Moisturizers for Oily Skin

Summer is splendid, but oily skin finds it difficult to handle, what with moisturizers and sunscreen, plus make up. It can be very stressing, trying to tone down the shine.

Over the years I had many clients complain that their oily skin became even oilier once they used a moisturizer. The problem is not the skin, just that the product they use is not designed for their skin type, which is oily.

A little anatomy here will help understanding this topic.

Our skin contains a lot of water, which is needed for keeping the skin molecules plump and the interstitial fluid (the “soupy” liquid which surrounds the molecules) at a liquid consistency. We lose water content through moving and generally functioning as living beings. For the body to function well we need to replace the water content. Since water is vital to normal life, the famous 8 glasses we drink are going to go everywhere in the body and the skin is last on the destination list, which means the skin does not necessarily get enough for its needs. This is the reason for using topical moisturizers.

The second important ingredient in the skin beside water is sebum (oil). Sebum is produced by glands located in the skin and its job is to protect the skin from environmental elements, such as dust, bacteria, pollen, etc.

Sebum creates a very thin film on the skin and gives it its “dewy” look.

The sebaceous glands sometimes produce too much sebum and this results in an “oily skin”.

Having an oily skin does not mean the skin needs no water.

When choosing a moisturizer we need to pay attention to which type of skin the moisturizer is for.

Moisturizing cream for oily skin is water based.The moisturizing cream for oily skin is light in texture and will penetrate easily, leaving no film on the skin.

Choosing the right moisturizing cream for oily skin ensures your skin gets hydrated without any negative side effect.

Allowing oily skin to become dehydrated will only result in premature wrinkles, not a very desirable result.

Here are a few Oily Skin Moisturizers we like:

Tropo by Gernetic, Mixed & Oily by Gernetic, Hydra-Matt Fluid by Sothys, Sulphuric Whip Moisturizer by Ilike Organic Skin Care, Oil-Free Moisturizer by Peter Thomas Roth and Clariphase Day/Night Cream by France Laure.

 

 

Moisturizers – We All Need Them

 

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Our skin is a complicated structure, but today we’re only focusing on two basic components : oil and water.

Oil, otherwise known as “sebum” is produced by tiny sebaceous glands. The job of the sebum is to cover the skin like a protective wrap against outside harmful elements, like bacteria, dust, pollution.

Too little oil results in dry skin, while too much oil results in oily skin.

Water is necessary for most of the body functions and is a very large component of every cell. Even if we drink enough for our body, the first organ to lose water content is the skin. This is why we need to moisturize in addition to drinking.

Too little water results in dehydrated skin. This is skin that shows tiny scratches, almost like  they were made by a fine needle, going in all directions. Chronically dehydrated skin will develop wrinkles regardless of age.

OIly skin is very often dehydrated because of harsh, cheap cleansing products which strip the skin not only of too much oil, but also of precious water.

Moisturizers are formulated to respectively suit oily and dry skin and using the wrong moisturizer can result in break outs (oily skin) or diminished but still present dehydration (dry skin).

It is customary to use a moisturizer for day time because our various activities will invariably result in water loss. In addition to replacing water, moisturizers are also protecting the skin against water loss.

Many moisturizers contain SPF, which saves us the use of 2 products instead of just one. The problem here is that SPF needs to be re-applied during the day and no one I know is ready to take off their make up in mid-day, just to re-apply moisturizer!!

The solution is to use mineral powders with SPF and apply this several times a day.

I look forward to your comments and questions. Have a great week!