The Best Products For Oily Skin (It’s NOT What You Think!)

Most of us have dealt with oily skin at one time or another. Whether your skin remains clear or the oilyness is accompanied by mild congestion like black heads, or deep inflammation like acne you’re likely using all the wrong products.

I can say that with confidence since I see this all the time in my consultations with new clients. One of the most common concerns I hear is regarding overly oily skin.

If you’ve experienced this before you know the struggle is real! Make up doesn’t last or sit well throughout the day, blotting sheets are a must to help control the constant shine, enlarged pores collect make up, black heads never seem to go away and that awful greasy feeling by the end of the day drives you crazy. Not fun, am I right?

The normal and understandable knee-jerk reaction to this is to seek out products like foaming gel cleansers, toners with high alcohol content, charcoal masks or spot treatments that may also be formulated with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil, or exfoliating beads for example.

Just the thought of how squeaky clean and oil free your skin would be after using products like this is enticing, no?

Well...here’s the problem!

The skin has what’s called an Acid Mantle which is a fine oil film that is produced by the skin. It sits on the surface and is slightly acidic (pH between 4.5 - 5.5) it keeps the skin protected, hydrated and clean.

Typically skin care products that are formulated for oily skin will be water based and totally oil free. Seems like the best option, right?

As we all know, oil and water don’t mix and products that lather and foam must contain a detergent type of ingredient in it to produce this effect. When applied to the skin, the water based cleanser is unable to penetrate past the oil barrier of the skin and instead the detergent ends up dissolving the acid mantle usually all together. The skin has now been stripped.

Most people out there trying to manage their oily skin are not actually cleansing their skin at all, only stripping it of this essential barrier.

The tight, dry or squeaky clean feeling that can be felt after using a product such as this is essentially how your skin feels without your acid mantle. The skin then reacts to this by stimulating the oil glands to produce far more oil than what’s normal (even if you’re already an oily skin type) to replace what was lost and this is where that gradual, relentless build up of oil comes from throughout the day.

Usually these type of products are being used morning and night which creates the opidemy of a vicious circle! When congestion and breakouts accompany the oilyness, stimulating more oil production by stripping the skin will actually cause worsening of the breakouts.

The other can of worms this vicious circle opens is dehydration. Clients sometimes struggle to describe the way their skin feels so I often hear “It feels tight and dry underneath but really oily on top.” Clients will often assume they have a combination skin type because they’re experiencing both dehydration and oilyness, but this is rarely the case.

One function of the acid mantle is to maintain the natural moisture levels in the skin. When the acid mantle is stripped away you can experience what’s called TEWL or Trans Epidermal Water Loss. This is just a big fancy word for the process where water molecules are actually drawn out of the skin into the atmosphere. Especially in dryer climates this can be a real problem!

This is why some people can experience both dryness/dehydration and oilyness at the same time. While the skin is exposed to the elements, dehydration takes place until the oil glands can catch up and replace the oil stripped away.

Another important function of the acid mantle is to keep the skin clean. Due to the acidity it aids in killing bacteria and keeping the skin protected from viruses, pollutants and other environmental damage or debris.

If you experience oily skin as well as breakouts/acne and use products that are stripping your acid mantle, you’re basically rolling out a welcome mat for bacteria and other not so nice stuff to easily enter your skin.

On top of all that you can actually speed up the aging process! When the skin is dehydrated, lacking protection and therefor accumulating unnecessary damage premature aging can begin to take place.

So, what do you do?

Oil based and non-foaming pre cleansers and cleansers will be your new best friend! I know, it sounds so backwards but hear me out...

Oil and oil, unlike water and oil can mix together. When products such as Environ’s Dual Action Pre Cleansing Oil and Mild Cleansing Lotion are used, a much deeper cleanse actually takes place.
The products can penetrate into the skin, into the pores and follicles to loosen, soften and dissolve congestion such as black heads for example all while leaving the natural moisture and acid mantle intact.

The result is more balanced skin and therefor less oil production throughout the day. The skin can function more normally, can protect itself better and feels better too.

Post cleanse it’s essential to use a toner which will balance the pH of the skin, but it’s important to know that there is a big difference between a true toner and an astringent. Astringents (which are often labeled as toners) are meant to de-grease the skin and therefor usually have a high alcohol content and/or other medicated ingredients. This will of course only add to the problem I just explained here. If you notice a cooling, or evaporation type of feeling when you use your “toner”, what you’re actually using is an astringent.

A true toner should feel nourishing and like it’s giving something back to the skin, instead of taking away from it. Environ’s Botanical Moisturizing Toner balances the pH of the skin, but also has more to offer such as lactic acid which provides a gentle exfoliation as well as botanicals and vitamins to help even the complexion.

Once this three step cleanse and tone process is completed the skin is better able to accept ingredients from anything that’s applied afterwards. That’s why using the proper cleansers and toners is essential for getting the most out of your serums or moisturizers.

The benefits of switching to these kinds of products can usually be seen right away.
Clients often tell me they notice far less oil production within the first 1-2 uses of the products. Their makeup sits better and therefor looks better and lasts longer too. Black heads will slowly begin to shrink and pore size will return to normal and breakouts will begin to reduce as well.

To book a complimentary consultation with me, call The Calgary Institue of Plastic Surgery at
403-286-4263