6 Moves to Fight Greasy Skin

Indian girls mostly have combination to oily skin. As the mercury rises the combination gets oily, and the oily gets oilier – unbearable. Added to the greasiness one is often plagued with problems arising out of extra sebum on skin – acne, blackhead, whitehead etc. Your genes, diet, stress level, medication and even your skincare regimen all impact the levels of greasiness on your skin. But cutting this grease is easy with good diet plan, right products, discipline, and definitely patience. Start by drinking lots of water, and eating citrus fruits. 

Cause: Because of the hormonal swings of adolescence, oily skin is common in teenagers, but it can occur at any age. In general, skin tends to become dryer with age. During pregnancy and menopause, hormonal imbalances can also upset the oil balance and increase the activity of the sebaceous glands. Good news is that oily skin ages much slower than other skin types. 

Cleansing: Avoid skincare products that leave your skin feeling taut and dehydrated. Cleanliness is a must for your skin type. Avoid the use of harsh soaps or cleansers. Use a pure soap with no artificial additives. Try using hot water as it dissolves skin oil better than lukewarm or cold water. While cleansing, massage your face well with your fingertips, using an upward and outward motion. Don’t rub soap into the skin; it can clog pores. Use a face wash meant for oily skin. 

Avoid: Over cleansing your skin. Even if you want to, do not clean your face more than twice a day with a face wash. If your face feels greasy mid afternoon, just splash your face with cold water to tighten the pores. You can also carry a facial spray mist for instant freshness. You can even carry a oil blotting wipes in your purse to wipe off extra oil. 

Moisturise: Use a gel based moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated, because even when you have excessive oil, you skin can look flaky due to loss of water from skin. Also protect your skin from the sun with a sunscreen gel since they are non greasy. Make sure the sunscreen is at least SPF 15. 

Use oil-free makeup: Pick up oil-free makeup to avoid clogging of pores, and makeup meltdown. Use water-based products. Try mate finish foundation that also has oil absorbing particles. Powder-based colours work better than cream based colours for you. 

Home therapy: Washing the face with gram flour helps a lot. A mixture of apple and limejuice applied for 15 minutes and washed with cold-water acts as a very good astringent. Cucumber and tomato mashed and applied to the face is very good for the care of oily skin. Apply it all over the face and neck, wait for about 10 minutes and wash with warm water. Rose water mixed with ice water and mint juice with rose water is excellent for oily skin care. Always remember, any application should be left on for at least 10 minutes before being washed.