If you suffer from oily skin, then you’re not alone.
It’s the most common skin type amongst men.
But the right skincare routine will go a long way to minimize grease – and stop shininess from ruining your look.
The following 5 tips will improve your skin - making it less oily, with fewer breakouts and much less shine.
Oily skin tends to get worse throughout the day. You may start your morning with a healthy, glowing complexion, but by noon your skin is looking greasy and shiny (especially around your T-zone).
So how can we stop this?
Let’s start with…
What causes your skin to look so shiny?
Basically, it’s sebum.
Sebum is the natural oily substance produced by your skin’s sebaceous glands. It’s what keeps our skin and hair soft and healthy.
Oily skin occurs when these glands become over-active and produce too much sebum. This causes the classic signs of an oily skin - enlarged pores and shine!
Male hormones send the sebaceous glands into overdrive!
A man's skin tends to be oilier than a woman’s skin.
It’s simply that the sebaceous glands are more numerous and more active in a man’s skin.
And it gets worse…
The excess sebum can combine with any dead skin cells on the surface, clogging your pores and leading to breakouts and acne.
What NOT to do with oily skin
Taking care of oily skin is a delicate balance.
There’s a temptation to use harsh cleansing products, and skip the moisturizer, in an attempt to get rid of the oil.
But this will actually stimulate sebum production.
The sebaceous glands become more active in order to compensate for the dryness - making the situation even worse.
And whilst washing is great for removing excess oil and grime from your face, over-vigorous cleaning will strip the skin of its natural oils…. prompting a cycle of producing more oil to compensate.
A vicious cycle!
The solution: Balance is the key
The trick is to stick to a simple skincare routine.
One that will minimize oil production, but still keep your skin hydrated.
And because we know a man’s skin is oilier that a woman’s we’ve developed all of our men’s skincare products to take that into account.
ACTION PLAN: Best routine to control oily skin
#1 - Wash your face (but without over-washing)
The first step in any skincare routine is to start with a good face wash. This will clear away excess oil, dirt and bacteria.
But do be careful because overuse can make your skin feel quite dry.
So choose a gentle face wash that contains Glycerin. This ingredient will stop your skin from drying out but won’t make it oily.
It’s one of the key ingredients in our Daily Face Wash for that reason. You can wash your face twice a day to keep it feeling fresh and clean – and this face wash will never leave your skin feeling dry or tight.
In addition, our Daily Face Wash includes purifying Tea Tree Oil which helps to regulate sebum production, keeping oily skin under control.
And our Daily Face Wash also gently exfoliates your skin at the same time…
#2 - Exfoliate to keep your skin clear
Exfoliating every day is very beneficial to an oily skin, especially if you're prone to acne and breakouts.
It clears away dead skin cells and effectively unclogs pores, reduces blackheads and decreases the chance of breakouts.
But one of the most common errors in those with oily skin is over-exfoliation using harsh facial scrubs. This will dry out and irritate the surface of your skin, ultimately causing it to produce more oil to compensate. Exactly what we don’t want!
So the best route is to use a gentle exfoliating face wash that contains a natural Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (an AHA).
A mild AHA, like Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid, will exfoliate your skin in a much gentler way – dissolving the ‘glue’ that binds the dead skin cells, rather than mechanically rubbing them off.
Natural AHA’s also exfoliate in a more uniform way, so there’s no areas of redness or roughness.
For oily skin we recommend gently exfoliating everyday using our Daily Face Wash which contains the AHA, Lactic Acid.
Leaving it on your skin for an additional two minutes will increase the exfoliating effect.
How often should I exfoliate if I have oily skin?
Try to adopt a policy of ‘little and often’, exfoliating very gently every day using our Daily Face Wash. Your face will get all of the immediate benefits of exfoliation, but without prompting any irritation or unwanted increase in sebum production.
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#3 - Make sure your moisturiser is matt
It seems counter-intuitive, but moisturizing is one of the best things you can do for an oily skin.
Just be careful which moisturiser you choose.
It’s important to choose one that will keep your skin looking matt. So avoid anything that is thick and creamy that will sit heavily on your skin.
Instead you want a moisturizer with an easily absorbed, light consistency - more like a gel. One that ensures your skin remains hydrated all day - while also combatting any oiliness.
And to smooth, hydrate and mattify your skin our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer is hard to beat!
It provides a lot of hydration - without making your face look greasy.
It’s super lightweight and absorbs instantly (in fact, it feels like there’s nothing on your skin).
Plus it smells fabulous!
Our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer leaves your face feeling fresh, hydrated and smooth - and with a matte finish.
Even better…
It's full of the best anti aging ingredients.
So our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer :
- hydrates and smooths your skin throughout the day, and keeps it looking matt
- evens out your skin tone
-
minimises large pores
and - reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
We’ve got more on the benefits of hydration for an oily skin, plus how to choose the right moisturizer, here - " OILY SKIN: Why you need a moisturizer".
#4 - Control shine with a powder
Now the next tip (and it's not for everybody) is to use some powder to reduce shine.
You can just lightly apply some translucent powder onto the T zone with a brush. This will take the edge off any shine.
It’s best to choose a powder that is translucent (ie without any colour) than to try to match your skin tone. Because that is really hard to do.
A translucent powder will be completely invisible on your skin but it will just mattify and reduce the shine.
#5 - Blot on the go
Blotting papers can be your best friend during the day.
They are literally just small pieces of paper that you buy in a pad. You can take one paper from the pad and pat lightly onto your skin and it will absorb the oil.
Keep some in your back pocket and as soon as you see the shine appearing you can discreetly blot it away.
More tips to manage oily skin
As well as a good skincare routine, there’s two other things that can help to control oily skin.
The first thing is all about your diet.
Certain foods can trigger excess oiliness, but every man is different.
For some guys it's eating too much red meat. And for others, spicy foods will make your skin sweat and make your face look greasy.
So get to know the foods which make your skin oilier and make sure that you're limiting your consumption of those.
And the second thing is easy to say, but very hard to do! And that’s to…
Relax.
Stress can make skin even oilier, as well as contributing to breakouts. This is because it causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which tells the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.
So whether you choose meditation, exercise, more sleep or just ten minutes to yourself, make sure you find time in your day to take it easy!
FAQ’s
What causes oily skin?
The shine that you see on your skin is sebum, a natural oily substance produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. It’s what keeps our skin and hair soft and healthy.
All skin types produce sebum throughout the day. Greasiness occurs when these sebaceous glands produce too much sebum, resulting in enlarged pores and oily skin.
The excess oil can then combine with any dead skin cells on the surface, clogging pores and leading to breakouts and acne.
That’s why it’s important to have a good skincare routine which will keep your skin balanced.
Why is my nose always so greasy?
There are more sebaceous glands on your nose, forehead, and chin – your T-zone – so it’s natural for this area to produce more sebum and look greasy and shiny.
But you can control the oiliness here by gently washing your face every day and using a light, mattifying moisturiser to reduce shine.
Which face wash is best for an oily skin?
A gentle face wash is best.
One that will clear away excess oil, dirt and bacteria – but without stripping away your skin’s natural oils.
Look for ones that contain glycerin as this will keep your skin hydrated, without making it oily.
Also try to find a face wash that includes purifying Tea Tree Oil. This natural ingredient helps to regulate sebum production, keeping oily skin under control.
The Takeaway
Although many men suffer from an oily skin, there is a solution.
These five things will improve your skin - making it less oily, with fewer breakouts and much less shine.
- Wash your face (but without over-washing)
- Exfoliate to keep your skin clear
- Make sure your moisturiser is matt
- Control shine with a powder
- Blot on the go
Following this balanced skincare routine will minimize grease – and stop shininess from ruining your look.
SHOP THE ROUTINE.
All you need to keep looking handsome.
PRESTIGE SKINCARE FOR MEN.
MADE IN FRANCE.
