How To Get Rid Of Oily Skin in 10 Affordable Easy Ways

(My contribution to the skincare blog: Kiseu.)

Ah, oily skin. Mankind’s worst enemy? Probably not, but sometimes it really feels that way. Overactive oil glands can lead to more than just a shiny forehead. They can clog up your pores, resulting in breakouts, make your pores appear larger, and cause frustratingly persistent blackheads. 

You’ve probably used mountains of blotting papers and tried dozens of harsh face washes, looking for a cure for your excessive oil. The trouble with oily skin is that it can occur for a myriad of reasons. It can be seasonal, because of medical prescriptions, a temporary condition during pregnancy, or just your natural skin type.  

Whatever the reason for your pesky shine, we’ve got the wallet-friendly solutions for you. If you’re wondering how to deal with oily skin, read on!

Our Top 10 Tips for Banishing Oily Skin:

1. Wash your face regularly.Okay, okay. You’ve probably heard this tons of times, but if you’re not seeing results, there’s things you might need to change! A good rule of thumb is cleansing twice a day, but if you are using the most astringent face wash you can find - step away from the bottle. 

Heavily drying soaps may seem like the right solution, but they can overdry your face, causing your oil glands to work even harder to produce oil. Instead, we recommend double-cleansing with both an oil- and water-based cleanser. Oil clings to oil, so using both of these gentle cleansers ensures your skin gets thoroughly clean without stripping it completely. 

2. Apply moisturizer daily.Just like harsh face washes eventually put your pores into overdrive, dry skin will do the same, so you’ve got to hydrate your skin well. Gel-style moisturizers help to gently moisturize oily skin without clogging pores or feeling heavy.

3. Exfoliate once a week.Over-exfoliating is an easy trap to fall into, but when done sparingly and regularly, exfoliation can reduce the appearance of pores, soften skin, and help prevent breakouts and blackheads. Exfoliating once (or maybe twice) a week can lift off excess oil and improve your skin’s appearance. Using chemical ingredients like salicylic and glycolic acid will gently sweep away dead skin cells, avoiding the potential damage that physical exfoliators can cause. 

4. Face mist in hot weather.In the hotter months, sweating can be an issue, and sweating leads to...oil. Research has shown that misting your skin with a cooling facial mist can avoid overheating and reduce your sebum production. A face mist that is listed as “non comedogenic” shouldn’t clog your pores, giving you the extra boost you need throughout the day to chill out. 

5. Pat your face dry, don’t rub.After you wash your face, it’s easy to grab a towel and rub like crazy to get yourself dry. (After all, it’s extra exfoliation, right?) The problem with this is that most towels are too harsh, and can damage your skin when you scrub your face. Rubbing can also stimulate your cells to produce more oil, which is the opposite of what you want. Gently patting is the kinder way to dry your skin and reduce irritation overall.

6. Make a DIY Oatmeal mask.You heard us right. Who would have thought oatmeal would be the hero of your skincare routine? Turns out, it’s a gentle exfoliator, helps calm inflamed skin, and even absorb excess oil. (Triple threat!) You probably already have all the ingredients at home to make a mask: 

Simply combine ½ cup of ground oats with water to make a paste, and stir in 1 tablespoon of honey (a well-known antibacterial ingredient). Massage the mixture on your face for around 3 minutes, and then wash off with warm water. Easy as that!

7. Lower your refined carb and sugar intake.This tip is free, but certainly not the easiest to do. The trouble with refined carbs and sugars is that they cause your blood sugar to go through the roof, resulting in an insulin increase, and a boost in oil production. To simplify: donuts = oily skin. Lowering your intake of these ingredients can help to mattify your complexion, so it’s worth a try!

8. Switch to a witch hazel toner.Like harsh face washes, toners can be tough on skin. Astringent, alcohol-based toners (aka, the big guns) are certainly effective at removing oil, but oily-complexioned people produce even more sebum when their skin is irritated. 

Witch hazel is a gentler, alcohol-free option that has an astringent effect, which works hard to sweep away oil. It’s possible using a toner every other day could do the trick, but ease in slowly, so you don’t inflame your skin. Witch hazel is crazy-affordable and known to be gentle for most skin types, so it’s the perfect ingredient to get super-clean skin without the sting. 

9. Be particular about your makeup. If your makeup products aren’t labeled: “oil free” and “non comedogenic”, you’re likely putting pore-clogging and oil-producing ingredients on your face every. day. Opting for mattifying makeup with these labels ensures that you can still get glam without turning into an oil slick by three-o-clock. 

The good news is, today, the demand for these products is higher than ever, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a high-quality product with ingredients that will reduce oil, not increase it. Additionally, removing makeup before bed, or even when you get home for the day, can help your skin breathe better and not overproduce oil. 

10. Finally, take time to chill out.Stress and oil production are directly related. (As if you needed another thing to worry about!) Taking time throughout the day to take a breather, or finding a good outlet for your stress could actually reduce the oiliness on your face. Grab a cup of spearmint tea (which could reduce the hormones that produce oil), go for a run, or take up meditation. Whatever works for you, taking time to calm down could result in a happier (and less greasy) you. 

All in all, it’s not impossible to defeat your oily skin! A few simple changes in your skincare routine and lifestyle may be exactly what you need to tame the shine and reach the skin goals you’ve been working towards.

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