Oily skin is one of the biggest skincare problems that women mention.
Practically all women have problems with excessive skin oiliness at
some point in their lives. Here, you can learn about four causes and
what you can do about it.
Cause #1: Hormonal Activity
As you
may have read in one of my earlier articles, hormonal changes that
occur during puberty stimulate the skin's glands causing them to produce
more oil. As a woman, you will also have hormonal changes around your
period, after childbirth and during menopause that can cause skin
changes including excessive oiliness.
Cause #2: Diet
The
skin's oil is called sebum. It is composed of fat. Eating a high fat
diet increases your risk of oiliness, just as it increases your risk of
heart disease.
Simple carbs such as white bread, potatoes and
white rice can also play a role because they cause increased insulin
production. Insulin can also stimulate the oil-producing glands.
Cause #3: Over-Cleansing
Excessive
cleansing is one of the most common causes of oily skin. It may seem
logical to wash your face three or four times a day using a strong
cleanser. For a few minutes, your skin will feel less oily.
The
problem is that excessive cleansing causes your glands to produce more
oil. As the body becomes aware that the skin is dry, it wants to correct
the problem. The oil serves a purpose. The goals should not be to get
rid of the oil completely, but to balance the oil production.
Cause #4: Using the Wrong Skincare Products
This
is the number one cause of oiliness. The ingredients commonly found in
cosmetics and other skincare products can cause the skin to feel oily or
greasy. Some of the ingredients to avoid include:
· Petrolatum-otherwise known as Vaseline-found in shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers, sunscreens and moisturizers
· Mineral oil-the liquefied version of petrolatum-found in makeup,
foundation, moisturizer, body lotion, body wash, sunscreens and many
other skincare products
· Cocoa butter-not compatible with the skin's own oils-found in moisturizers, sunscreens, tanning lotion, etc.
Those ingredients do not have the same effect as excessive
cleansing. They don't cause your body to product more oil. They simply
make your skin feel oily.
The Solutions
You can't stop
hormonal activity from happening, but a healthy diet and good dietary
supplements can help to balance your hormones. You can make healthy
dietary changes, avoid over-cleansing and avoid bad skincare products.
Those solutions take time. What you probably want right now is an
immediate solution.
The immediate solution for oily skin is a deep
cleansing mask containing kaolin, bentone gel and other natural
ingredients that dry up excessive skin oils while gently pulling dirt
and grime out of the pores. The mask will solve the problem temporarily.
