Your face reflects your inner and outward-facing radiance more than any other part of you. But if you think your skin is emitting more radiance than you’d like in the form of oiliness or shininess, it could be that you have oily skin. Often a trouble-maker for moisturiser-devotees and makeup wearers alike, read on to understand how best to manage this skin type. We’ve got the best products for oily skin, designed with you in mind including oily skincare and foundation for oily skin. Soon enough you’ll find yourself beaming (instead of shining) every time you pass a mirror.
Like plenty of other personal traits, most of the time you have your mum or dad to thank for your oily skin. Genetics are a key factor in how your skin behaves day-to-day. Truth time – nowt’s changing your inherent makeup so the best thing you can do is learn what works best for you. Equally, for many people, how much sebum our faces produce is directly linked to age. When we hit those oh-so-fun teenage years, the sebaceous glands grow larger and start to produce oil.
Let’s sail through some quick science. Who’s heard of androgens? Both sexes have this group of hormones, which are linked to how our reproductive systems work, as well as how much oil our skin is emitting. As anyone who’s ever got overly emosh will know (er, that’s all of us then), hormones can fluctuate based on a number of factors, not least adolescence, certain medications, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Exercise, lack of sleep and even high-stress situations are also said to increase androgen levels, which can rev up sebum production leading to faces overabundant with oil. Just another reason to take good care of yourself, then.
Location location location, they say it’s everything. Well, when it comes to your oily skin, it might not be the deciding factor, but it can certainly play a role. In more humid regions and/or months, skin may produce more oil than in colder places. This is simply something to be aware of and temper with our best skincare products for oily skin.
Misdiagnosis of skin type could also be a contributor to more oily skin. If you’re using the wrong products for your face, you could be promoting sebum creation that your skin otherwise wouldn’t emit. Equally, you could be worsening oily skin by using products that are too overly harsh in their moisture-stripping effects, particularly if you’ve got combination skin. Why’s that a problem? Well, it’s a bit of a catch-22 – your skin thinks it’s seriously lacking in moisture after you’ve used the product in question, so your face gets flooded with sebum to compensate. Et voila, you’re back where you started with an oily face again.
What do you feel when you hear the word shine? Thinking about a shiny mane of hair, or a particularly juiced-up lip gloss, it’s all good. But your complexion? Most of us would like to save the sheen for elsewhere. With so many factors contributing to oily skin, it can be tricky to ride the waves of overzealous sebum. But don’t fret, we’ve thought long and hard about skincare for oily skin and are here to share.
A skincare routine for oily skin, like all other skin types, should only include a cleanse no more than twice a day. Over-cleansing is a big no-no because yes, it is possible to get too much of a good thing.
Similarly, using alcohol-based toners can create a dried-out, tight feeling on your skin, which should be considered a warning sign. Though it might seem counterintuitive, you should be wary of stripping moisture completely from your face. You don’t want to feel like all of your natural oils are completely gone, rather helped to find balance. Otherwise, oily skin is likely to counteract the lack of moisture by kicking sebum production up a gear and flooding your face with oil to compensate, leaving you right back where you started.
Make sure you include an oily skin-appropriate moisturiser as a part of your daily routine. If you skip this face care step, you might be causing your skin to dry out, which will, again, kick sebum production into overdrive. In a cruel twist of fate, dehydration can also worsen oily skin in this way too, so ensure you’re helping to restore the right kind of moisture to your face with one of our targeted skincare products for oily skin. Find a lightweight, gel-like moisturiser and you’ll help to balance things out.
Plus, in the wise words of Baz Luhrmann, everyone should wear sunscreen daily, regardless of what the weather’s doing. UV rays are said to stimulate sebum production, so making SPF an everyday essential will help to steer shininess in the right direction (not to mention, help protect your skin from sun damage.)
It’s a common misconception that oily skin is worsened by oily food. That said, your general wellbeing will always benefit from a well-rounded diet rich in veggies and fruit, alongside balanced portions of protein and carbs. Equally, on the wellness front, make sure you’re living your best, stress-free life. Winding down before your requisite 8 hours of sleep with some gentle yoga or your favourite soothing bedtime ritual will help to regulate your androgen levels and avoid extra sebum washing over your face.
Don’t go overboard on makeup, particularly oil-based products and consider removing your makeup as soon as you get home, rather than right before bed. And in both the skincare and makeup departments, look for oil-free and non-comedogenic products (those that help to prevent pore-blocking). When you find what works, stick to it. Your face will thank you for your consistency, allowing it to, essentially, settle into a balanced diet.
Lastly, don’t forget – we’re all about celebrating the beauty of realness, and think you should also celebrate your oily skin. After all, having high oil production can also be a good thing. Sebum contains vitamin E (a beloved skincare ingredient in its own right) and can strengthen your natural skin’s barrier. You also seem to age more slowly when you have oily skin, as your skin is naturally more moisturised, reducing the likelihood of deep-set wrinkles. Since elasticity reduces and sebum production slows as we age, you might even find that your skin becomes less oily as you mature. Keep checking in with yourself, as you might find you need to switch out your oily skincare products over time.
Our best cleanser for oily skin is our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. It’s a daily must to help cleanse the skin of impurities and excess oil, all without over-drying the skin, leaving it feeling refreshed. The gel texture lathers when it’s massaged into your face with water, feeling cooling on skin. It helps to rid your face of gunk and dead skin cells. Word to the wise – be careful not to scrub your skin or over-wash, as overly harsh actions can stimulate sebum flow. Once washed, pat your skin dry instead of rubbing to gently prepare your skin for the next step.
Helping to balance your face’s excess oil, our Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner is a key next step in your oily skincare routine. Enriched with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil and shake-to-mix mattifying powders, it helps to subdue excess oil, leaving your face feeling refreshed. At the same time, it helps to remove any last traces of makeup and impurities that might be clinging on post-cleanse, which, as we’re all now clued up on, is an integral part of your skincare routine to help reduce the chances of pores getting blocked. Swipe all over the face, avoiding the eye area.
A beacon of light in your skin routine for oily skin, our Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution is a targeted serum for oily skin. All you need is 2-3 drops massaged all over your face morning and evening after cleansing and toning to help restore balance to your complexion. Oily skin types often think adding any moisturiser or serum to the mix is going to make oily skin even shinier, but that’s not necessarily true, as even oily skin needs the right balance of moisture restored to skin. If you’re really oily on your nose, you could look to lighten up how much you apply here, focusing on the rest of your face only.
Feel awash with blemishes or want to really target the few that emerge? Our Tea Tree Oil is a great way to help combat blemishes when they occur. It’s an iconic and mighty little bottle – 20ml is packed with the oil of thousands of tea tree leaves. Our Oil helps to powerfully purify skin, helping to reduce the appearance of blemishes. It’s ideal for using as and when you notice blemishes through the course of the day. Among our oily skin products, it’s a little bottle that helps to make a big difference.
For when you need to get all hands on deck, our Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Night Mask is one of our best oil control skin products. Just think – 8 hours of potential product-getting-to-work time while you sleep. It feels powerful on skin, but not heavy or greasy and leaves pores feeling tightened, and skin feeling refreshed. As a gentle gel-cream textured mask, ideal for use 2-3 times a week, it will help to keep oil-slicked skin more balanced and reduce the appearance of blemishes. For best results, prep skin first with the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Face Wash and Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner from our oily skin regimen. Want to really boost the zingy feeling? Pop this face mask in the fridge before use for a super refreshing feeling – making this one of our best skin care products for oily skin or hot weather humidity sufferers alike.
Designed especially for you, this nifty little primer is our ideal base for faces that need mattifying due to excess oil. Our InstablurTM Primer has a weightless feel and helps to provide a smoother, more balanced canvas upon which to blend makeup more seamlessly. Why the name? Well, it also helps to blur the appearance of pores, as well as imperfections, evening out skin tone and helping pores to appear more refined. You’ll soon wonder how you ever did without this makeup must-have.
Enriched with tea tree oil, our Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation helps to balance out and minimise oil excess throughout the day, while camouflaging blemishes and minimising the appearance of pores as you wear it. This makeup must-have is a beloved, breathable foundation. Got to run for the bus? No sweat, this formula is also resistant to sweat and water. It helps your face to look and feel smoother, clearer and more refined with up to 24-hour coverage that doesn’t weigh you down.
Want to reduce the appearance of blemishes without clogging pores in the process? Say hello to our vegan Matte Clay Concealer, a targeted weapon in your makeup arsenal. It’s got a lightweight feel and is enriched with tea tree oil. It helps to let skin breathe, all while helping to battle blemishes and leave skin looking more matte. Use this concealer on its own or together with our Matte Clay Foundation – either way you’ll notice your skin appears to have a more refined finish.
If you have oily skin, you’re likely a devotee to your powder, but beware over-using this, as you could be contributing to pore-blocking. Our Matte Clay Powder is a breathable formula that’s so gentle it’s even suitable for sensitive skin. This vegan, tea tree-enriched powder helps to even out skin tone, all while helping to absorb excess oil preventing that all-day shine build-up. Use it after using our Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation or on its own to help your skin look clearer and mattified.
“I love this foundation! The coverage is really good and it stays put all day. I am quite pale and find it hard to get the right shade so the lightest shade is perfect for me and it covers any blemishes brilliantly. Plus it's matte so really good if you have oily skin.”
Kelsbels
About Matte Clay Skin Clarifying Foundation