Oily skin is characterized by excessive sebum production, primarily due to hormonal factors, stress, or anxiety. Several natural cosmetic treatments can help take care of it. Let’s find out better.
Causes Of Oily Skin
The excessive production of sebum by the sebaceous glands characterizes oily skin. The sebaceous glands are skin appendages found in the dermis, the deepest part of our skin. They are most widespread around the nose, chin, forehead, scalp, between the shoulder blades and on the sternum, areas of the skin which are shinier and sometimes subject to the formation of boils or blackheads. The causes of heavy sebum production may depend primarily on hormonal factors, notably an excessive production of androgens, which causes acne and an increase in hair.
With increasing age, androgen production decreases, leading to a normalization of the skin. Stress and anxiety can also affect the production of sebum, which interferes with the functioning of the endocrine system, as well as an incorrect diet rich in slowly digestible foods, such as alcohol and animal fats. A wrong cosmetic approach can certainly worsen the condition of oily skin; for example, removal of sebum through detergents that are too degreasing causes the rebound effect, that is, an even more consistent production of sebum by the skin.
Appearance And Types Of Oily Skin
Oily skin is thicker than usual, appears shiny and often has enlarged pores blocked by excess sebum, which in some cases can lead to acne and seborrheic dermatitis.
This type of skin is less prone to wrinkle formation and aging thanks to its texture, thickness and continuous lubrication of the stratum corneum, the most superficial part of the epidermis.
Depending on the type of excess sebum produced, there are two types of oily skin:
- oily – when the sebum is more liquid and distributed over the entire surface of the skin, this appears shiny and greasy and with dilated pores;
- asphyxiated – this type of skin tends to crack, reminiscent of dry skin; in reality, the tiny scales are composed of fat as the asphyxiated skin has dry and waxy sebum. Unlike dry skin, oily skin of the asphyxiated type also has intermediate situations, which present both types of oily skin in various face areas.
Treatments For Oily Skin
It is essential to treat oily skin correctly to prevent the skin from reacting to incorrect cosmetic treatments, which can lead to hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands and the development of problems such as acne and dermatitis. The ideal treatment for this skin is represented by the use of substances called regulating sebum, which can act at the sebaceous glands’ level. In the presence of oily skin, although this appears very resistant, particularly aggressive and foaming detergents should be avoided; better to opt for purifying cleansing emulsions or use cleansing milk or low-foaming gel.
After cleansing the face, a non-alcoholic astringent tonic based on witch hazel, burdock, sage and opacifying substances capable of absorbing part of the excess sebum, such as rice starch and talc, can be helpful. The cream, day and night, must contain a small amount of fat not to favor the skin’s shiny effect and be enriched with sebum-absorbing substances.
In particular, cosmetics with anti-seborrheic action may contain oils rich in Vitamin A, such as carrot oil, Vitamin E and antibacterial extracts, including lavender, thyme, melaleuca or tea tree, sage, rosemary, and chamomile. And yarrow. This type of skin is ideal for using a moisturizing gel based on Aloe Vera and hyaluronic acid enriched with the active substances listed above.
Cosmetics based on azelaic acid and glycolic acid are also very effective, especially for asphyxiated oily skin. Impure acne-prone skin may present spontaneous comedones, contact comedones or acne comedones and, being inflamed, it is not recommended to proceed with masks or abrasive treatments such as scrubs or scrubs. If the skin does not show acne, once a week, it is possible to apply a mask based on green clay and disinfectant essential oils, such as those of lemon, sage, tea tree or lavender, to be kept in place for a few minutes and rinsed with Lukewarm water. Suppose the skin situation does not improve and tends to worsen, especially in the case of impurities and boils. In that case, it is advisable to contact a dermatologist who recommends the most effective treatments to be carried out.
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