What is oily skin, how to recognize and treat it
Oily skin is a type of skin that secretes a large amount of sebum (fat) and has a characteristic shiny appearance.
This skin breathes badly, its pores become clogged and this often causes blackheads to form.
Depending on the type of excess sebum produced, there are various types of oily skin:
- Oily: it shows liquid sebum distributed all over the face, so the skin looks shiny and greasy and pores are dilated;
- Asphyxiated: it has thick and waxy sebum that remains trapped inside the follicles. This makes the skin look dry, rough and with comedones;
- Seborrheic: it has abundant sebum, so the skin looks dull and opaque and blackheads and pimples tend to develop.
- Impure and Acneic: this is the case when the bacteria present in the follicles proliferate and trigger inflammatory reactions such as papules, pustules, closed/open comedones, and even acne.
However, there is also good news: oily skin is a resistant skin type and, therefore, less prone to the appearance of wrinkles.
Did you know that snail slime cosmetics are ideal also in the case of oily skin? The right combination of active principles helps even the oiliest skin regain their balance. Click here: "Snail slime for oily skin" to find out more.
Why do some people have oily skin?
Let's look at the main factors that trigger sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum:
- Heredity: that is, the family predisposition;
- Hormones: hormonal imbalances (i.e during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy);
- Stress: stress causes an alteration of the body's balance affecting the sebaceous glands which produce excess sebum;
- Wrong cosmetics: too aggressive or drying products might lead the sebaceous glands to produce even more sebum;
- Wrong diet: the consumption of foods rich in fats and sugars negatively affects the health of the skin, especially the oily one;
- Medicines: the contraceptive pill and cortisone-based medicines modify hormone levels.
Let's try to intervene where we can: removing stress and adopting a correct food style. Your skin will thank you.
Characteristics of oily skin
Oily skin has clearly identifiable characteristics:
- Excessive oiliness;
- Dull and opaque complexion, due to thick and waxy sebum;
- It is greasy and irregular to the touch;
- It almost always shows very dilated pores, blackheads and acne;
Oily skin needs good hydration and careful care.
Difference between oily skin and dry skin
How to recognize oily skin?
If your skin has the characteristics described above, you typically fall into the oily skin category.
Here, however, is another trick to understand if your skin type is actually oily.
On a cleansed and dry face, press a clean make-up tissue: if the tissue shows large areas (almost all) greasy or oily, then your skin is of the oily type.
If, instead, the tissue is greasy only in the T area (forehead, nose and chin), then you have combination skin.,
What precautions should you take?
Here are some general tips for oily skin:
- Daily cleansing: with a delicate and non-aggressive detergent like snail slime cleansing milk by Nuvò Cosmetic.
- Morning and evening application of a rebalancing serum for oily skins (or anti-blemish face serum like Remedial Serum by Nuvò Cosmetic.
- Daily application of a specific cream for oily skins, like Face Cream 80% Nuvò.
- Face Mask: cosmetic treatment rich in functional substances to be used once or twice a week. For oily skin, an astringent mask or one specifically designed for oily skin is recommended.
- Gommage or scrub: cream or gel containing microgranules which favor the elimination of dead cells on the face and help speed up the physiological turnover of the epidermis. a treatment particularly suitable for oily skin, to be used once a week.
- Peeling: chemical exfoliation of the skin to be performed in a beauty or aesthetic medicine centre.
What detergent should you use?
People with oily skin tend to wash their face very frequently with "degreasing" cleansers, thereby thinking of drying out their skin.
This is indeed a serious mistake because in doing so the sebaceous glands are stimulated to produce even more sebum to remedy excessive dryness.
It is advisable to wash your face only once a day using a cleanser that does not dry out the skin thanks to its sebum-regulating function like Nuvò snail slime face cleanser , rich in di snail slime, hyaluronic acid and almond oil.
Home-made treatments for oily skin
The first step to take to treat oily skin at home is certainly to adopt a daily beauty routine including a specific cleanser and moisturizer for this type of skin.
The following treatments could be added to our daily beauty routine:
- Mask: clay masks are particularly suitable for absorbing excess sebum. They are readily available on the market or can be prepared at home by simply mixing white or green clay with water. Other ingredients can also be added to this compound, thus obtaining purifying masks (by adding vinegar or lemon), or soothing masks (by adding honey).
It is recommended to make a face mask at least once or twice a week. - Essential oils: you can take advantage of the properties of essential oils and plant extracts to treat oily skin. The oils and extracts to be used must be those having sebum-normalising, astringent and purifying properties. The most recommended ones are: lemon, birch, lavender, tea tree extract. These extracts can be used as a facial toner after cleansing, or added to a clay mask.
- Steam: steam helps dilate pores and allows subsequent treatments ( scrub or mask) to work at their best.
- Scrub: mechanical exfoliation using microgranules to be performed once or twice a week to remove dead cells and dirt from the face. A homemade scrub for oily skin is super easy to make: just mix honey or lemon juice and sugar.
Treatments by a dermatologist
There are specific treatments that can be carried out at a beauty center or a dermatological doctor's office.
Let's have a look at some of them:
- Epifacing: professional facial cleansing.
Deeply removes skin impurities and eliminates blackheads. - Dermatological peeling: chemical exfoliation that quickly removes dead cells and promotes skin regeneration.
- Salicylic acid peel: it is excellent for oily skin or for skin with mild acne.
- LED photostimulation: treatment that uses certain types of light to reduce skin blemishes due to dermatitis and acne. It also stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, essential for the beauty and health of the skin.
Glycolic acid peeling, on the other hand, is recommended for skin with acne scars.
Which face cream for oily skin should I use?
The most common mistake is to think that oily skin doesn't need hydration and, therefore, the regular application of a cream.
It is not so: even oily skin needs hydration.
The ideal type of cream to be used is a light and fluid, normalizing and opacifying moisturiser, which fights the shine caused by excess sebum and manages to reduce excessively dilated pores.
The cream must also contain ingredients with antibacterial properties, essential for fighting blackheads and pimples.
What should it contain?
A face cream for oily skin must contain ingredients able to normalize sebum production, refine skin texture and mattify the skin's appearance.
Here is a list of recommended ingredients:
- Zinc, sage and rosemary extracts: with sebum-normalizing and astringent properties;
- Rose water and witch hazel: with astringent properties;
- Lavender: with anti-inflammatory and balsamic properties
- Aloe vera: with anti-inflammatory, soothing and moisturizing properties;
- Glycolic and salicylic acid: with exfoliating properties.
Always remember that even oily skin needs hydration, so the cream you use must contain natural ingredients acting as moisturizers, such as Aloe Vera or natural oils and butters ( jojoba oil , almond oil, argan oil, Shea butter , etc.) .
How to choose the best
First, make sure that the face cream for oily skin you are about to choose does not contain synthetic oils, butters, emulsifiers or paraffin: these ingredients are contraindicated for oily skin as they are very heavy.
Also make sure that the cream is non-comedogenic, meaning that it doesn't contain ingredients likely to clog pores.
Ingredients such as paraffin, silicone and synthetic oils in general are considered comedogenic.
So, choose the most suitable cream for your oily skin taking the following elements into account:
- Formula: list of ingredients (INCI);
- Consistency: choose a light, fluid, rapidly absorbed cream;
- Age of use: choose a cream based on your age (more suitable for acne if you are young, or a more "anti-ageing" formula if you're an adult);
- Additional functions: choose a cream able to also perform mattifying, sebum regulating, anti-ageing and anti-blemish functions.
Why choose snail slime for this type of skin?
Snail slime is a real panacea for the skin as it is naturally rich in active ingredients.
Let's analyse in more details the main properties useful for oily skin:
- Exfoliating and purifying properties: thanks to the presence of glycolic acid;
- Antibacterial properties: a valid help against the bacteria causing acne;
- Regenerative properties: stimulate the production of collagen and elasti that are essential elements for the well-being of the skin;
- Moisturising and soothing properties: thanks to the presence of allantoin, elastin and collagen contribute to a natural hydration;
Face Cream 80% by Nuvò is a light, rich but balanced face cream, perfect for oily skin.
- Its formula contains 80% snail slime. which makes it rank first therefore in the INCI of this product.
- Concentrated hexapeptide: for a tightening effect
- Retinol: to counteract the signs of ageing.
- Joboba oil and shea butter : perfect because they moisturize the skin without greasing or weighing it down.
- Dermatologically tested: nickel tested and certified for its antioxidant effect.
Natural remedies for oily face skin
The recommended natural remedies are very simple.
- A controlled diet: healthy and balanced.
- A beauty routine: composed of a specific cleanser and face cream.
- A face scrub once or twice a week: to effectively eliminate dead cells and dirt deposited on the face.
- A clay mask: 1 or 2 times a week to absorb excess sebum.
- Eessential oils (sage, lavender, rosemary, tea tree etc): they are useful thanks to their astringent and purifying properties.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a moisturizer if I have oily skin?
As this skin type of skin also needs hydration, you should use a moisturizer. The oily skin face cream must be light and non-comedogenic,, without artificial oils or paraffin.
Can I use a serum together with the cream?
Yes, you can use a serum before your face cream. For the choice of a serum we adopt the same precautions as those mentioned for the cream. The serum must therefore be light, non-comedogenic and rich in moisturizing ingredients such as pure snail slime .
Does diet affect oily face skin?
An unbalanced diet, high in fat, fried foods, alcohol and refined sugars can worsen the oily skin disorder. Instead, it is advisable to consume fish, white meat, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables.
Does spending many hours in the sun make oily skin better or worse?
Excessive sun exposure is bad for all skin types. We recommend you to expose yourself to the sun only in the cooler hours of the day and always with adequate sun protection, to avoid premature skin ageing.
The sun also dehydrates the skin and oily skin is greatly affected as it increases the production of sebum with the consequent buildup of impurities.
Does oily skin tend to age less?
This type of skin ages more slowly: excess sebum acts as a barrier against external agents responsible for skin ageing, such as sun, cold or wind. In addition, oily skin has a thicker stratum corneum and is less prone to develop wrinkles.
Can I wear makeup if I have oily skin?
You can wear makeup by remembering these little tricks:
- Choose long-lasting and mattifying products.
- Use powder products (foundation, powder or bronzer) that absorb excess sebum and do not clog pores.
- Always remember to apply moisturizer before makeup.
Can men also have oily skin?
Of course. Most men have oily skin due to androgen hormones stimulating the sebaceous glands.
This type of skin is considered by many men to be a real aesthetic problem. Their face tend to appear shiny and with annoying blemishes.
