Does your skin often look shiny and feel greasy? Oily skin is a common skin type – and luckily, unwanted shine is easy to manage with the right skincare and habits. 

By Maria Ahlgren

Oily skin is common, not least in puberty when hormones send skin's oil production into overdrive. In this blog post, we'll look at the causes behind oily skin, and routines that will help your skin feel balanced.

How do I know if I have oily skin?

Here's some typical tell-tale signs that your skin is oily:

• Shiny skin – Skin often look shiny and feel greasy.
• Enlarged pores – Pores in oily skin types tend to be more visible and look larger than in drier skin types. They easily clog up with oil and sweat.
• Breakout-prone – Oily skin is more prone to acne and blackheads

If you're only oily in the T-zone but dry on your cheeks, you likely have combination skin.

On a good note, oily skin tends to show signs of aging later in life, and you're less prone to uncomfortable dryness!

Why do I have oily skin?

Skin type is mainly genetic and a basic programming for how low or high oil production our skin has.

Here's a quick skin biology lesson:

Under every pore, we have a small gland that produces oil – a sebaceous gland.

The sebaceous glands are crucial for healthy skin since they produce natural oils (sebum) that moisturise and protects our skin barrier. But when they run into overdrive they can cause troubles like excess oiliness, clogged pores and acne.

There's several reasons why the sebaceous glands overproduce oil – both genetics, hormones and temporary lifestyle factors influence oil production.

Some of the most common reasons behind oily skin are:

1. GENETICS

If your parents (or one of them) have oily skin, chances are you will too. While we cannot change our genetic programming, we can manage excess oil production with the right skincare products and small lifestyle habits.

2. HORMONAL CHANGES

A hormone called androgens are responsible for overstimulating the sebaceous glands, making them produce excess oil. Androgens are often called "the male hormone", which is misleading, since females have them too alongside our lady hormones.

Androgens – like our other hormones – fluctuates throughout life, and typically peak during puberty. Oily skin is very common in teenagers, and in young men.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy, before the period, during menopause or in women with PCOS can trigger oil production long after our teenage years.

3. STRESS LEVELS

When we're stressed, the stress hormone cortisol rises in the body. This can indirectly increase the androgen levels, leading to excess oil production. 

4. CLIMATE

Hot and humid weather often triggers higher sebum production, which is why oily skin is a bigger concern in hot countries.

5. SKINCARE HABITS

A common mistake for people with oily skin to try to dry out skin. Don't! Using to harsh skincare or drying out skin will only cause skin to overproduce more oil to compensate for the water loss.

6. LIFESTYLE FACTORS

Eating a lot of processed high glycemic foods, like refined sugar, can cause blood sugar spikes that affect the oil glands. n

WHAT IS A GOOD SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR OILY SKIN?

The good news is that oily skin can often be managed with the right skincare routine.

1. GENTLY CLEANSE

Most people with oily skin prefer the fresh feel of gel cleansers, but steer clear of drying cleansers. If it says SLS (sodium laureth sulafte) or or SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate) on the ingredient list,  skip it, since these surfactants might dry out skin, making it want to overproduce oil.

Instead, go for a gentle cleanser that respect skin's barrier and pH level.

Best cleanser for oily skin: Cloud Wash removes excess sebum, sunscreen, makeup and dirt without stripping skin. Use morning and night.

If you wear a lot of makeup or want a deeper cleanser, you can use it to double cleanse at night. Simply massage over dry skin to dissolve makeup, rinse, and wash as usual.

2. BALANCE WITH HYPOCHLOROUS ACID  (optional)

Are you also acne-prone or have easily irritated skin? The hypochlorous acid in Cloud Mist helps to combat unwanted bacteria, soothe skin and balance and while having a slightly mattifying effect. Spray after cleansing and any time during the day. Cloud Mist is our gym bag-must have too!

3. EXFOLIATE WITH SALICYLIC ACID

If there's one ingredient that every oily person should have on their radar it's salicylic acid – the most tried and tested ingredient to manage oily and breakout-prone skin.

Salicylic acid (the most famous BHA acid)  is oil soluble, so it cuts through the oil deep inside the pore to dissolve "plugs" of trapped excess oil, keratin and dead skin cells that can lead till acne. It also helps to control sebum production AND has some anti-inflammatory effects, so add salicylic acid  to your routine immediately!

Best salicylic acid exfoliant for oily skin: Use Cloud Water 3-4 times/week, or daily when needed. In the summer, we love using Cloud Water in the morning to prevent sunscreen breakouts. Simply swipe it over skin after cleansing, and trust the process.