem it is important we thoroughly cleanse at night (Double cleanse) as well as properly moisturize with an oil-free, lightweight moisturizer (Eg: Active Moist by Dermalogica).

2. Oily Skin can also be aggravated by using the wrong products, for example washing an oily face with normal bar soap which has more alkalinity and is harsh on the skin, can strip it of its natural moisture, signaling to the skin to produce more oil in order to compensate. It is also NOT wise to use ALCOHOL, strong astringent and scrubs, this only exacerbates the situation. To properly care for your oily skin be sure to HYDRATE it.

Here are the Top 10 rules for dealing with Oily Skin.

1. Thoroughly cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser, if you wear makeup be sure to use a makeup remover first, then cleanse skin. Do not USE BAR soap to wash your face.

2. A great NIGHTTIME cleanser for oily skin is a GEL cleanser or any cleanser that FOAMS.

3. MOISTURIZE your skin with an OIL-FREE moisturizer, then use an SPF protection. DO NOT SKIP moisturizers, this oily causes your skin to produce more oil

4. Exfoliate your skin with a chemical exfoliate that contains AHA, BHA or Enzymes like Papain and Bromelain at least 1x a week.

5. Give your face a weekly MASQUE treatment containing CLAYS like KAOLIN and BENTONITE, these clays help absorb excess oil.

6. Be sure to only use Non-Comeodogenic makeup, this is basically makeup that does not clog pores.

7. If you experience a shine during the day, you can BLOT it out, with either a blotting paper, blotting powder (BMPRO has a great one) or just plain toilet paper (yes, this works!)

8. Whatever you do, do not SCRUB face aggressively

9. Avoid ingredients that keep bar products in solid form. This includes bar cleansers and soaps or stick foundations or that are present in emollient lotions and creams because they are likely to clog pores and look greasy on your skin, instead only go for liquid, serum, or gel formulations  (Credit: Paulaschoice.com)

10. Use an alcohol-FREE TONER with antioxidants.

BEAUTY TIP:  Save money on buying an oil-free primer, by using Milk of Magnesia as a PRIMER before you wear makeup, to control the shine and SET your foundation.  

– Pour a small amount on a cotton ball, apply to face and evenly spread, using too much will cause your face to look to white. Remember a little goes a long way.