How to Care For Oily Skin

If you have oily skin, you may have overactive sebaceous glands. These glands are responsible for the excessive oils that are present on the skin of many people. Oily skin can cause many problems such as breakouts and enlarged pores. Knowing how to properly care for and maintain your skin type can help to prevent or correct these problems.

• Experiment - There are many products such as cleansers and toners that are marketed specifically for oily skin. You should experiment with some of these products until you find the ones that work the best for your skin. Once you find the products that work the best for you, stick with them and use them on a regular basis. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for application and usage directions.

• Cleansing - For oily skin, constant cleansing is the key to keeping it healthy. You may want to wash your face with your favorite cleansing product for oily skin two or three times a day. If you are unable to wash your face this often, you may want to purchase oil removal pads to use throughout the day. Removing the excess moisture that builds up over the day can help prevent break outs. You can purchase these at your local pharmacy in the skin care section.

• Specialized products - When choosing your skin care products such as soaps, cleansers, lotions, sunscreens and moisturizers, you want to choose products that target your oily skin. These products will usually be labeled oil-free or say "for oily skin."

• Dermatologist - If you have severely oily skin that is causing you problems such as severe breakouts or acne problems, you may want to consult a dermatologist. There are prescription drugs that they can prescribe that will block the sebaceous glands from producing excess moisture.

• Diet & Lifestyle - Making changes to your diet and lifestyle can sometimes improve the health of your skin. You may want to stay away from oily or greasy foods. This excess grease can sometimes be excreted through our skin, adding to your problem. If you live in a warm and humid environment you may want to purchase a dehumidifier for your home to reduce the moisture in the air which can add to the oils on the surface of your skin.