Control Oily Skin — 5 Steps for Summer Skin Survival

Is your face a grease slick? By mid-morning do you feel like you have just sprayed a can of PAM on your face?  Fear not!  5 simple steps based on your skin care can keep oil in control.  Ladies if you are reading these tips, they are perfect for the guy in your life as well.

1.  Cleanse

Oft times oily skins over-compensate in the cleansing category by stripping their skin.  In search of that “squeaky-clean” feel, the skin is left with no natural moisture on the surface, causing the sebaceous glands (oil producers) to step into overtime.  Avoid that catch 22 by using a cleanser that cleans without stripping.  I love Ole Henricksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser. $30 for 12 long-lasting ounces.

This powerful cleanser goes to work on excessively oily skin with breakout problems.  Fabulously invigorating with  foaming action and loaded with aloe vera, chamomile and vitamins.  Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser proves that you can have ultra-clean skin without stripping and dehydrating. Oily skin will become addicted to this cleanser.

2.  Treatment

Bliss is well known for their smart products that treat skin problems with efficacious  ingredients.  Blissworld Steep Clean Mattifying Toner Pads are the perfect  mattifying, moisturizing toner pads for oily and combination skin.  Besides the “feel good” factor, these pads decongest pores and reduce inflammation, gently exfoliate to prevent breakouts, hydrate the skin to restore moisture balance and control oil where needed without drying.  With salicylic acid, smartsponge technology (self activating oil-control spheres), and dead cell digesting enzymes. Steep Clean Mattifying Toner Pads are the ideal touch-up post work out, so throw a jar in your gym bag.  Give your guy a jar to keep in his desk drawer for mid-day touch-ups as well.  $38 for 50 pads.

3.  Control

Keep oil at bay all day with a spot treatment for your oily areas. Clinique Pore Minimizer T-Zone Shine Control is the answer.   This multi-tasking oil-free gel controls oil and shine all day. Mattes the T-zone area, minimizes the look of pores. Leaves a velvety-soft natural finish, under or over makeup. For maximum oil-controlling benefits, apply before makeup.  Apply throughout the day over makeup to help prevent oil breakthrough.  Priced at only $14.50 you can afford to keep one in your purse, one in your desk and give one to a friend!

4.  Hydrate

A common misconception is that oily skin does not need moisture because it’s oily.  Not true.  It doesn’t need added oil, but moisture is a necessity.  In fact, well-nourished skin needs a  proper balance of water and oil.  I am such a fan of products that have multi-benefits, and Murad Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15 is a lightweight, oil-free, hydrator that diffuses excess oil while delivering potent, broad-spectrum SPF 15 protection. Contains Murad’s powerful Energizing Pomegranate Complex with artemia to stimulate healthy cell function and pomegranate antioxidants to guard against environmental damage so skin stays healthy.

5.  Makeup

Choose either a light-weight oil-free liquid or a powder that has oil control properties.  Prescriptives has both options in a wide range of colors.  Virtual Matte Oil-Control Makeup SPF 15 offers medium to full coverage.  Oil-control complex with bontanical extracts absorbs surface shine and when used daily, actually helps reduce oil production over time.  Natural exfoliants smooth skin while anti-oxidants and SPF 15 protect from enviromental damage.  1 oz $32.50.  If you need to powder over your foundation, try Prescriptives Virtual Matte Oil-Conotrol Pressed Powder. $28  Only apply sparingly in the T-Zone or oily areas of your face.  Do not make the mistake of adding more powder as the day goes on. That  one mistake that makes your skin look like you just stepped out of the Sahara.  Instead for touch-up, try oil blotting sheets or a super sheer oil absorbing translucent powder like Laura Geller Matte Maker.  Matte Maker looks scary becuse it’s pure white, but it goes on translucent and sheer.  Apply as often as needed throughout the day for break-out oil control.  Best application is with a fan brush.

Hope these tips help you cut the fat oil!