Lately I've noticed I've been asked a bunch of questions about oily skin. The common thread amongst these questions is that each of them have been asking for products that will "soak up or dry up" the oil. The problem is soaking up too much oil tends to dry out the skin; thus producing more oil. Still yet, getting an oily skinned person to change their ways is difficult to say the least. I don't blame them. We all have regimens and routines in which we are set in our ways. Plus in this instance, their logic seems to make sense. If you have too much oil, you want it alleviated, therefore you remove it. However, this is one area in skincare where you need to think outside the box. Look at oil reduction by possibly treating it another way. If it doesn't work, you can write me and let me know. Conversely if it does (and I bet it will ), I'd like to know as well.

My challenge to those of you with oily skin is to step away from drying out your skin with harsh clarifiers and pads. Try gently cleansing your skin and use a moisturizer! Don't shy away from moisturizers because again, dry skin will enable the skin to produce more oil. There are even companies who use this theory when formulating their products for oily skin types. Take Babor for instance. They have a cleansing system in which they use oil to remove oil. Their Hy-Ol & Phytoactive Combination Cleansing System is a fabulous pair to thoroughly yet gently cleanse the skin. The Hy-Ol it self has three different types of oil ingredients listed first on their ingredients list, and you pair it up with the Phytoactive base that suits your skin type. Europeans have figured this out a little better than those of us in the U.S. We tend to want instant gratification and the "burn." You may have even said something like this yourself. "I'd like the strongest percentage of glycolic acid I can buy over the counter." Or when buying an anti-aging treatment product how often have you said, "does it burn?" We tend to do more chemical and mechanical treatments to start over with a fresh new skin underneath (this may not work and may even be unsafe). In Europe they tend to nourish the skin they have. This is similar to feeding a healthy body good food. Picture how good a healthy person looks who eats well as opposed to a person who lives on junk food. Nourishing (whether body or skin) with vitamins, natural foods and natural topical preparations, drinking a lot of water, and getting plenty of sleep are proven beauty treatments.  So you see, try to look at oil absorption another way. Don't fight it, work with it! And don't forget…Oftentimes people with oily skin don't age (meaning less wrinkles) quite as readily as those of us with dry skin. The glass is always half full!
 

*Important note: Do not change any regimen prescribed to you by your doctor if you're under the care of a physician.  This article is meant for those of us who are not being treated by a medical practitioner. For optimum treatment and results always seek the advice of your dermatologist or medical practitioner before starting any new regimen.