What is oily skin and how to effectively manage it?

This week’s common question pertains to the over production of sebum and how you can help regulate sebum production aka oily skin.

Lets first talk about what sebum is and some of the causes.

In simple terms, sebum is the oil produced by your body’s Sebaceous glands. Oily skin can be hereditary due to overactive sebaceous glands or a result of using products that over dry your skin or do not provide enough moisture.

So what can you do to help control your skin's oil production?

The answer might shock you. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! Yes, We know it sounds crazy. But your skin will go into emergency mode to protect itself by producing more oil if it isn’t sufficiently moisturized.

If you have oily skin and spend a lot of time in tropical climates, you can pair our Glow Serum and SPF during the day as your moisturizing step.

But at night, we like to use our Glow serum with or without an oil depending on your skin’s needs. We know what you’re thinking. If you add oil to your oily skin, won’t it clog your pores, increase the oiliness of your skin, and cause breakouts? Well, because our Glow serum is a light weight treatment serum it deeply penetrates the skin delivering tons of hydration. We find that mixing the Glow Serum with an oil that helps regulate sebum gives your skin the hydration and moisture it needs so your sebaceous glands don’t go into overdrive.

There is a common misconception that if you have oily skin you should be stripping your skin of all oils. Which is actually not the case. Maintaining your skin barrier is an important step to keeping your skin healthy and balanced. There are actually oils that help regulate sebum and have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Which all help with healing and preventing blemishes.

Some of our favorite oils found in our glow serum that really help regulate sebum production are:

Jojoba Seed Oil

Which is A plant oil that closely resembles the oil produced by human skin, jojoba oil heals wounds it also protects and unclogs pores. And because jojoba oil mimics the role of sebum, it contains natural healing properties to effectively heal damaged skin. Which is beneficial for active breakouts.

Neroli Oil 

Neroli oil helps maintain the right balance of oil in the skin. It also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties which makes it great for use on oily and blemished prone skin.

A few oils that aren’t found in our glow serum but I love to mix with our glow serum is Grapeseed oil and Hemp oil.

Hempseed Oil

Hempseed is perfect for oily skin types as it can moisturize without clogging your pores. It can even help to balance out oily skin, hydrating it and regulating the skin's oil production. This helps reduce acne that's caused by excess oil.  

Grapeseed Oil

The second oil we like to mix with our glow serums is Grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil works to penetrate your skin quickly and doesn't leave your skin feeling oily Thanks to its vitamin E and linoleic acid content, grapeseed oil also lightens skin discolorations like acne scars and sunspots.

Tea Tree Oil

And lastly; Tea Tree oil. Tea Tree oil has been a holy grail essential oil in the world of acne. It is antibacterial, sebum reducing and keratolytic (can dissolve and allow dead skin cells to shed properly). This oil is also best used with a carrier oil or product like our Glow Serum.

The next time you’re struggling with a breakout or you feel like your oil production is out of control; consider incorporating an acne friendly oil into your routine. It could be a game changer for your skin’s health.

Shop our Glow Serum here