Tackle Your Diet and Lifestyle Choices First

Your mom wasn’t wrong when she told you to eat well, drink water and take your vitamins. Your diet and overall health have a far bigger effect on your skin than you realise. In fact, just a few small changes can actually help you control your oily skin a little better.

Vitamin A is crucial for balancing the oil levels in your skin so be sure to start taking these daily. Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B5 also play a role in controlling oil secretion and can be found in foods like eggs, wheat germ, yeast, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, nuts and meat. Another great vitamin for skin is Vitamin C, which works with other vitamins to maintain your skin’s elasticity.

Scientists have also noticed a link between high-glycaemic foods and increased sebum (skin oil) production so avoid foods like bananas, potatoes, white bread, pasta, chips, alcohol and any other high-GI foods (including most junk foods).

Lastly, be sure to drink your eight glasses of water a day to keep your skin healthy, hydrated and happy.

Read More. You CAN Improve Your Skin by What You Eat. Here’s How

Best Skin Care Ingredients for Oily Skin

There are a number of skin care ingredients that are highly effective in de-greasing and treating your oily skin. Include as many of them as you can in your skin care routine.

The main ingredient to look out for is salicylic acid, which not only removes dead skin cells but also mops up excessive oil and so unclogs your pores. In doing so, it helps clear up any acne problems you may have. Salicylic acid is often paired with glycolic acid which also helps reduce unwanted oil and prevent pore clogging.

Another goodie is hyaluronic acid, which is a lightweight yet intensive moisturiser that doesn’t clog pores and regulates and balances your skin’s natural oils. Interestingly, by adding an oil-free hyaluronic acid serum into your skin care routine you’ll find that your skin will actually become less oily. More on that later…

Retinol is a little miracle ingredient that is full of Vitamin A to speed up skin cell production, tighten up pores and help with blackheads, plus it’s an amazing anti-aging agent.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is another ingredient that helps with anything from excessively oily skin and pigmentation to premature ageing because it strengthens the skin barrier and boosts collagen production. Find it in La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+.

Finally, if you have angry red acne, you can should look for benzoyl peroxide which can be found in Benzac AC5, a product that clears up pimples, unclogs pores and kills the bacteria that makes them red.

Always remember to always look for products marked as non-comedogenic – this means they won’t clog your pores which is key to keeping your skin looking clear.

Read More. These Powerful Ingredients Are the Secret to A Better Skin

Must-Have Skin Care Tips for Oily Skin

A couple of very important issues can make or break an effective oily skin care routine.

While oily skin can be genetic, it could also be caused by an oil/water imbalance in your skin, which can be changed if you switch up your skincare routine.

Lots of women with oily skin think the excess oil means they’re moisturised enough so skip the moisturiser. But then your skin starts to feel dehydrated so actually overproduces oil to compensate for the lack of moisture. Not what you want or need. In fact, using a moisturiser can actually slow down sebum (oil) production and so make your skin less oily.

However, the thick consistency of many moisturisers can end up blocking your pores. While oil-free moisturisers are the obvious solution, there’s another cool trick you can also use to get all the benefits of a high-performance skin care product without the grease.

If you have a very oily skin, start using a serum as these are oil-free, light-weight, and hydrate just the right amount. A little word of warning. If you have combo skin, you may still need a heavier moisturiser for your cheeks and eyes, and just use a serum and oil-free moisturiser on the shiny bits.

A toner is another step to add to your routine to help mattify your skin. Many experts advise using products for acne-prone skin, even if you don’t have acne, as they are especially designed to remove the cause of oily skin from your pores: oil, sebum and dirt.

Read More. The Best Serums Will Help You Reach Your Dream Skin (Yes, Really)

Everyday Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin

Here’s how to include not only many of the best oily skin ingredients but also introduce those little powerhouse serums in your daily skin care routine.

Step 1: Cleanse in the morning and evening
Use a salicylic based cleanser free of sulphates that can strip your skin and make it even oilier. Ideally you want to keep clearing away excess oil and dead skin that can block pores – both morning and night. Avoid over-washing or scrubbing which only make your skin produce more oil.

Try Garnier Pure Active Anti-Blackhead Deep Pore Wash or Eucerin Dermo-Purifyer Oil Control Face Cleansing Gel.

Step 2: Use a toner after cleansing
Once your skin is clean, follow up with an alcohol-free exfoliating toner with salicylic acid. Again, Garnier Pure Active and Eucerin Dermo-Purifyer have good toner options. Otherwise you can turn to a natural astringent like witch hazel. Try Thursday Plantation Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Toner that also includes acne fighting tea tree oil.

Step 3: Treat your skin
First add a serum
Hyaluronic acid (Morning): Give your skin a wonderful and much-needed morning moisture bath (without the oil) with hyaluronic acid-rich Vichy Mineral 89 Booster. Or if you’re acne prone, use a serum like La Roche Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum with AHAs and BHAs that will help keep the skin clear, reduce the appearance of large pores as well as brighten dull spots.

Retinol Serum (Night): Well known as the gold standard of anti-aging skin care that everyone should use, retinol is also good for oily skin as it helps your pores get smaller with continued use. Try Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Anti-Wrinkle Serum or their Cellular Boost Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate that includes both retinol and hyaluronic acid. If you want a higher level of retinol actives, then consider SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5.

 

Use an oil-free moisturizer (Morning/Night):
Oily skins need moisturising to remain well hydrated and so balance oil production, but that doesn’t mean you have to look like an oil slick. Opt for oil-free moisturisers that control shine but still give your skin the moisture it needs.

Our product picks: Garnier Pure Active Matte Control Anti-Shine Moisturiser for 8-hour shine control, Bionike Acteen Hydramat Sebum-Normalising Cream absorbs excess oil to control shine, Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Proofing Oil Free Moisturiser if you’re prone to breakouts, and IQ Clear Start Oil-Free Clearing Moisturiser SPF15 to keep skin clear and shine free.

Step 4: Always wear a sunscreen
Zinc Oxide/Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen (Morning): Known as physical or mineral sunscreens, these are not only gentle and non-comedogenic but leave a matte finish on your skin. Zinc oxide is also great for people prone to breakouts but does leave a slightly opaque look on your skin, so if you have a darker skin tone, rather opt for a product with titanium dioxide.

Our product picks: Cetaphil Sun Gel SPF50+ or BioNike Acteen Sun Crème Gel SPF50 both with titanium dioxide; alternatively, La Roche Posay Anthelios Dry Touch Fluid SPF50 with zinc oxide and anti-shine benefits.

Read More. The Most Important Skin Care Products You Need to Use at Every Age

Weekly Skin Care Routine for Oily Skin

Exfoliating once a week opens up your pores and removes dead skin cells, white heads and black heads. Regular exfoliation will prevent the build-up of dirt, oil and skin cells in your pores; the main cause of break outs. Be careful not to exfoliate too much as this can lead to overstimulating the oil glands to produce even more oil – the last thing you want.

Try Garnier Pure Active Intensive Exfoliating Scrub or Neutrogena Skin Detox Cooling Gel Scrub.

Treat your skin to a face mask twice a week. Look for masks that contain sulphur, which is anti-bacterial and soaks up excess oil. Clay masks are also good to soak up all that unwanted oil and grease, and help clear up impurities and tighten pores. A little word of caution. Remove a clay/mud mask just before it dries fully as leaving it on too long can actually dehydrate and irritate the skin.

The fun fizzy Dermalogica’s Clearstart Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask includes both sulphur and kaolin clay. Otherwise L’Oréal’s Pure Clay Blemish Rescue Mask is a great option. And if you’re always rushed for time then Neutrogena’s Visibly Clear Pore & Shine In-Shower Mask for a shine free complexion in 60 seconds is the one for you.

Read More. Expert Advice on How to Beat Blackheads (and Pores) For Good

Must-Have Makeup Tips for Oily Skins

It goes without saying that you need to choose your makeup carefully, and there are definitely some products you should avoid altogether.

Because moisturised and glowing skin is on trend right now, lots of foundations are formulated to make your skin appear more dewy and luminous. The last thing you want is to add extra gloss to your already oily face.

It’s best to avoid products that promise to make you glow and choose foundations with a matte finish instead. Long-wear oil-free foundation formulas are also designed specially to beat the melting effect and curb shiny skin. Here’s a rundown of the best drugstore foundations for oily and combination skins to help you make your choice.

For other makeup items, counter your skins’ naturally high liquid levels with non-liquid-based products. Switch all those liquid blushes, cream eye shadows and eyebrow gels for more solid, stay-put formulas like powders and pencils.

Finally, steer clear from shimmery or highlighting products as they will make any hint of sheen on your face worse.

Read More. Go-To-Guide on The Best Foundations (And Reviews) For Your Oily/Combination Skin

Basic Makeup Routine for Oily Skins

Because you’ve got a little more oil to work with than the next girl you need to incorporate a few more steps into your everyday makeup routine.

Step 1: Use stay-in-place primers
One must-have layer to add after your skin products and before your foundation is a makeup primer. Primers make your skin matte, every oily skin girl’s dream, and help your makeup to stay in place. Try Rimmel’s Matte Primer for all day shine control, L’Oréal’s Infallible Mattifying Primer or Palladio Skin Detox Clarifying Face Primer with charcoal to absorb oil.

Also, be sure to use a specially formulated primer for your eyes to keep your eye makeup from creasing and under-eye concealer from shifting. Palladio’s eyeshadow primer is a good option and has a natural herbal based formula to boot.

Step 2: Use less foundation
When you’re so often faced with the dreaded midday makeup slippage, you could be tempted to layer on tons of foundation. But with oily skin, less is actually more. This is where the stippling makeup technique can help. A stippling brush allows you to gradually add light layers of foundation that will give you an amazing and really long-lasting finish, especially if you use it on top of primer. Here’s a simple video tutorial to help you along.

Ultimately, the less layers you wear the happier your pores will be, so if you can, try cut down on the number of products you apply to minimise pore clogging. A tinted moisturiser or BB cream that contains an SPF combines three layers into one. Garnier’s Oil-Free BB Cream is a great multitasker which offers a number of benefits for your skin and is available in either medium or dark.

 

Step 3: Always set with powder or setting spray
There’s nothing worse than spending ages on your makeup only for it to shift as the day goes on and your shine sets in. Always set your foundation with a light dusting of translucent powder to give you a seamless matte finish and you’re good to go.

If and when you feel the need to touch up later on, avoid layering powder over powder by then using a setting spray - a light-weight spray designed to not only keep your makeup in place, but also mattify and control oil. You can also choose to skip powder and just use a setting spray.

Just be aware that there are two different types of setting spray so it can get quite confusing. The one is a mist that gives you a healthy glow, while the other - which you want - truly does set your makeup in place. These include polymers that are the ‘sticking’ ingredients you need. Check for ingredients such as PVP (or anything with a ‘-one’ at the end), VP/VA and AMP-acrylates copolymers.

Our product picks: LA Girl Pro HD Setting Spray for a long-lasting matte finish, Maybelline Lasting Fix Makeup Setting Spray for up to 16 hours of wear, or Rimmel Insta Setting Spray Fix And Go, a 2-in-1 primer and fixing spray (yes - you can also use a setting spray as a primer).

 

Step 4: Use blotting paper at every step
If you weren’t aware of the magic of blotting papers then you’re about to have your world changed and never look back.

We’re all aware of the sensation of your makeup slowly melting south throughout the day and with oily skin this process happens super-fast - even when it’s not that hot. Sure, you can reapply your face powder constantly, but eventually you’re going to be caked in colour and your pores will be super clogged. You can try blot your face with a napkin or tissue but as you remove the oil you also remove your carefully applied makeup.

Blotting papers not only absorb excess moisture and oil from your face but they leave your makeup in place.

The great thing is that they can be super helpful when you’re applying your makeup as well. Once you’ve completed your skincare routine and have applied your primer, take a piece of blotting paper and dab your problem areas (usually the T-zone and chin). Next apply your foundation and then blot again. Taking these extra steps will mean less blotting throughout the day.

Have a pack in your handbag at all times. You can find some in the Palladio range.

View Video. Buffing Vs Stippling Foundation | Which Foundation Techniques should you use!?

 

All of this may seem to be a bit of a hassle at first. However, if you treat your oily skin with the right skin care products, use makeup suited to your skin type and get into a daily and weekly routine, you’ll be surprised at just how much you can actually ‘train’ your skin to be less oily. Goodbye greasy and gross. Hello matte and muted!