Oily skin appears when your sebaceous glands produce too much sebum. These are glands located right under the surface of the skin.
Sebum is made out of fats and is oily. It is not all bad because it helps a lot in moisturizing and protecting skin. You should also know it is useful to maintain healthy and shiny hair. However, when there is too much sebum, oily skin appears. Unfortunately, this leads to acne and clogged pores.
Sebum production can be increased by many different things, including hormone changes, stress and genetics. Many women and men struggle with oily skin but the good news is there are different home remedies that can help as they reduce symptoms. Most people can actually avoid buying really expensive skin care products or drugs.
Most dermatologists will recommend the following home remedies for oily skin before considering more serious solutions. Obviously, this can vary from one person to the next. Even so, the most common home remedies for oily skin are the following.
Don’t Forget To Wash Your Face
We should start with the most obvious thing because so many that have problems due to oily skin just do not wash their face on a daily basis. When you have oily skin, it is very important that you wash the face two times per day.
The problem is that you should be careful not to overdo it. It is really important to avoid al the harsh soaps. Gentle soaps are much better, like glycerin soap.
Use Blotting Papers
Blotting paper is practically a small, thin paper that allows you to blot the excess oil from the face. This will not stop the sebaceous glands but you will end up with less greasy skin. These papers are very cheap and you can buy them over the counter. Use whenever you feel that your skin is too oily.
Honey
When it comes to home remedies to help your skin, you often see honey mentioned. This is because of its natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Honey is beneficial for acne-prone and oily skin.
When you use honey, the skin remains moist but not oily. There are humectants that draw skin moisture and do not replace it.
In order to use honey, you just need to spread it on your skin. Make sure it is raw and spread just a really thin layer. Let the honey dry (around ten minutes) and then rinse with the use of warm water. Obviously, you want to do this daily.
Oatmeal
This is a home remedy for oily skin that few people know. Oatmeal works because it absorbs the excess oil while helping calm skin that is inflamed. At the same time, it will exfoliate dead skin.
As you use oatmeal in a facial mask, which is usually preferred, you want to combine it with honey, yogurt or some mashed fruit.
A simple oatmeal recipe for oily skin:
- Take half a cup of ground oats and combine it with hot water. Form a paste.
- Add in one tablespoon of honey.
- Massage the mixture into the face for around 3 minutes.
- Rinse with some warm water and then pat dry.
Note: You can also leave the mixture on the face and just leave it on for a quarter of an hour. Then rinse it.
Egg Whites With Lemons
This is a really old home remedy for oily skin, a folk remedy that was proven to be quite effective because the ingredients can easily tighten pores. Citrus fruits, like lemons, include acid that helps absorb oil. Also, lemons have strong antibacterial abilities.
If you want to use this home remedy for oily skin:
- Combine 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (freshly-squeezed) with 1 egg.
- Apply the mixture on the face.
- Wait until it dries.
- Remove with the use of warm water.
- Pat your face dry.
Cosmetic Clay
Also known as healing clay, cosmetic clay is useful because it can treat different skin conditions and absorb skin oil. You may also want to specifically look for French green clay, which is very popular for acne treatment and oily skin as it is very absorbent. You buy it in powder form.
To make your own French green clay mask:
- Add rose water or filtered water to 1 teaspoon of cosmetic clay.
- Mix until it forms a consistent paste, similar to a pudding.
- Apply the mixture to the face. Let it dry.
- Remove with the use of warm water.
- Pat dry.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is very good when it comes to soothing different skin conditions, including burns. Scientific studies showed that it can deal with flaky skin that appears because of oily patches.
All you have to do is apply a very thin layer to the face before you go to bed. Just leave it on until you wake up. However, you need to be a little careful. Aloe vera can cause an allergic reaction if you have sensitive skin. Make sure that you test it on your forearm before you use I ton the face. When no reaction appears in 2 days after applying it, you can be sure it is safe.
Tomatoes
This might be a surprise for many but tomatoes are great for oily skin. This is because they include salicylic acid, which is a really common home remedy for acne. These acids will help absorb the excess skin oils and will unclog pores.
In order to make a great exfoliating tomato mask, do the following:
- Take the pulp of one tomato and combine it with one teaspoon of sugar.
- Use a circular motion to apply the paste to your skin.
- Leave it on the face for five minutes.
- Rinse with the use of warm water.
- Pat dry.
Alternatively, you can just apply some tomato slices on the skin as you lay on your back and relax.
Jojoba Oil
You might think that applying oil to skin that is already oily is a bad idea but jojoba oil is actually very effective at treating acne, oily skin and various other skin problems. This is because (what is believed) jojoba is tricking the sebaceous glands so they will produce a lower quantity of sebum, although this was not scientifically proven.
What was shown was that a mask that is made out of jojoba oil and healing clay can help heal mild acne and skin lesions.
The only problem with using jojoba oil for oily skin is that you should never apply too much as this can make the condition worse. Just massage a couple of drops every few days into the skin and see how the reaction goes. When the results are good, you can apply daily.
Almonds
Almonds help exfoliate skin while also removing impurities and excess oils. You practically want to create a face scrub by doing this:
- Grind ground almonds so you have 3 teaspoons to use.
- Add 2 raw honey tablespoons to the almonds.
- Gently apply on the face using circular motions.
- Rinse with the use of warm water.
- Pat Dry
Final Thoughts
Oily skin is not easy to deal with since it can easily make you feel unattractive. It also leads to other problems. Unfortunately, in many cases, especially when caused by hormones or genetics, it is really tough to prevent the appearance of oily skin. You are practically left with having to use remedies.
Using heavy cosmetics is tempting but this can actually make oily skin a lot tougher to manage. This is why you should always use home remedies for oily skin first. Then, talk to a dermatologist. Do not blindly buy over the counter medication.
Do you suffer from oily skin? How did you deal with it? Do you know of any other remedy besides those mentioned above? Let everyone know with a comment below.
