Oily skin and alcohol

lynseydee

I read in another thread that if you have oily skin using products with alcohol in them actually makes the oil worse. I have checked through most of my facial scrubs and the like and most of them contain the word alcohol, although there is usually another word after it (sorry can't remember but there were at least two different other names). Does this mean that I shouldn't use them as I have combination skin? I'm not very clued up when it comes to my beauty regime. I am using a sugar scrub once a week at the moment and this is one of the products that contains alcohol. I tend to use this before I go to bed so don't notice if my forehead gets any oilier but have tended to notice it more after I've moisturised in the mornings but there arn't any ingredients listed on the bottle and I no longer have the packaging so maybe this could contain alcohol as well.

Sorry for the ramble but I don't know whether to use these products or not.

lynseydee

I have since found out that cleansers with alcohol in them aren't good for oily skin but what about face masks and the like?

I have noticed that since cleansing twice a day my forehead is getting oilier and it is probably because my cleanser I noticed contains alcohol. I am practically at the end of it anyway so will just finish it off (only a couple more washes) and then look at getting a better cleanser.

Magpye

Harsh scrubs and astringent toners (which often contain alcohol) can over-stimulate the sebaceous glands and lead to oilier skin. Since lots of treatments designed for oily skin contain alcohol, this can lead to a vicious circle, as you have oilier skin, so you use more product, and so on.

You might want to try making you own scrubs with sugar and olive oil, or maybe try the oil cleansing method which is talked about in various threads on this board, as this seems too help balance the oil produced. I alternate the oil cleansing method with washing with glycerine soap and I very rarely have breakouts or shiny patches now.

Oil cleansing method

Debt_Free_Chick

Magpye wrote: »

Harsh scrubs and astringent toners (which often contain alcohol) can over-stimulate the sebaceous glands and lead to oilier skin. Since lots of treatments designed for oily skin contain alcohol, this can lead to a vicious circle, as you have oilier skin, so you use more product, and so on.

That's my understanding too. The argument being that the alcohol strips the natural oil from the skin. Your skin reacts to this, senses that it has no oily protection (and protection it is), so it's goes into overdrive to produce more oil.

You then see that oil, strip it away and on and on it goes.

You want products with no alcohol in them. I switched to this over 20 years ago and have never looked back!

Badger_Lady

Big advocate here for the Oil Cleansing Method! My skin is far more resilient now, and naturally clear / smooth / soft without using any chemical cleansers.

I actually was dressing up for a party the other day, started pasting on my favourite foundation, and realised that it looked worse than my real skin! So I took it all off again and just wore a bit of blush

lynseydee

I do want to use products that don't have alcohol in them if this is the problem. My big problem is that when I was an Avon rep it was easy to buy the latest products that were brought out and hence I now have about 20 cleansers (some are duplicates of the same product). I have looked at some of them and luckily I have four packs of cloths that look like they contain natural products so I will definitely be using them. I have another one that doesn't mention alcohol denat, which is what seems to be contained in most cleansers, but does mention another variety of alcohol. Should this one be a no no then? I have another cleanser that doesn't mention any ingredients on the packaging at all and I haven't checked the others, although there should only be another couple or so.

What about my face masks/polishers/scrubs etc or are these ok to use as they are only once a week jobbies?

suki1964

OCM here as well - cant beat it

The other thing I use when I can get it cheap is Decleor Ylang ylang aromaessence - another oil. That I slap on at night time before I go to sleep - its scrummy and it helps with the oil slick.

If I need a moisturiser after the OCM then its Liz Earles light for oily/combo skin.

Actually anything by Liz Earle is great for oily skin and its all plant based

suki1964

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Big advocate here for the Oil Cleansing Method! My skin is far more resilient now, and naturally clear / smooth / soft without using any chemical cleansers.

I actually was dressing up for a party the other day, started pasting on my favourite foundation, and realised that it looked worse than my real skin! So I took it all off again and just wore a bit of blush

I have been seeing the same, Im using a bit of holiday skin and blush and mascara most days and just looking bloomin healthy. Oh and a bit of bare escentuals mineral veil on the t-zone

suki1964

lynseydee wrote: »

I do want to use products that don't have alcohol in them if this is the problem. My big problem is that when I was an Avon rep it was easy to buy the latest products that were brought out and hence I now have about 20 cleansers (some are duplicates of the same product). I have looked at some of them and luckily I have four packs of cloths that look like they contain natural products so I will definitely be using them. I have another one that doesn't mention alcohol denat, which is what seems to be contained in most cleansers, but does mention another variety of alcohol. Should this one be a no no then? I have another cleanser that doesn't mention any ingredients on the packaging at all and I haven't checked the others, although there should only be another couple or so.

What about my face masks/polishers/scrubs etc or are these ok to use as they are only once a week jobbies?

if its ceterayl alcohol then its a naturally occurring one and is safe to use.

You need to only use masks and scrubs as and when. Different masks do different jobs. If you ar using cleansing masks and your cleansing routine is doing its job then perhaps once a week. Exfoliate at least every other day with the most gentle of exfoliaters you can find - you dont want your face red and raw, you just want to take the dead skin cells off. For a lot of people just a good wipe with a muslin cloth is enough.

Learn to read your skin and understand what its telling you. Start with a good cleanse and moisturise routine then add to that if and when you see problems arising

lynseydee

Hi Suki

We have been talking on the Liz Earle thread and that is one avenue I want to try but with all the various cleansers I already have it wouldn't be very MSE to start buying more without at least using the ones which are ok to use. I did e-mail them and they very kindly recommended what I should use after describing what my skin was like, which was just as well as they suggested the light moisturiser and I would have gone ahead and just bought the normal/combination one. I'm guessing they know what they're talking about.

The type of alcohol you have mentioned does sound familiar and there might also have been a type beginning with s also but as I'm at work can't confirm.

What does OCM stand for?

Badger_Lady

lynseydee wrote: »

What does OCM stand for?

Oil cleansing method