85% of Australians will suffer from acne at least once in their life, and acne is often caused by clogged pores as a result of oily skin, hormonal issues, a lack of thorough cleansing or exfoliation routine. Not only does it make your face look shiny or greasy, it can cause other issues too such as blackheads and whiteheads.

Oily skin is often a problem associated with teenagers, but it affects a lot of adults too. Many people think that it is hopeless to try and control their oily skin, but this isn't true. There are many lifestyle tips you can implement and products for oily skin that can help manage it.

Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to reduce the severity of your oily skin...

What Causes Oily Skin?

Oily skin can be symptomatic of many internal or external influences. Often If members of your immediate family have it, there is a good chance that you will have it to depending on any genetic inheritance that might be relevant to over active sebaceous glands. Your cultural background can also play into this condition, ethnicities that most commonly have oily complexions include those with African, Asian and Southern European backgrounds. Quite interesting isn't it! However there are many treatments you can consider to address this.

Hormones are another major cause of oily skin – and it's not just teenagers going through puberty!

Adults with hormonal imbalance disorders or endocrine diseases such as diabetes, adrenal insufficiency or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can experience oily skin.

When hormones, specifically androgens, are not stable and are fluctuating, they can trigger an overproduction of sebum. Sebaceous glands are a natural structure within skin, attached to the ahi follicle, they their job is produce oil that is meant to moisturise and maintain your skin's natural protective barrier.

Your lifestyle can play a big role in how oily your skin can get too. If you're not eating well, this will show. Regularly consuming rich or unhealthy fats found in greasy foods like takeaways and anything that contains a lot of sugar or sodium such as sweets, cakes, pastries and soft drinks, will affect how your skin feels and ages. A sugary diet causes inflammation in the body, which in turn, leads to skin damage and oiliness. Even over consuming caffeine products can cause dehydration that triggers oil flow, so like anything it's all about balance.

Other causes can include emotionally turbulent life changes, especially long periods of or consistent stress. Other environmental factors such as prolonged or regular exposure to heat and humidity can also trigger excess oil production.

So, what can you do to fix the problem?

Lifestyle Changes

There are certain lifestyle changes that you can try. It is important to cut back on the aforementioned junk foods from your diet to minimise the chances of a breakout and greasiness. 

Changing your diet choices can have a profound impact on skin and assist with any skincare, or advanced treatment protocols you are considering investing in. Try to prioritise fresh fruit and vegetables, these are food varieties that are hard to over doo when they are home prepared. Although many people don't particularly like the taste of some healthy foods, they are full of anti-inflammatory nutrients that assist skin to maintain its natural functional balance. Antioxidants can help soothe your skin so that it looks healthier, more radiant and protect it from free radical damage. Eating whole grains, seafood, and some red meat is excellent too.

Fatty fish like mackerel or salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids that are great for giving your skin a healthy glow and even complexion. They also assist with protective barrier support to reduce inflammation if you are prone to redness and irritation.

You don't have to completely eliminate treats from your diet, but be sure to eat it in moderation.

But diet alone may not be enough to solve your oily skin.

You may also need to choose the right skincare products for oily skin. Not all products are formulated to treat or manage oily skin types, so which ones should you be using?

Skincare Products for Oily Skin

It is important to have a skincare routine using only high quality products for oily skin. The right products can help with clogged pores, oil buildup, and other skin imperfections.

First up, start with a cleanser.

Many people use a bar of soap to clean their face, but this is not a good idea because soap is full of harsh chemicals that can irritate your face. Instead, it's better to use a professional cleaner like AHA Refine Gel.

A gel like this is perfect for oily skin and acne-prone skin. It contains lactic acid and glycolic acid, and both are very gentle in how they hydrate and exfoliate the skin without causing irritation.

It will even out your skin tone over time by helping to accelerate skin cell turn over and therefore push superficial to the outer layers so it sheds off. This accelerated skin cell turn over also helps skin to feel smoother, as well as regulate oil production and minimise pore clogging debris. It can also work to neutralise angry pimples you may have too.

It also has green tea and chamomile extracts to make sure that your skin is soothed and not irritated. Using the right cleanser twice a day, every day should keep your skin in check. But a cleanser alone isn't enough to solve your oily skin problems.

You need to use the right moisturiser and even a targeted serum too.

Many people think that those with oily skin don't need to use a moisturiser or that it will exacerbate their condition, but this just isn't true. Moisturising is important for all skin types and often a lack of moisturising exacerbates the over-production of oil.

Oily skin may benefit the most from a Rose Quartz Cream. This is a very luxurious cream that balances and locks in hydration without clogging pores or make your oily skin any worse.

A high-quality moisturiser is designed to keep your oil glands from overproducing oil as well as address some anti-ageing or health concerns of skin. Once your skin sees that it already has plenty of moisture and protection, your oil glands should reduce their oil production. 

But what about exfoliation?

It is important, but don't do it too often or it might cause your oil glands to work harder than necessary. Exfoliating once a week is all you need to keep your skin in good shape.

How to Care For Oily Skin

Oily skin is annoying to deal with. It can make you look and feel greasy, and it can cause breakouts and leave your makeup not sitting well among other things. This is why eating the right foods and using the right products for oily skin is important.

Ready to give oily skin the flick? Browse our full selection of skincare products to find what suits you today!