ACNE AND OILY SKIN – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Having oily, acne-prone skin affects not only teens, but also young adults and both women and men in their thirties. Get to know more about the root causes, the correct treatment, and care of this skin type.

Shiny skin that feels oily when touched is a skin problem caused by overactive sebaceous glands. The function of sebaceous glands is not a problem in itself as their main role is to keep skin greasy and lubricated by producing sebum and thus creating a protective layer. However, overactive glands produce excessive sebum resulting in oily and acne skin.

HOW CAN YOU RECOGNISE OILY SKIN?

It is easy to spot oily skin: your skin is shiny by the middle of the day, an oily, greasy layer can be touched, pores are large and pimples appear on the shiny parts of your face (on nose, forehead and jaw).

WHAT CAUSES OVERACTIVE SEBACEOUS GLAND?

During adolescence, hormonal changes cause oily skin.  The function of sebaceous gland is regulated by androgen hormon which is produced by both women and men. Besides hormonal causes, lifestyle choices also contribute to having oily skin in adulthood: eating habits, indigestion, stress and cosmetic products affect oily skin. It is recommended to consult a doctor when you have oily and acne skin who can conduct special tests and assessment to find out the exact reasons behind your skin problem.

WHAT DOES OILY, ACNE SKIN NEED?

1. First of all, it needs a conscious, well-thought and gentle skin-care routine. Trying to dry out skin harms oily skin because it will result in extremely dry skin on surface that starts to peel while production of sebum intensifies and pores become clogged. Excessive sebum may cause more acne and this process goes on until permanent, inflamed acne appear.
2. Thorough but gentle cleansing. People with oily skin often make the mistake of overusing face scrubs, drying cleansing products or they just dry their skin out by cleaning it excessively. These are best to avoid as skin responds to this harsh skin-care routine by producing more sebum, while using water and cleansing products can cause dry skin. Micellar water, cleansing products specially created for oily skin, natural soaps that clean skin from greasy layer and contamination might be the solution for oily skin as these products protect skin while cleaning it.
3. It needs moisturizing. We understand that it does not feel right to use creams on oily skin, but don’t forget that oily, acne skin needs hydration, too, so try water-based creams or gels instead of oil-based moisturizers. Be careful with products (e.g. creams, foundations, powders) containing chemicals and that have mattifying effect as they temporarily reduces shine of skin, but soon sebaceous glands will overproduce sebum.
4. Avoid certain foods. Having oily skin means you should avoid – or at least try reducing – consuming dairy products. It is also recommended not to eat oily seeds, too spicy and salty foods. Try controlling chocholate consumption and sugar intake. A healthy, balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits positively affects the state of oily skin. You can also consult a dietitian.
5. Sun protection. Hyperpigmentation, brown spots can often appear in the place of acne and pimples after having been exposed to UV rays. These can be prevented by applying day cream containing SPF or mineral-based sunscreen.
6. Use our Mattifying serum 2-3 times a week as part of your morning or day-time skin-care routine. Apply it after cleansing, right before using moisturizer, and let your skin absorb it. Containing ACNILYS® and Schuessler’s mineral salt Natrium Phosphoricum to help prevent acne, balance sebum production and tighten pores.

ACNE OR PIMPLES?

Acne, also known as pimple, is a skin disease usually appearing on the face, back, shoulders or chest and is related to having oily skin. Acne may be:

⦁ Closed comedo: hair follicle is clogged by dead skin cells and sebum resulting in enlargened hair follicle and secretion built-up.

⦁ Blackheads (open comedo): Similar to closed comedo, has a black head and is open to the surface of the skin, so secretion can be emptied.

⦁ Pimple: red spots emerging from the surface of skin caused by inflamed or infected hair follicles.

⦁ Cystic acne: nodule that resides underneath the skin’s surface filled up with secretion in hair follicle.

SCHÜSSLER SKIN-CARE ROUTINE FOR ACNE SKIN

1. Let’s begin with cleansing. Our Schüssler No.9 Handmade soap for acne skin is specially designed for treating acne-prone skin. Containing Schuessler’s mineral salt No.9 to effectively fight excessive sebum production. In addition to Natrium Phosphoricum mineral salt, the antiseptic tea tree oil may help reduce irritation and orange oil provides a soothing effect. Together these components contribute to restoring the natural balance of sebum production resulting in glowing and healthy skin. Can be used during pregnancy.
2. Make-up removal must be natural. Schüssler Micellar cleansing water perfectly cleanse skin from contamination, cosmetic product residue and make-up. It feels truly refreshing to clean your oily skin with a cotton pad soaked in Schüssler Micellar cleansing water. It contains Schuessler’s No.8 mineral salt Natrium Chloratum, which restores skin’s healthy water balance and deeply hydrates skin. Its ingredients are verified and natural, it does not irritate skin as it is fragnance-free. Use it every day for a moisturized, silky smooth skin. Enriched with bio hamamelis water which has soothing and pore tightening effects.
3. Targeted skin-care with the help of Schüssler No.9 face cream. Everything your oily skin needs for acne treatment is packed in this cream. Schuessler’s mineral salt No.9 helps restore correct acid-base balance of skin, argan oil nurtures skin cells, hyaluronic acid offers hydration, and shea butter is also known as a multifunctional beauty elixir with skin softening, and hydrating effects. This natural cream is free from comedogenic ingredients. Comedogenic ingredients contribute to acne, and are also called as comedos. ’Non-comedogenic’ is a label frequently used in skin-care, meaning the product does not cause acne.
4. Weekly face scrubs. Oily skin usually peels more frequently, but dead skin cells clog pores causing acne. You can help the natural cleaning process of your skin by using Schüssler Deep hydration facial scrub weekly. This product contains Sucragel ® AOF cellulose particles, which are natural abrasives that do not harm skin but are effective in removing dead skin cells, making it a safe alternative for scrubbing. This high-tech material is a combination of 2 types of cellulose abrasives, a 700 micron amorphous, and a 150 micron harder spherical shape. This material is more effective than other mechanical peelings and forms emulsion on skin once in contact with water. ECOCERT and RSPO certified, environment-friendly ingredient. Containing Schuessler’s No.8 mineral salt that offers deep hydration. Use it regularly to get even texture and silky skin that absorbs nourishing ingredients more effectively.