People with oily skin know how irritating it is to wake up in the morning with oil on your t-zone or slipping and sliding of your makeup during an important event or party due to the stubborn oil glands. Things get worse when it paves the way for breakouts or blackheads. Before starting with this post, let us inspect the root cause of the skin concern i.e. oiliness.

What causes Oily skin?

Many of us have not transparent idea about the reasons behind oily skin. Without knowing the reasons we cannot combat it. We must learn the very root of the problem to get a targeted skincare routine for this specific skin condition.

There could be so many factors that cause that extra sebum on your skin. From genetics to hormonal imbalance, the reasons are quite surprising. Here are a handful of the reasons that cause oily skin.

reason #1 Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalance plays a major role in creating extra sebum. If you are a woman you know your hormones go haywires around your periods which leads to your sebaceous glands producing more oil than usual. It is known that testosterone causes overactive sebaceous glands. A higher level of testosterone can cause the overproduction of sebum. If you get occasional oiliness, there is a chance the reason is hormonal.

REASON #2 GENETICS

There is a high chance of you having oily skin if you have it in your genes. It mostly happens if one of your parents or both of them have oily skin.

Reason #3 Stress

This is as real as it is. Stress, with many other physical and mental hassles, also could be a possible reason that your skin is producing more sebum than required. Studies show that stress makes our body produce excess Cortisol, a stress hormone. A rise in the secretion of Cortisol results in breakouts and an oilier skin surface.

The problem with stress is that it becomes unmanageable even before we realize it. So, taking some time out for yourself to relax and unwind is necessary not only for our minds but also for our physical well-being. We must make it a ritual to de-stress once in a while. Here is how you can create a DIY at-home spa day for yourself.

REASON #4 Humidity

The weather plays an important role in making your skin more or less oily. Living in a humid and tropical climate can result in oily skin.

Apart from the internal reasons, there are also some external reasons for your skin to be oily or oilier. For instance-

REASON #5 Flawed Skincare Routine

Oily skin can happen if you are following one or more wrong skincare habits. The most common habits that cause overproduction of sebum are over-cleansing, under-cleansing, using alcohol-based toners, skipping moisturizers, and using wrong skincare products.

It is advised that you wash your face twice a day- in the morning and in the evening. You are also allowed to cleanse your skin after exercising to avoid extra oil build-up in the pores. Your skin naturally produces oil that is necessary to keep the skin hydrated and protected from environmental damage. If you wash or scrub your face too harshly, you might overstimulate your oil glands or irritate them which results in excessive oil production. You must use a gentle face wash, preferably soap-free, and a mild scrub to cleanse your skin. Over-cleansing or under-cleansing must lead to over-production of sebum.

Another mistake that causes oily skin is the lack of moisture in our skin. Most people with oily skin tend to skip on their moisturizer after washing their face. They believe it would make their skin oilier. But, this is far from reality. Products that are designed for oily skin strips away the natural oils from our skin. If we skip hydrating our skin, our skin actually sends signals to the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. We must moisturize our face regardless of the type of skin. One could use oil-free, water-based, and non-comedogenic moisturizers if they feel their skin is oily.

Your oily skin can also be a result of using the wrong skincare products. Sometimes we are too busy to read through the ingredients lists while buying skincare or makeup products and end up picking products that are absolutely wrong for our skin type. An example would be products that are non-comedogenic, which means they are going to clog your pores. Clogged pores cause pimples or severe breakout which leads to heavier sebum production. So, every time you are purchasing skincare or makeup, make sure they are non-comedogenic.

Reason #6 Imbalanced Diet

It is proven that intake of oily, fried food, or junk food makes the skin oilier. Intaking carbohydrates like white bread, sugar, and white rice in higher quantities may lead to high serum glucose levels and increased insulin levels. As a consequence, higher insulin levels elevate sebum production.

How to know you have oily skin?

The problem with many people is that they don’t understand which skin type they have. If one knows their skin type it is easier to build a skincare routine. The idea is to detect the problem first and then work on the solution. Here are a few signs that indicate you have oily skin.

• Your facial skin will appear to be shiny.
• You’ll experience greasy skin when you wake up in the morning and towards the end of the day.
• No matter how much setting powder you apply, your foundation will not stick in place, especially on the t-zone.
• You may have large pores on your chin, nose, and anywhere around your t-zone.
• You might get occasional pimples or acne.

What does oily skin require to stay healthy?

Like any other skin type, oily skin also needs a regular CTM routine to be followed every day, am and pm. While it is essential to maintain a daily skincare routine, it is absolutely unnecessary to layer your skin up with everything available in the market. Any skin type requires basic care that is indispensable.