Oily and oily skin: Here’s How to Solve the Problem with Natural Remedies

Oily and oily skin is a problem common to many women and men of any age: it can give rise to the skin’s unsightly ‘shiny’ effect, to different forms of seborrheic dermatitis and acne.

The dull complexion is difficult to treat most appropriately. The cause is excessive sebum production. So let’s find out which are the best natural remedies for this imperfection, which often prove to be much more decisive and effective than the expensive (and sometimes useless) creams or treatments on the market.

Content

1 What is oily skin

2 Oily skin: causes

3 Oily skin: tips

4 Care of oily skin

5 Oily skin: natural remedies

In most cases, the problem is solved by adopting a healthy diet, a thorough cleaning with specific products, and using natural sebum-balancing creams and lotions. However, remember that these disorders, more common among young and adults, can depend on hormonal imbalances. Therefore, medical advice can be fundamental to ascertain the real causes and adopt the most appropriate therapy to avoid complications and more serious pathologies.

What is oily skin

It appears thick when it has a shiny appearance; its structure is often irregular; here we are in the presence of an excess of sebum, fertile ground for blackheads, comedones, microcysts, pimples and acne.

That hateful ‘oily’ effect appears, which tends to make it shine, especially on the T -zone, nose, forehead, chin, but also on the cheeks. Unfortunately, it is often accompanied by other skin imperfections, such as localized redness, dull complexion and a general appearance that is not very ‘healthy’ and luminous.

Typical of youthful skin, it is particularly common among teenagers and young adults but can also occur in adults.

However, it has some advantages:

• ages better; in fact, wrinkles appear later
• It is less fragile than dry skin because the sebum participates in forming the hydrolipidic film, which protects the skin and prevents dehydration.

Oily skin: causes

Oily skin is generally caused by the sebaceous glands’ abnormal activity that produces a large amount of sebum.

The excess sebum that the skin cannot absorb tends to concentrate in the shallower layers of the skin.

The causes of this over-production of the sebaceous glands can be:

• In particular, hormonal imbalance is an excess of male hormones androgens present in men and women.
• excessive use of cosmetics
• too aggressive skin cleansing
• Hypersensitivity, probably genetic, of the sebaceous glands to androgens. The hormone level is normal, but the glands overreact by producing too much sebum.
• consumption of hormones of pharmacological origin (estrogens, progestogens)
• systemic diseases (including Parkinson’s disease)

In adolescence, increased hormone levels are associated with hypermenorrhea, which affects about 80% of young people. It may or may not be accompanied by acne.

Furthermore, the situation can also worsen and accentuate sebum secretion when the skin comes into contact with external aggressions, such as pollution, sun and wind and stressful situations. Result: the skin shines.

Oily skin: tips

Starting from some basic principles and adopting a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet is necessary.

• Not smoking
• Use specific and non-aggressive neutral detergents every day
• Drink lots of water
• Avoid foods rich in sugars and animal fats, preferring fruits, vegetables, white meats, fish and whole grains
• Don’t drink alcohol
• Use specific cosmetics
• Avoid makeup removers or leave-in cleansers
• Periodically exfoliate the skin with adequate smoothing treatments
• Protect the skin from the sun
• Doing sports and physical activity regularly

Oily skincare

To clean the face or remove makeup, in particular, you need specific gel or foam products.

Daily gestures, to be repeated morning and evening, must include:

• facial cleansing with specific cleansing gels for oily skin
• limitation of excess sebum with lotions to be wiped with a cotton swab
• hydration with a light, non-greasy cream

Although it is better hydrated and more elastic, it still requires good hydration.

Oily skin: natural remedies

Like many other skin or hair blemishes, even oily skin can be treated with various natural remedies that are most often effective, if not decisive. The cure involves the use of astringent and sebum-balancing medications to normalize the production of sebum:

• Essential oils. The lotions based on essential oil of sage, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus, cypress, tea tree, mint and bergamot are rich in active ingredients with disinfectant and astringent properties that allow you to absorb excess sebum and counteract its production.

Masks and Treatments

To prevent the onset of imperfection. The best known are:

• Clay. It is purchased in herbalist’s shops and para-pharmacies mainly in powder form and is perfect for preparing face masks. The most suitable types for oily skin are pink and green for their absorbent properties. Mix the right amount of green clay with a little water and spread the mixture thus obtained on the skin and let it act for 10 minutes until it is completely dry and starts to pull. Rinse with warm water.
• Corn starch. Known for its absorbent properties, corn starch allows it to absorb excess sebum on the skin of the face. Mix 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch with water for a mask to obtain a spreadable compound on the front. Let the mask dry for a few minutes and rinse with warm water.
• Lemon. As a true protagonist of the many do-it-yourself remedies for personal and home care, lemon juice is confirmed as a very useful natural ally for the treatment of oily skin thanks to its antibacterial and astringent properties. Especially in the most critical points, it will be sufficient to combine water and juice in equal parts. Apply with a cotton pad and rinse first with hot and then cold water to amplify the toning effect.
• Apple. Among the skin-friendly fruits, the apple is undoubtedly one of the most suitable for treating oily skin. Preparing an apple-based beauty mask is very simple: take 1/2 apple, 3/4 teaspoons of cooked oat grains and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend the ingredients with the mixer and spread the mixture on your face making it act for 15 minutes, at the end of which you will rinse with plenty of cold water.

Post-cleansing astringent lotions

Here you can use:

• Vinegar. With its strong purifying, astringent, regenerating and invigorating power, white wine vinegar is one of the best natural allies of our beauty. Applied directly to the skin with a cotton pad, it is perfect as a tonic to perfect evening skin cleansing. Combined with flour and honey, it becomes an ideal beauty mask to reduce the imperfections of oily skin.
• Salt. Another very interesting remedy to combat oily skin is to dilute 1 teaspoon of natural sea salt in a bottle of water or a similar container equipped with a vaporizer. Spray the solution directly on the face once a day and dry with a clean cotton or linen cloth.

The ones we have proposed to you are certainly some of the most effective and simple natural remedies to adopt when it comes to oily skin.

Remember, however, to always consult your doctor or a trusted plastic surgeon in Islamabad to ascertain that there are no more serious causes at the basis of the onset of oily skin to be addressed with specific therapies and pharmacological treatments.