Oily skin

lynseydee

Hi

For the last couple of days I've not cleansed or moisturised my face for various reasons and just used a flannel and water and have today noticed that my forehead which is usually starting to get a bit oily by now isn't as oily as it usually is. Could this be down to the cleaner I'm using or even the moisturiser? I quite like the night moisturiser I'm using at the moment so am wondering if it's likely to be the cleanser or the day moisturiser I'm using at the moment which makes my skin feel like it has a film covering it after using it.

ALR

What cleanser and Moisturiser do you use?
I have very oily skin. It gets oily whether I use any products on it or not. But its not so bad if I use an oil free moisturiser. My Current one is a Neutrogena moisturiser, which works ok.

glowgirl_2

I would highly recommend the skin clear Boots own range in pruple packaging very cheap but has done wonders for my very oily skin the oilfree moisturiser is second to none and I've tried loads, if you have breakouts I can also recommend Freederm gel which is now my desert island product - hth:)

freyasmum

It could be either, tbh - depends on your products.

If your cleanser is a very harsh, oil-striping one, then that's likely the cause. Your skin needs oil - it combines with the sebum that your skin also produces to create the 'acid mantle', which is there to lubricate and protect your skin - so if you remove too much, it will only produce more to replace the lost oil.

If your cleanser isn't harsh and your moisturiser is an oil-based one, then that's what it will be.

With oily skin, you want to avoid touching it as much as possible, this will transfer dirt, grease and oil from your hands to your face which won't help the problem, cleanse your skin and use a water based moisturiser

hieveryone

Some people also swear by the 'Oil Cleansing Method' - you can search on here for it.
Although it seems like a bit of a double negative, putting oil on oil, certain oils can dry up the oil in your skin to your benefit (how many times can I say oil?!?) lol

But yes, if your cleanser is too harsh, it will strip the oils you need, then you add more by moisturising...then you see the cycle you are in.

What products are you using?

lynseydee

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am aware that by stripping oils from my face it produces more oil and also aware of the OCM which in theory sounds good but practically sounds like too much faff for me, at the moment anyway, as I have only just managed to get myself into a routine.

At the moment I am using an Avon cleanser which is from the Anew range, which is a cleanser and toner in one with the beads and then for the day I'm using an Avon moisturiser which I can't remember the name of right now but it is one they used to do which gives a slight tint to your skin. This is the moisturiser that I feel gives me a film covering feeling. At night I use Olay Complete Care night moisturiser and this is the one I like as it has been making my skin feel really soft since I have been using it regularly.

I have another moisturiser which I was going to start using when my other day one had finished and that is the Avon Pore-Fection one for oily skin. I'm hoping this will have a better effect. I have also bought the Liiv Botanicals face cream from Avon as recommended by Suki to try.

Eventually I want to try out Liz Earle. I do have a small pump of her cleanser which I won in a competition but was going to use up all the other cleansers I currently have.

Also does it make any difference between using a gel cleanser and a cream cleanser?

Is it worth cleansing but not moisturising one day and then not cleansing but moisturiser the following day to see which one is the culprit? I have a few of the cleansers left which I would get rid of if it was that that was causing the problem.

hieveryone

I find my oily skin responds better to 'wash off' cleansers, rather than cream cleansers, as I feel like these 'sit' on my skin.

I use Clinique soap then Dramatically Different Gel, and my face is much less oilier than it was before.

Tried Liz Earle and didn't rate it much to be honest, to faffy with the polisher and muslins etc, plus I felt that it didn't make my skin 'clean', if you know what I mean?

Good luck!

BitterAndTwisted

If your skin is oily you probably won't need to moisturise if the cleanser isn't too stripping. It sounds to me that the cleanser with the toner in it that you're using now might be too harsh for your skin. When I was younger I used to use astringent after a cream cleanser and I'm convinced now that it made my skin oiler.

In your position I'd probably try to find a really gentle rinse-off soap-free cleanser and only moisturise the bits that need it, like the eye area, with a very light one.

One of the few positive benefits of oily skin is that you won't get as wrinkly later on in life if you protect yourself from sun damage. I'm a lot less lined and wrinkly than my younger sister who has always had dry skin, poor love. But that's pay-back for the blackheads and acne I had when younger, I reckon

Gers

Whilst the OCM is a bit faffy I've been using coconut oil to cleanse my face and moisturise it at night. Since starting to use it my open pores on my very oily nose have all closed any hint of blackheads have disappeared.

Not good for use during the day as the look isn't particularly attractive but the results are wonderful. Am also eating the stuff twice a day and cooking with it and my whole skin has softened considerably and the patches of excema type skin on my lower calves have healed over totally.

Worth having a read of http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1297569

lynseydee

Bitterandtwisted, I used to use an astringent too a few years ago which was fine on my skin. When I started using it again a couple of years ago my skin went all oily again so I know where you're coming from.

I have decided I am going to try just the cleanser on its own tonight to see what happens to my skin and try and eradicate one thing at a time so I can work out what is making my skin more oily.

I too am inclined that it may be my cleanser but do have others to fall back on if it is. Will see how I get on.

Unfortunately, I'm not really too clued up on beauty regimes as I've never been shown how to do it growing up. My mum has always been a flannel and water type of person.

I'm trying to find out what is good for my skin and knowing that my skin looks good but without the knowledge of what my skin is supposed to look like when it looks good iykwim.

whatatwit

I have the Clinique liquid soap cleanser.
I use a warm flannel onto which I squirt a bit of the soap and then wash with it.
Rinse the flannel and rinse off my skin.

It's really handy to use in the shower also.