Have you ever been actively engrossed in your work, minding your own business, doing a multitude of tasks single-handedly, only to be momentarily stunned when you caught your own shine in the mirror, and not the good kind of shine, but a shine that’s greasy and slathered all across your face with red angry dots scattered at the most obvious of places? On closer look, you might notice very large pores, skin that looks a little thicker than usual, and that acne problem that doesn’t seem to go away. If this problem seems a bit too familiar, you might probably have an acne-prone skin on top of an oily skin type. They come hand-in-hand, and solutions are always targeted at these two problems simultaneously.
Oily skin usually happens when the sebaceous glands underneath the skin surface produce too much sebum. Sebum is a waxy and oily substance secreted from the glands and flows through ducts, out through the pores and onto the skin. It hydrates the skin and inhibits the growth of bacteria on the skin surface. Sebum production depends on several modifiable and nonmodifiable factors. Genetics is one that you have little power to change. Otherwise, the hormonal imbalance, psychological stress, environmental insults, unhealthy dietary habits, all play a role in producing too much sebum. When there is too much sebum, pores clog easily, and this will inevitably lead to acne formation.
People are often quick to react by changing their skincare routines and avoiding moisturisers altogether for fear of making the skin ‘more oily’ than it already is. In this article, we shall look into ways to beat that acne-prone and oily skin, as well as addressing the suitable skincare and best moisturiser for acne-prone skin.
First and foremost, washing regularly can reduce the amount of oil significantly. You may want to use a gentle soap with warm water to effectively lift off the layer of oil on your skin. Avoid products with fragrances, harsh chemicals, and hard physical scrubs like loofahs. These insults can be counterproductive to achieving acne-free clear skin. The irritation they exert may stimulate even more oil production. If that doesn’t work, you may want to find a product with these ingredients; salicylic acid, glycolic acid or beta-hydroxy acid, they can help treat oily skin effectively.
Next is toner. You would want to look at toners that don’t include alcohol. They tend to dry the skin and damage it. These toners wash away debris in your pores, tighten the skin, and ultimately control acne breakouts and excess oil production.
As for moisturisers, it is wise to apply this and not neglect this important step in your skincare routine. This is because air pollution, UV rays, and dirt, can damage the skin, resulting in loss of moisture. The skin will then increase its oil production to protect the skin, leading to excessively oily skin, and wait a little longer, acne breakouts will follow fairly quickly.
You would want to choose moisturisers that are oil-free, with lightweight formulas. They should be non-comedogenic, or in simpler terms, they won’t clog pores. Hyaluronic acid and aloe vera extract would be great additions to acne-prone skin. You would want to smooth the moisturiser every morning and night after cleansing for a cleaner, fresher look with a matte finish you have been dreaming of.
