Summer gives you numerous reasons to fall in love with it, be it extra daylight, lazing on a hammock or devouring popsicles with your kids during warm afternoons. That's what summer is- fresh and joyful! But you know what is not wholesome or joyful? The invasion of excess greasiness on your skin during summers like an unwanted visitor.
And just because oily skin is very common doesn't make it an easy task to manage it while trying to achieve a radiant look. To top it all, let's not forget the heavy cloud of sudden breakouts and dull skin that oily skin brings upon you. But worry not! We have just the solution for you to achieve healthy and glowing skin while bidding goodbye to that unwelcomed greasiness.
What Causes Oily Skin?
The oil produced by your skin is known as sebum, which is produced by the sebaceous gland present in your hair follicles.
Dr Gretchen Frieling, a triple board-certified dermatologist based in the Boston area, explains that you develop oily skin when the sebaceous glands in your skin start secreting too much sebum. This activity is much more triggered in summers owing to high temperatures and humidity.
Even though sebum is vital to keep your skin healthy, when your glands overproduce sebum, it tends to clog your skin pores. This leads to overly shiny, greasy and acne-prone skin.
6 - Step Skincare Routine for Oily/Acne Prone Skin
1. Opt for a gentle cleanser with oil controlling properties
A face cleanser is one of the most basic yet crucial steps in a skincare regimen for oily skin. It helps to remove unwanted dirt, oil and impurities from your skin while helping you extra oil production, especially in summers. The best ingredients for oily skin are
- Zinc PCA (effective on acne, controls oil production and retains moisture),
- Citric Acid (mild exfoliating properties) and,
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine (a mild surfactant that does not rip off natural oils from your skin).
They gently cleanse off dirt, unclog pores and stabilise your sebum production while curbing bacterial proliferation. Besides that, these ingredients protect your skin from drying out by retaining the moisture balance.
2. Wipe your face with an alcohol free toner
With its multitude of uses, a face toner is a secret skincare weapon for your oily skin if used wisely. A toner's job is that it removes any remains of unwanted oil, dirt or makeup traces left on the surface of your skin after cleansing. Apart from that, it restores the pH balance while refining and minimising enlarged pores. Skincare experts suggest that
- witch hazel,
- aloe vera,
- lemon, and
- watercress
are the ideal ingredients to look for while buying the toner for oily skin. These botanical extracts help to reduce the balance of sebum production in the skin. Witch hazel Extracts act as an astringent to help shrink your pores, soothe your skin and reduce inflammation.
If you are planning to invest in a good toner for your oily skin then make sure to seek out an alcohol-free formula as it saves your skin from the trouble of appearing dry or dull.
3. Layer a face serum that contains niacinamide and tea tree oil extract
Serums are a viable option to target your specific skin concerns. Having a lower molecular weight than moisturisers, serums tend to absorb easily into the skin and work.
And in order to treat the oily acne prone skin in summers, serums with active ingredients like
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate(Vitamin C derivative suitable for oily skin)
- Niacinamide (sebostatic and anti-inflammatory properties),
- and Tea tree oil extract (antibacterial properties) can come handy.
These ingredients work in a synergistic manner to regulate the excess oil production, to keep the pores in their normal size. Thus can act efficiently to prevent breakouts and treat acne spots.
4. Use an acne clarifying gel to manage active acne
Active acne can be a mess if you pop it or leave it untreated as it might lead to more acne. And managing acne can be a handful of tasks in hot and humid weather.
Fortunately, acne clarifying gel infused with ingredients like
- Salicylic Acid (exfoliating properties),
- Boswellia serrata resin Extract (anti-inflammatory properties),
- Rice Bran Extract (antioxidant)
can do wonders on oily and acne prone skin. It easily treats the active acne by directly targeting the concerns on the skin.
5. Choose a moisturiser that is lightweight and non-greasy (oil-free)
It can seem extremely counterintuitive to use a moisturiser, especially when your face is being overambitious in secreting natural oils. However, you should never underestimate the power and importance of a good moisturiser, even if you have oily skin and a bag full of doubts.
Skipping moisturiser from your daily skincare routine tends to make your skin dry out and in turn rebound with more secretion of oil, which eventually leads it to appear shiny and break out more often. Inculcating a moisturiser in your skincare routine for summer is one of the best oily skin tips.
According to a study performed by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it is wise to invest in a moisturiser for oily skin with these properties
- lightweight
- non-greasy
- and non-comedogenic.
6. Choose a sunscreen formula that suits oily/acne prone skin types
Do not fear sunscreens even if you have oily skin! That white cast, sweat inducing sunscreen formulas further triggering acne are all the talks of yesteryears!
The newly developed sunscreen formulations specifically for oily skin are
- O-free (Oxybenzone and Octinoxate)
- low penetration lotion
- enriched with organic sunscreen filters
- non-comedogenic; leaving no white cast.
It helps to shield your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun. A research study states that sunscreen also helps to steer clear of any signs of premature ageing like wrinkles, age spots etc. A broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF higher value of 30 or higher should be your go-to sunscreen for oily skin as it provides the extra and much-needed protection.
Untreated oily skin can lead to a buildup of dead skin cells, random breakouts, leaving your skin pigmented. In addition, severe acne may lead to acne scars and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation on the face. So without further delay, start following these best summer skincare routine for oily skin to get that shine-free, fresh and dewy appearance and thank us later!
Pro Tip
While Morning skincare routine is essential, it is equally important to continue the night skincare regimen. At night, the skin is in the healing and restorative zone to repair the tissues and cells of your skin. And since we are talking about oily skin, if you go to bed without cleansing your face, the pores will get clogged with dirt, excess oil and makeup products (if you have them on). Consequently, acne or breakouts will be welcoming you in the morning!
So this night time routine includes:
- Cleanser
- Toner
- Serum
- Acne Clarifying Gel
- Moisturiser
P.S.
Since you are all set to invest your valuable time and money into skincare regimen to conquer your oily skin, it is essential to understand what is incorporated in your skincare products. Ingredients play an essential role, and if you pay close attention to them, then you can get healthy and glowing skin effortlessly.
