The Ultimate Guide For Oily Skin
Having oily or blemish-prone skin can be a source of daily frustration as the zit you finally see fading is replaced by one or more breakouts. If you feel like there’s just nothing out there that is formulated for your unique oily skin, we’re here to help. The best place to start is in the same place we start all our professional-grade formulas: at the skin.
What Causes Oily Skin?
Most of the blame for oily skin comes down to genetics, but other factors can influence how much oil you produce, such as elevated stress levels, changes in hormones, and environmental stressors.
Oily skin types produce too much sebum, which can mix with debris, bacteria, and dead skin cells and get trapped in pores, leading to breakouts. Sebum is produced by everyone to different degrees and it’s purpose is to hydrate and protect your skin. Unfortunately, too much sebum has exactly the opposite effect, leading to acne and blemishes.
Proven Ingredients for Oily Skin
The tough part of having oily skin is needing a balanced approach to skincare: both remove the oil and hydrate the skin. That’s why not every chemical or ingredient in certain facial skincare products are truly helpful. Here’s a few ingredients that are.
- Hyaluronic Acid – this substance is found naturally in the skin, keeping it moist and youthfully plump by attracting and bonding with water molecules.
- Aloe Vera – Soothing aloe vera is a rich moisturizer that tells the skin it doesn’t need more sebum to stay hydrated.
- Rose Oil – This essential oil cleanses skin and helps reduce the size of pores.
- Retinol (Vitamin A) – Retinol is a proven cleanser that can also help with protecting skin from damaging environmental toxins.
- Tea Tree Oil – Another common essential oil in potent skincare products, tea tree oil is a powerful cleanser that also soothes irritated skin.
In the same way, there are also ingredients proven NOT to be helpful for oily skin. These include ingredients found in rich moisturizers that are most often meant for people with dry skin in need of hydration. Oily skin types should avoid ingredients like:
- Coconut Oil – Great for dry skin types, coconut oil will increase the likelihood your pores will become clogged.
- Beeswax – Waxes like beeswax form a protective barrier on the skin, which can help keep dry skin moisturized, but can be harmful for blemish-prone skin as it clogs pores.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – A common ingredient in widely available cleansers, this chemical can overly dry out skin, leading to an increase in oil production, which you don’t need with oily skin.
Products to Use for an Oily Skin Routine
Although every person’s skin is different, we’re confident in Epicuren Discovery’s medical-grade products that help many people find the perfect match for their oily skin so they can look refreshed and luminous all day long.
Cleanser
Twice a day, it’s important to get rid of your excess oil with a high-quality cleanser to give your skin a reset.
Exfoliator
Not something to be done every day, exfoliation is a great way to really get down deep into pores and get rid of dead skin cells. Follow the directions carefully, as over-exfoliating can dry out the skin and ramp up oil production.
Toner
Balance the skin’s pH and prep your skin for the next steps with a great toner for oily skin. Epicuren Discovery never adds alcohol to these formulas, as it is a harsh drying ingredient that’s counterproductive for oily skin.
Serum
You can use many kinds of serums depending on your additional skincare needs and goals, but always make sure they’re made with quality ingredients like tea tree oil and hyaluronic acid.
Moisturizer
Even oily skin needs a good moisturizer to balance it out. Stay away from rich, thick formulas and opt for water-based formulas that won’t get too greasy on your skin.
Sun Care
Daily sun care is essential for keeping skin youthful and healthy in the long term. A good, light sunscreen that you can apply when needed to help prevent the sun from drying out skin and causing it damaged.
Professional Skincare Products for Oily Skin
At Epicuren, we take dozens of years of pharmaceutical skincare experience and transform it into products backed by science and made with care. Our cutting-edge ingredients and cruelty-free sourcing ensures you feel good about your purchase inside and out. Browse our online store or take our Skin Quiz to find more amazing skincare products that will take your routine to the next level.