Those who have never had to deal with greasy skin are lucky. It’s not fun when all you can think about is how shiny you look, not in that soft dewy glow but someone is going to ask to fry eggs on my forehead kinda shiny. You are constantly looking for anything to blot yourself with and are horrified with ever greasy piece of paper, tissue, toilet seat cover you create. (Yes you read that right, toilet seat covers are probably the best blotting paper out there.)You wash your face religiously and try and every product that claims to be mattifying.
For those of you who are agreeing with me right now and are looking for the answer here it is …. you do not have oily skin, you are actually dry. I know, I know … when this was told to me I said you obviously have not looked at my face to say such a thing. Please take a minute and follow me to the end. Greasy skin typically is friends with congested pores, acne and textural issues and lines on the face and the body is going to be normal to dry. In my daily conversations with those fighting greasy skin, this is the usual scenario. I’m greasy and have tried every product out there to dry my skin out. Does this sound familiar? It’s what I did, used every acne and anti oil product I could and layered them because if one works using them all at once is even better! Yeah … in reality it’s only making things worse.
We all have something called an acid mantle. This is our protective barrier from the environment and all that is in it. It’s the thin layer of slightly acidic oil that should be on our skin and it helps to keep bacteria and the bad stuff that can get into our skin out. It’s a mixture of our sweat and sebum. What happens is we buy a facial cleanser meant to strip oil from our face then use a charcoal mask then put on a oil absorbing serum and then use a mattifying powder or foundation. Here is the number one problem, you are not putting hydration back into your skin. What? I’m greasy I have hydration, too much obviously! No you have stripped your skin and your body is trying desperately to replace it’s protective barrier. Your body is screaming SHIELDS UP WE ARE NOT PROTECTED!!! Just as Captain Kirk would be screaming at Scotty ( yup I’m that old to make that reference) As hard as it is to hear this you MUST use a hydrating product to get your skin back to proper balance. Using Hyaluronic acid is a great place to start. It’s light weight, typically in a gel like carrier so it’s not going to make you feel like your face is thicker. It will help balance the water and oil in your skin and so much more. Your basic regimen should be a gel based cleanser, a toner and a hydrator that includes hyaluronic acid or something similar. You can add in an eye cream if you would like.
Naturally oily skin will not have sharp lines and typically will not have congestion issues because the oil is not a emergency response. However if the over stripping regimen is used then problematic issues will arise just as for the greasy skin. Oily skins should use same regimen but add in a good exfoliating wash 3-4 times a week to make sure that as our skin replaces itself it is not getting trapped in the oil.
What you eat has a huge impact on your skin. If you have greasy problematic skin and really want to have glowing healthy skin you must feed your body healthy food. If you are what you eat do not be fast, easy and cheap. I can not say this enough. If you don’t believe me google the gut skin matrix. Remember your body works as one and if you abuse one part you abuse it all. Self care and self love are not just buzz words they have meaningful impact on every aspect of your life. I want you to thrive, be filled with happiness and live your highest purpose and it all starts with taking the time to wash your face. You build one good habit it’s way easier to continue to build one into two, into three and before you know it you are living a healthy lifestyle.
Until next time, Carpe Diem!!!