Skimping on moisturizer is out of the question, regardless of the skin type. A potent moisturizer forms a protective barrier on the dermis, preventing transepidermal water loss. It keeps hydration intact in your skin, ensuring its soft, supple appearance. Moreover, it fights dullness, softens ageing lines, and soothes inflammation.
To talk about oily skin, a moisturizer helps curb sebum production – given that you use it regularly. For those unaware, dehydration (due to the absence of moisturizer) flags off the sebaceous glands into overdrive mode, leading to more oiliness than ever.
While no doubt a staple, you cannot arbitrarily pick a moisturizer for your oily skin as it may lead to heaviness, clogged pores, and a blotchy texture – more on this ahead. In this blog, we learn how to pick a moisturizer for oily skin and the mistakes to avoid. But before we get to this cheat sheet, here’s a refresher on the skin type.
Understanding Oily Skin
In simple words, oily skin is characterized by overactive sebaceous glands. This leads to a never-ending slick on the face which is hard to miss. Additionally, oily skin has the following signs.
1. Enlarged pores: Due to excessive sebum production, folks with oily skin may complain of massive pores – especially around the T-zone, forehead, and chin.
2. Surplus buildup: This oil slick easily attracts dirt, impurities, and pollutants, leading to an unwarranted layer of buildup.
3. Clogged pores: When mounds of dirt, grime, and impurities with dead cells clog the pores, it gives rise to blackheads or whiteheads. Blackheads have bigger openings on the skin’s surface that lead to melanin production, resulting in the trademark blackish hue.
4. Acne outbreak: Harmful bacteria may start thriving in these clogged pores, leading to redness and bumps.
Common Mistakes To Avoid While Choosing Moisturizer For Oily Skin
Now that you’re well-versed in the skin type, here are some mistakes you should avoid while picking a moisturizer for oily skin -
1. Choosing the wrong type of moisturizer: Since oily skin produces excess sebum, opt for a gel-based formula instead of a cream. For those unaware, a gel-based moisturizer has a lower oil content that doesn’t feel heavy or icky on application.
2. Ignoring ingredients: Before you invest in a moisturizer for oily skin, ensure to read the product’s label. Ingredients like mineral oil, silicone oil, and occlusives can clog the pores, giving rise to inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.
3. Opting for harsh formulas: Moisturizers with SLS, fragrances and alcohol dehydrate your skin – often leading to inflammation, redness, and more greasiness.
4. Not seeking hydration: Hydration is indispensable for all skin types, including oil. Which is why we recommend formulas with ingredients like HA and Glycerin. These ingredients bind water molecules to the skin for best results.
5. Not checking the comedogenic/non-comedogenic value marker: We know that oily skin is more prone to clogged pores. To avoid this situation, check your moisturizer for the non-comedogenic value marker.
6. Ignoring mattifying ingredients: The never-ending slick on the face is disruptive in ways more than one. It leads to unwarranted buildup, clogged pores, and makeup that doesn’t stay put. To nip these problems in the bud, seek a moisturizer with mattifying ingredients like Niacinamide and charcoal.
Choosing The Right Moisturizer For Oily Skin
If you’re an oily skin gal, ensure to check these boxes before buying a moisturizer
1. Lightweight
2. Gel-based
3. Non-greasy
4. Non-comedogenic
5. Alcohol and SLS-free
6. Oil balancing ingredients like Niacinamide and Charcoal
7. Replete with Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerine, Marine Extracts or other humectants
Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Skincare Routine For Oily Skin
Here’s how you can maintain a healthy skincare routine for oily skin -
1. Cleanse but gently: Pick a gentle cleanser that removes excess sebum from the pores without making it feel stripped. A sulfate-free and SLS-devoid formula like Foxtale’s Acne Control Face Wash works wonders on the skin. It boasts Salicylic Acid at the heart of the formula to buff away dead cells, sebum, and other impurities. Moreover, Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide ensure long-lasting skin hydration.
2. Exfoliate regularly: Use Salicylic And Glycolic Acid to buff away dry-dead cells, sebum, and other impurities from the skin. This step in your weekly skincare minimizes the pores, clears whiteheads or blackheads, and prevents acne. Steer clear of over-exfoliation as it makes your skin feel stripped.
3. Use a result-oriented active: To keep the oil production under control, dab a little Niacinamide after cleansing. This skincare workhorse prevents clogged pores too while ensuring hydration to the skin.
4. Apply moisturizer: Seal in the treatment and hydration with Foxtale’s Oil Free Moisturizer. Its mattifying formula with Niacinamide blots oil and prevents clogged pores for an even skin texture. But that’s not all. Hyaluronic Acid and Marine Extracts keep your skin hydrated for prolonged periods.
5. Go in with SPF: No skincare routine is complete without sunscreen. Opt for SPF 30 or higher to shield the skin against harmful UV rays. Foxtale’s matte sunscreen with Niacinamide ensures infallible sun protection while enhancing your skin’s latent radiance. Moreover, the delectable matte finish helps you ace any makeup look.
Conclusion
Moisturization is crucial for all skin types – and oily skin is no exception. A generous slather of moisturizer avoids dehydration, preventing the sebaceous glands from sebum overproduction. However, one must not pick a moisturizer for oily skin randomly. Since the skin type is prone to greasiness, clogged pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and acne, here are some pointers to bear in mind. Look for a gel-based, lightweight and non-comedogenic formula for your morning and nighttime skincare routine. The moisturizer should feature both hydrating agents like Hyaluronic Acid and mattifying ingredients like Niacinamide.
