Oily Skin

Oily Skin

On-the-Spot Control

Oily skin isn't all bad. Sure, oily skin leaves your nose shiny or creates a small puddle in the middle of your forehead. Yet oil also makes our skin soft and supple.

The key is to strike a balance, to somehow regulate oiliness for maximum benefit with minimum mess.

AN OIL-REDUCTION PLAN

"Oily skin tends to be hereditary. It's an overproduction of sebum (oil) from the sebaceous (oil) glands," says Karen S. Harkaway, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a dermatologist at Pennsylvania Hospital, both in Philadelphia.

If your oil glands seem to be working overtime, give these tips a try.

Swab the decks, matey. Skin-care companies have come up with nifty foil-wrapped packets of alcohol-saturated wipes for oily skin. They're similar to the larger wipes that women with children often carry for tidying up kids away from home. The smaller facial wipes are easy to tuck into your handbag or briefcase. Then, when you notice that your nose is shiny with oil, you can peel a packet apart in a bathroom and wipe the oil from your face. The alcohol cuts through the oil and dries up your skin. "They smell nice and refreshing and they're very convenient," says Dr. Harkaway. Look for Tyrosum wipes, among other brands, in major drugstores, or ask your pharmacist to order them.

Wash with care. If you have oily skin, you may be tempted to scrub that oil away every chance you get. But washing your face too much--more than three times a day--may stimulate your skin to produce more oil. "Every skin pore is a little oil factory," says Mary Lupo, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, "and your skin knows how much is produced--as if it had a little dipstick. So if you constantly remove that oil, your skin says, 'Oops! Not enough oil. Better make some more.'"

Hard scrubbing and rubbing stirs up the oil glands, too, so be gentle. And if you have oily skin, avoid superfatted soaps (intended to moisturize as they clean) like Dove and Tone--your skin doesn't need any added oil. "Antibacterial soaps (like Dial and antibacterial Lever 2000) are helpful," says Susan C. Taylor, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. That's because oily skin has a tendency to clog the pores and foster bacterial growth.

Rely on witch hazel. Among dermatologists witch hazel is a popular astringent. Don't let the name fool you. "Witch hazel is mild and doesn't have a lot of added ingredients," says Mary Ruth Buchness, M.D., chief of dermatology at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. It's always best to keep skin-care products as simple as possible--use the purest products. And be wary of natural products containing essential oils (extracts of herbs used in aromatherapy and massage)--some people are allergic to them.

Go powder your nose. Talcum powder, whether it's formulated for the body or if it's loose face powder, is oil-free. What's more, talc blots the oil on your skin. "People with oily skin need a little powder after they bathe and when they apply makeup," says Dr. Lupo.

Apply loose face powder after applying foundation, says Dr. Buchness. Pressed powder is not recommended, because it contains some oil and may make acne worse in susceptible women.