Saturday, March 24, 2012

Oily Skin

Hello, everyone!  It's Caroline.

A nice young lady named Rebekah emailed us this week with a couple of excellent questions, so I thought I'd address them publicly in case any of you have the same issue!  I'm going to do a separate post for each question in case one doesn't apply to everyone.

Her first question had to do with oily skin.

She says:  "I have really greasy and shiny skin, and even though I wash my face a lot, it's still just plain greasy. And that also gives me problems with acne. I have a concealer, and some face powder, but they don't seem to help that much."


This is a great question!


My hormones are just a'-twirlin' because since the last post I wrote on my skin, in which mentioned that it's bone dry, I've become oily.  Now I struggle with oily eyelids, forehead, and chin.  It's a brand new beast, but I'm beginning to best it!


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First of all, when you have oily skin, try not to wash your face a lot.  I would say to wash very gently once or twice a day.  If you wash your skin too much, you will strip the natural oils from your skin, and in turn, your skin will begin to produce more oil to make up for it.  


Now, sometimes the oily skin is just hormonal and hereditary.  But there's still something you can do about it!  But first, be grateful that you've got oily skin, because girls with oily skin get wrinkles at a much slower rate than dry-skinned girls, and plus, you can get that stylish "dewey" look with ease!


Here's the scoop:


     {1} First of all, primer can really make all the difference.  They keep your makeup from sliding around and coming off your face. However, primers can be incredibly costly.  So, however weird this may sound, go to your local drugstore and pick up "milk of magnesium."  Yes, it's a laxative.  But apparently it's used backstage at fashion shows because you can get a lot of it for cheap.  Just apply it to your oiliest areas and let it sit for a minute before you put on your foundation.  If you're willing to shell out the dough, try a primer by Smashbox (They have anti-shine ones) or any sort of mattifying one you find in Sephora.

        {2}  Blot, blot, blot, blot, blot!  Bring blotting papers wherever you go.  It's more sanitary than using a powder puff every time you need to blot off oil, and makes you look less cakey than when you apply a lot of powder.  I really like these ones from Boots.  (But here's a secret.  Stock up on Starbucks napkins! Something about the way their made takes away oil like a charm!)

{3}  Now to cleansing!  This part is very important.  You need to exfoliate two or three times a week.  I suggest a product like this.  Avoid using a washcloth to exfoliate because that can tug at your skin and damage it.  Also, if you're getting acne from your oiliness, use an acne cleanser three times a week.  This particular one you need not use more than that, because it could begin to irritate if used too often.  For the rest of the time, use a very gentle gel cleanser such as this.  Salicylic acid works wonders.

{4}  Do not avoid moisturizer!  You'll be tempted to, but do not.  Not moisturizing your skin can actually contribute to oiliness, because your body tries to make up for it with it's own oil.  However, use a light one like this.

     Now, in regards to the actual makeup you wear, you can still wear foundations!  If you have a lot of acne, though, do not cake it up to cover it because your acne will not heal and will probably get worse.  Try to buy a foundation that's water-based instead of oil-based, and put your concealer on your blemishes before you apply foundation, if you feel you must cover them.  If you have very oily skin, don't touch your face and pin your hair away from your forehead.  Also, give your face a break from makeup as often as possible.

     That's the scoop on dry skin!  It takes a lot of management, but it's easier to get under control than dry skin. Embrace it and tend it and you're good to go!

Love,
Caro

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