oily skin - Causes, care and tips

You have oily skin and are wondering why your skin becomes oily so quickly and how you can balance it? Then this article is for you!

Has your skin been oily since puberty oily? Or has it only become visibly oily quickly after a certain time? The causes of this skin condition are varied, as are the ways in which you can help your skin to regain its balance. From personalized care for your oily skin to lots of tips on how to make your everyday life more skin-friendly: 

1. Trigger for oily skin
2. Hormones as the cause of oily skin
3. How are stress and oily skin connected?
4. Diet and lifestyle as the cause of oily skin?
5. The microbiome and the skin
6. Care for oily skin
7. Dos & don'ts for oily skin

Trigger for oily skin

We are born with our skin type. Whether your skin tends to be dry, oily or normal or whether you have combination skin is therefore genetically determined. The skin changes for the first time at the start of puberty. Why? Of course, because the hormones wake up and interfere more in our bodily processes! For example, the sebaceous glands are activated. Pores enlarge and where there are particularly many sebaceous glands, the skin becomes shinier and feels greasy. A mostly undesirable puberty glow, but quite normal!

The annoying companions such as blackheads and pimples also often form on oily skin, especially along the T-zone, i.e. forehead, nose and chin, as well as on the décolleté and back. After puberty, when the hormonal chaos has settled down, the skin changes again. Ideally, it evens out, but shows a tendency towards the respective skin type. This is when it becomes clear whether oily skin will stay with you for longer or fade away at the end of your teenage years.

Characteristics of oily skin:

• Shiny areas of skin, especially along the T-zone
• Enlarged pores
• The skin may look thick and pale
• Tendency to form spots and blackheads

Predisposition alone is not everything. External and internal influences also have an impact on the appearance of your skin. For example, habits such as long, hot showers or aggressive cleansing products can cause dry patches on oily skin . However, medication and hormones can also be a cause of oily skin .

Hormones as the cause of oily skin

Especially when there is an increased production of the male sex hormone androgen, the glands work diligently to produce sebum. Sometimes a little too diligently. The result: oily skin. Seborrhea is the overproduction of sebum, which is actually important for skin health.

If there is also a cornification disorder, the skin tends to develop blemishes as the sebum cannot drain away and builds up in the pores. Certain bacteria love this environment. If they settle, an inflammation can develop - et voilà, a blackhead becomes a pimple.

If, in addition to your oily skin, you also notice cycle irregularities and/or excessive hair growth to face or on your body, you should consider having hormone diagnostics and a comprehensive examination carried out to rule out and treat hormonal disorders such as PCO syndrome or a disorder of the adrenal cortex.

How are stress and oily skin connected?

Taking a holistic approach to hormonal disorders or skin problems can be very helpful for long-term success. After all, body, mind and lifestyle go hand in hand. Many complex processes in our organism are closely linked.

Therefore, your life, your physical and mental health and - very importantly - your diet should also be taken into account. If only the symptom is addressed with medication or cosmetic products, the problem is very likely to reappear without these medium . So let's start researching the causes!

Numerous studies have long proven that the mind and body should not be considered separately. Body-Mind-Medicine, developed at the renowned Harvard University, is a method that is still relatively unknown in this country and incorporates stress factors that cause illness into the treatment plan.

Stress, especially if it is chronic, causes stress hormones to be released and not sufficiently reduced. The skin is also affected by prolonged periods of stress: the hormone corticotropin, for example, influences the activity of the sebaceous glands and therefore also oily skin.

If you are stressed, so is your skin.
A little excursion first: what happens in the body when we are stressed? Let's take a look at our autonomic nervous system, i.e. where unconscious bodily functions such as breathing and heartbeat are regulated. While the sympathetic nervous system is activated in stressful situations and stress-related bodily functions are stimulated, the parasympathetic nervous system regulates the hormone balance when we relax and reduces the body's reactions.

In concrete terms, this means that if you are under constant stress, your sebaceous glands are usually affected. So make a conscious effort to take time out and plan activities that calm you down and relax you. Simply be offline. This helps to reduce stress hormones and keep your unbalanced skin in balance.

Did you know that just looking at greenery activates the part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for our relaxation? Even better, of course, is a walk through the park or forest to activate relaxation mode. Cuddling has also been proven to be relaxing. And most importantly: get enough sleep!

Diet and lifestyle as the cause of oily skin?

A lot has happened here. It has long been known that simple carbohydrates, for example from white flour products or sweets, cause blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. This releases a lot of insulin into the blood, which in turn boosts androgen production. And as you learned above, this stimulates the sebaceous glands - a cycle!

If you have oily, greasy skin or acne, make sure your diet does not cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Give preference to foods with a low glycemic load. These are for example

• Nuts
• Pulses
• Vegetables
• Wholemeal products

The right diet for oily skin can shrink sebaceous glands

A low-glycemic diet can even shrink sebaceous glands and reduce inflammation of the skin, as researchers were able to find out in a study in 2012.

It may also be good for your skin if you give up dairy products for a while. If your skin condition improves after a few weeks, cutting out dairy products could be a permanent option that your skin will be happy about.

And another big plus: our planet, our dairy cows and male calves are also happy about every new plant-based fan. Incidentally, the good gut bacteria are also happy about a balanced diet with lots of unprocessed, plant-based foods and fiber.

The microbiome and the skin

While we're on the subject... The intestinal microbiome, i.e. the individual bacterial composition, is increasingly becoming our focus. This is where the majority of our immune cells are located. If the intestinal flora is out of balance, this can manifest itself in a variety of ways.

Skin problems or very oily skin can also indicate a disturbed microbiome in the gut. In order to identify the intestinal flora as a possible cause of your oily skin , a stool examination must be carried out - and depending on the result, possibly a subsequent change in diet.

Not all questions relating to the microbiome have been answered yet. However, it is assumed that the gut and skin communicate via the gut-brain-skin axis. The somewhat hackneyed-sounding "you are what you eat" is definitely not far-fetched when it comes to your health and your skin. On the contrary! Feed your microbiome plenty of fresh organic food every day so that the good bacteria don't atrophy and can work for you and your skin. If you are more interested in this topic, then take a look at our article: MICROBIOME - THE (ECO-)SYSTEMRELEVANT BALANCE OF YOUR BODY 

 

Care for oily skin

The skin also has its own microbiome. It fends off external pollutants and pathogens. It does not like aggressive cosmetic products at all. Skin care is therefore also part of the holistic approach. Although special care for oily skin does not change the cause of your skin type, care tailored to the needs of your skin will help you to rebalance your skin.

So what helps with oily skin to face? moisturizer! Because oily skin does not need rich cream, it needs fresh and pore-clearing products that provide plenty of moisture. What you should definitely avoid are drying products such as a strong foaming washing gel or a toner with a lot of alcohol. oily skin then reacts according to the motto "now more than ever" and produces even more sebum to restore balance.

Oily skin might like this skincare routine:

Cleanse your skin AM and PM with our Cleansing Oil. Yes, oil! It's actually great for cleanser oily and greasy skin as it doesn't dry it out and leaves the skin's protective barrier intact. It is important that you wash it off thoroughly. If you can't get used to Texture or are not really happy with the application, you can just as easily use our Cleansing Gel as well. It dries out your skin just as little and helps to balance out your oily skin.

Spray the Tone Zinc toner on your face and leave it to work. The toner has an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and sebum-regulating effect.

Now your skin is ready for good Actives like our Niacinamide serum. It works calming and stimulates the production of collagen and the skin's own ceramides, which tightens the skin and strengthens the skin's protective barrier. Thanks to its regulating effect on sebum production, it soothes the skin and can even refine the pores.

For a light freshness boost, you can also spray on our Aloe Vera Spray spray on. Put it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect in summer - you'll love it!

And now: even more moisture! With the light hyaluronic acid Concentrate moisture reaches the deeper layers of the skin. Soothing aloe vera additionally floods your cells and provides a healthy glow.

oily If your skin only has oily patches due to your cycle or during stressful phases, you can also use the Hyaluron cream Light to remove excess sebum from your pores.

To remove excess sebum from your pores, apply our PM two to three times a week after cleansing your face. BHA peeling cream. The contained Salicylic Acid loves fat and works in the pores against unnecessary sebum accumulation. The gentle, non-mechanical peeling is clearly the better alternative to squeezing blackheads! But give your skin some time to get used to the active ingredient. If you are sensitive to Salicylic Acid , please do not use it.

For a beautiful self-care ritual that is good for your skin and your soul, I recommend our Clay Mask. It frees your skin from excess sebum and dead skin cells, works anti-inflammatory and regulates your skin's sebum production. 

Dos & don'ts for oily skin

Now all this information summarized at a glance:

• Eat a wholesome and balanced diet with lots of fresh, plant-based foods.
• Try to reduce or even avoid sugar and white flour products and perhaps also dairy products.
• Drink plenty of water or unsweetened herbal teas.
• Certain medicinal herbs, such as monk's pepper, can have a positive effect on the female hormone balance. It is best to clarify your hormone levels with your doctor or alternative practitioner.
• Get plenty of regular exercise and immerse yourself in nature more often to relieve stress. Plan fixed time-outs where you can come to yourself and take a deep breath.
• The skin also wants to perform its protective function without stress. Therefore, treat oily skin with mild products without irritating substances.
• Cleanse your skin AM and PM thoroughly but gently. Exfoliating brushes and other aggressive tools do not belong in your skincare repertoire.
• Instead of using cream for oily skin, apply a fresh serum or gel .
• Clear clogged pores regularly with BHA peeling .

Last but not least, I would like to share something with you with a wink that I picked up many years ago during a conversation with a dermatologist: "People with oily skin don't get dryness wrinkles as quickly". Boom! Not that I think wrinkles are bad. But hand on heart: I think delaying their appearance is a pretty good thing.

Take care of yourself and give your skin time to adjust to the new skincare, diet and a less stressful lifestyle.

Your Lena