Shine Patrol: Summer Tips for Those With Oily Skin

Our skin is our biggest organ and often one of the very first things that others notice about us. It’s no wonder that a great portion of our beauty regimens are focused on creating and maintaining beautiful skin. In fact, chances are that you–along with most other women–are constantly searching for ways to permanently reveal your best skin. This is especially true during the hot summer months when our skin care needs shift dramatically in response to the weather around us. Fortunately, good skin care doesn’t require complicated procedures or loads of expensive products, no matter what issues you may be seeking to resolve.

Good Skin Care Tips

Oily skin can be particularly troublesome to deal with, even when it doesn’t result in unsightly blemishes. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to combat oily skin this summer:

• Wash well with the right cleanser. Cleansers that contain 2% percent salicylic acid for the purpose of fighting blemishes can be wonderfully helpful when you are trying to combat oily skin. The salicylic acid will help to break down any oil that is locked in your pores, without drying out your skin.
• Make sure you are using the right amount of sunblock. Rather than using your normal moisturizer in the morning, spread about a teaspoon of mineral-based sunblock all over your face. Oil-absorbing ingredients like micronized zinc or titanium dioxide can help to control oil and shine on your face.
• Use less makeup. Summer is the perfect time to switch to lighter makeup use. Heavy makeup tends to melt into and clog pores when the weather is hot, and this causes pores to produce more oil. Mineral powder foundations can be particularly helpful during the summer, as they are light and can actually absorb excess oil to keep the skin looking matte.
• Eat well. Cocktails and spicy foods may be wonderfully satisfying for you, but they aren’t helpful to your skin. Alcohol and spicy food can cause your blood vessels to dilate and make you sweat, which can clog your skin and lead to an over-production of oil. Limiting your alcohol and spicy food intake and eating plenty of carrots, cantaloupe, spinach, and other vitamin A-rich foods can help to slow your skin’s oil production.
• Exfoliate once a week. Gentle exfoliating scrubs can help to remove the dead skin, dirt, and oil that tends to sit on your face and clog your pores. That said, over-exfoliating can have the opposite effects that one intends, so be sure to limit your exfoliating to just once, or maybe twice, a week. For even better results you can follow your exfoliation with a clay or salicylic acid mask that will help to further decrease oil production.
• Use less night cream. Just as a heavy foundation can clog your pores, so too can heavy night cream application. In fact, you can help by switching from night cream to lotion or lotion to hydrating serum so that you are using a lighter product on your skin. Avoid moisturizing your nose (it has moisturization under control) and try to find products that contain salicylic acid, glycolic acid or anti-inflammatory niacinamide.
• Blot as much as you desire. Blotting papers cannot be overused in a way that harms the skin as all they do is soak up the excess oil on your face, so use them to your heart’s content.
• Receive a spa facial treatment. Spa facials are designed with your skin’s specific needs in mind, which means that they can effectively address oily skin at a deeper level than you can achieve through your products at home.

As always, feel free to contact a consultant at Botanica for more tips on how to control your oily skin this summer so that you can enjoy the shine-free radiance you truly desire.

Love,

Gen