Caring for Oily Skin
If you have clients with oily skin, we're sure you've made the mistake before (or at least come close!). Their skin feels greasy, so you do everything you can to remove the oil, using deep cleansing products to try and remove that oily feeling. It just never seems to get better! That might be because stripping the oils from their skin is potentially causing it to produce even more oil, putting them in a cycle of unending grease!
To treat oily skin correctly, it's important to understand what it is and why it happens. Oil is more correctly known as sebum, a natural product made by the glands in your skin to moisturise and protect your skins outer layer. It's important to have some of it, but for some people the skin can produce a bit more than we need. There are several possible reasons for oily skin, some of which we can control and others we just have to live with.
Firstly, our genetics. Some people are just predisposed to oilier skin than others, and that's OK! We can't change our DNA, but what we can do is work with it. Age is also a big factor; our skin gets drier as we age, and especially for women our hormone levels can really affect how oily our skin is. That means during puberty, pregnancy and menopause we can see dramatic changes in our skin, not to mention the menstrual cycle we go through every month! The climate can also make a difference to the levels of sebum in our skin, with high heat and humidity being the greatest weather factors for oil production. Conversely, through winter the drying effects of central heating can also cause skin to go overboard on the sebum production.
The factors that we can affect are our diet and our skincare routine. Obviously as a beauty company, we're predominantly concerned with skincare, but a diet that is high in fruits & vegetables and lean protein, but low in dairy, sugar and saturated fats will benefit more than just your skin! Oh, and make sure you're drinking enough water. Being dehydrated makes every skincare concern worse!
So, to skincare! Oily skin needs gentle handling to be at its best, and contrary to what your instincts might tell you, moisturising is very important for oily skin! The trick is in using the correct moisturiser for the skin type in question. You want something that is oil free, lightweight and non-comedogenic. We would suggest Kaeso Rebalancing Moisturiser as an ideal product for oily skin.
Certain ingredients can really boost the hydration in your skin. Hyaluronic Acid helps skin to retain the moisture it has without any oils. Use it on damp skin for the best effect. Aloe is also a great product to naturally hydrate the skin, with the added benefit of cooling and soothing.
When it comes to cleansing the skin, we want to be gently cleansing way the excess oil, rather than stripping away all of it with harsh cleansers and scrubs. Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid both help to control oil production, reduce inflammation and keep pores clear. Witch Hazel can also be helpful but can be a little too harsh in some cases, so keep it as an ingredient in cleansers or toners rather than using a pure witch hazel.
Don't forget to exfoliate! 2-3 times a week is perfect, and a gentle hydrating scrub like Outback Organics Face & Body Scrub will remove dead skin cells and unclog pores without drying the skin out. It makes a perfect retail product for your salon in a 100ml size.
Posted by Dawn on March 14th 2025
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