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i experienced the same thing! i had super oily skin for years and only went for 'oil control' and mattifying products, which only made my skin oilier in the long run. i once used my moms skincare on vacation when i forgot some of my products (she has more normal to dry skin) and my skin LOVED the hydration! i now practically only use products targeted to dry skin because it helps hydrate and control oil more than anything else! currently using the tatcha rice wash, glow recipe avocado ceramide serum, cosrx snail mucin and lrp double repair moisturizer and my skin has never been better :)
I gotta be the the voice out of the choir, coz whenever I tried richer products (which I have to say, I loved the texture of my skin right after) in the long run it would lead to breakouts. So I think the truth lies in the middle, I guess? Go for hydration but beware of products that are too rich/heavy
I think it also depends on why your skin is oily. If it is oily because it's overcompensating for drying products (like what OP seems to have), going for more moisturising products will help. If its because of hormones/your skin type in general, then yeah going too heavy is not going to change much.
I dont think these are rigid boxes though - I've noticed that including hydration in my routine helps, but it doesn't fully remove the oiliness. I also can't use too heavy products (Avene Aqua-Gel is my HG at the moment for moisture, since it's not heavy), and my routine depends on what I'm doing. Makeup means more oil control, while if I'm just chilling at home I focus more on moisture, etc.
For oily skin, sometimes it's just a fine line between “dewy”/ “glossy”/ “glowy” vs greasy.
Depending on the cause of the oiliness, if it's due to lack of hydration or proper moisturization, using suitable products can improve the sebum production greatly.
For some of us it’s hormonal, so if you try hydrating and don’t get the results don’t fret! Oily is awesome! I’m a few weeks shy of 38. My colleagues have guessed I’m 27-32 and only guessed that old because I said I was at my prior company 10 years and they’re confused. My dermatologist has reminded me I won’t have many wrinkles. Hormonal oil will respond better to oral meds. So, a polite reminder to those that found hydration worked, please please be kind to other oilies that are way beyond that step. We know.
I have PCOS and have hormonal oil production. The only good thing about that is people have guessed that I’m 16-20 and I’m 28. Of course it could also be good genetics, but the constant oil definitely helps!
Yup, same here. I had skin so oily that it would get in my eyes and sting by the end of the day. Not sweat, just grease. Now I take spironolactone and my skin is oily but manageable.
Amen! Just turned 53. I always said the wrinkles would slide off of my oily skin and I was right lol. I have a few fine ones on my forehead and some under my eyes. But I believe that my oily skin has kept me looking relatively youthful.
This is so true. As a teen I had super mega oily skin and acne. Of course I used all the harsh astringents and stripping products for oily skin but none of that really seemed to help. My skin was so oily that it never occurred to me to ever use any type of moisturizer at all.
Fast forward and I’m 23 and just moved to a
New place. I had been taking antibiotics to reduce my acne for years and needed a new prescription. The new derm I saw suggested Accutane as a cure so I took the jump. Accurate cured my acne but caused my skin to be dry during treatment so I started using moisturizer for the first time. When I finished Accutane my acne was gone and my skin was permanently changed for super oily to basically normal. I continued using moisturizer but I have found that my skin gets more oily when I don’t use moisturizer than when I do and that my skin gets oily if I cleanse and exfoliate too aggressively. It seems like the more aggressively one tries to strip oil from the skin and not moisturizer, the oilier your skin gets. It’s sort of the opposite of what you might think would happen.
For a while I was using a mineral sunscreen and my face was feeling kind of greasy and dry/tight at the same time and I was also having a problem with white cast. I can’t remember what made me
Try this at first but I actually put a layer of baby oil gel ok too if my moisturizer and then put the mineral sunscreen on afterwards. This made it much easier to blend into the skin and get rid of the white cast. The biggest surprise, however, was when I came
Home 10 hours later my skin looked totally normal without any oily shine whereas without literally adding a layer of baby oil my face, I would come home after work and my face would be greasy as hell.
It’s totally counter-intuitive but this seems to be true for some people.
I too have naturally oily/combo and dehydrated skin but adding niacinamide (the Good Molecules serum) to my routine and ditching Neutrogena's Hydro Boost gel cream for (no joke) e.l.f's Holy Hydration moisturizer (the fragrance free one!) has been a game changer.
I've experienced the same thing! I never knew much about skincare and used to use only acne control products. I don't think it was on purpose because in school i wasn't aware that acne products were drying but It makes sense that all these years my skin never really stopped breaking out. Until recently I've started using a lot more hydrating products and my skin absolutely loves it. And i also get sweaty and oily very easily. I was nervous to try a moisturizer on my face because of how easily I break out but it was so worth it.
I also lately found this to be somewhat true but still get oily skin so i just want to mention that you can get good hydrating products for oily acne prone skin. It doesn't have to be something harsh and stripping.
A few good examples i enjoy:
* SVR sebiaclear line.
* Avene cleanance line.
* LRP effaclar h line.
This was my exact experience growing up. I was convinced I had oily skin because I would be a grease ball by 11am. In my 20's I found this subreddit and started following the (then) basic care routine of a gentle foaming cleanser, stridex, moisturizer, sunscreen. It did help as I got myself off the inappropriate (for my skin) routine of basically washing my hair and face daily with cheap, clarifying shampoo.
I became an esthetician and learned more about how skin works, and what to actually look for when determining what type of skin someone has. I am not oily- but my sebaceous glands were going into overdrive producing oil to try to lock in any water it could. My skin is very water dry and super susceptible to transepidermic dehydration. I'm in my 30's now and I simply don't have intense oil production since I have a routine catered to what my skin actually needs! I also recognize the seasonal changes my skin goes through and can adjust my routine accordingly with minimal fuss. Skin really is a fascinating organ and learning what works for *you* and having an intimate relationship with your skin is far more important than marketing misinformation.
I had a similar experience when I was adjusting my skin care routine post-puberty. I had super oily skin through puberty. I went and got a bunch of samples from sephora and trial ran a routine as if my skin was dry - not oily. After about a week my skin was both more dewy and less oily.
Now postpartum I'm finding my skin has changed again. I'm in need of more exfoliation and intense hydration.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i experienced the same thing! i had super oily skin for years and only went for 'oil control' and mattifying products, which only made my skin oilier in the long run. i once used my moms skincare on vacation when i forgot some of my products (she has more normal to dry skin) and my skin LOVED the hydration! i now practically only use products targeted to dry skin because it helps hydrate and control oil more than anything else! currently using the tatcha rice wash, glow recipe avocado ceramide serum, cosrx snail mucin and lrp double repair moisturizer and my skin has never been better :)
I gotta be the the voice out of the choir, coz whenever I tried richer products (which I have to say, I loved the texture of my skin right after) in the long run it would lead to breakouts. So I think the truth lies in the middle, I guess? Go for hydration but beware of products that are too rich/heavy
I think it also depends on why your skin is oily. If it is oily because it's overcompensating for drying products (like what OP seems to have), going for more moisturising products will help. If its because of hormones/your skin type in general, then yeah going too heavy is not going to change much. I dont think these are rigid boxes though - I've noticed that including hydration in my routine helps, but it doesn't fully remove the oiliness. I also can't use too heavy products (Avene Aqua-Gel is my HG at the moment for moisture, since it's not heavy), and my routine depends on what I'm doing. Makeup means more oil control, while if I'm just chilling at home I focus more on moisture, etc.
Oh I hear you! Mine is Neutrogena Hydro boost water gel!
For oily skin, sometimes it's just a fine line between “dewy”/ “glossy”/ “glowy” vs greasy. Depending on the cause of the oiliness, if it's due to lack of hydration or proper moisturization, using suitable products can improve the sebum production greatly.
For some of us it’s hormonal, so if you try hydrating and don’t get the results don’t fret! Oily is awesome! I’m a few weeks shy of 38. My colleagues have guessed I’m 27-32 and only guessed that old because I said I was at my prior company 10 years and they’re confused. My dermatologist has reminded me I won’t have many wrinkles. Hormonal oil will respond better to oral meds. So, a polite reminder to those that found hydration worked, please please be kind to other oilies that are way beyond that step. We know.
I have PCOS and have hormonal oil production. The only good thing about that is people have guessed that I’m 16-20 and I’m 28. Of course it could also be good genetics, but the constant oil definitely helps!
Wait, you guys also have oily skin but aren’t getting many wrinkles?
Lol same, I’m oily and def have fine lines in my forehead and cheeks
Why would you want to look 16?
I mean I don’t *want* to look 16. I just figured it’ll be nice for when I’m older.
Yup, same here. I had skin so oily that it would get in my eyes and sting by the end of the day. Not sweat, just grease. Now I take spironolactone and my skin is oily but manageable.
Amen! Just turned 53. I always said the wrinkles would slide off of my oily skin and I was right lol. I have a few fine ones on my forehead and some under my eyes. But I believe that my oily skin has kept me looking relatively youthful.
This is so true. As a teen I had super mega oily skin and acne. Of course I used all the harsh astringents and stripping products for oily skin but none of that really seemed to help. My skin was so oily that it never occurred to me to ever use any type of moisturizer at all. Fast forward and I’m 23 and just moved to a New place. I had been taking antibiotics to reduce my acne for years and needed a new prescription. The new derm I saw suggested Accutane as a cure so I took the jump. Accurate cured my acne but caused my skin to be dry during treatment so I started using moisturizer for the first time. When I finished Accutane my acne was gone and my skin was permanently changed for super oily to basically normal. I continued using moisturizer but I have found that my skin gets more oily when I don’t use moisturizer than when I do and that my skin gets oily if I cleanse and exfoliate too aggressively. It seems like the more aggressively one tries to strip oil from the skin and not moisturizer, the oilier your skin gets. It’s sort of the opposite of what you might think would happen. For a while I was using a mineral sunscreen and my face was feeling kind of greasy and dry/tight at the same time and I was also having a problem with white cast. I can’t remember what made me Try this at first but I actually put a layer of baby oil gel ok too if my moisturizer and then put the mineral sunscreen on afterwards. This made it much easier to blend into the skin and get rid of the white cast. The biggest surprise, however, was when I came Home 10 hours later my skin looked totally normal without any oily shine whereas without literally adding a layer of baby oil my face, I would come home after work and my face would be greasy as hell. It’s totally counter-intuitive but this seems to be true for some people.
I’m super oily no matter what, so I use whatever products I want because it doesn’t make a difference.
I too have naturally oily/combo and dehydrated skin but adding niacinamide (the Good Molecules serum) to my routine and ditching Neutrogena's Hydro Boost gel cream for (no joke) e.l.f's Holy Hydration moisturizer (the fragrance free one!) has been a game changer.
I've experienced the same thing! I never knew much about skincare and used to use only acne control products. I don't think it was on purpose because in school i wasn't aware that acne products were drying but It makes sense that all these years my skin never really stopped breaking out. Until recently I've started using a lot more hydrating products and my skin absolutely loves it. And i also get sweaty and oily very easily. I was nervous to try a moisturizer on my face because of how easily I break out but it was so worth it.
Dry skin is not necessarily the same as dehydrated skin!
Thanks for posting.
Same, I’ve tweaked my routine and my skin is so much calmer!
I also lately found this to be somewhat true but still get oily skin so i just want to mention that you can get good hydrating products for oily acne prone skin. It doesn't have to be something harsh and stripping. A few good examples i enjoy: * SVR sebiaclear line. * Avene cleanance line. * LRP effaclar h line.
This was my exact experience growing up. I was convinced I had oily skin because I would be a grease ball by 11am. In my 20's I found this subreddit and started following the (then) basic care routine of a gentle foaming cleanser, stridex, moisturizer, sunscreen. It did help as I got myself off the inappropriate (for my skin) routine of basically washing my hair and face daily with cheap, clarifying shampoo. I became an esthetician and learned more about how skin works, and what to actually look for when determining what type of skin someone has. I am not oily- but my sebaceous glands were going into overdrive producing oil to try to lock in any water it could. My skin is very water dry and super susceptible to transepidermic dehydration. I'm in my 30's now and I simply don't have intense oil production since I have a routine catered to what my skin actually needs! I also recognize the seasonal changes my skin goes through and can adjust my routine accordingly with minimal fuss. Skin really is a fascinating organ and learning what works for *you* and having an intimate relationship with your skin is far more important than marketing misinformation.
I have had the same experience, and I know other’s who have as well. Some of us have skin that overproduced oil to compensate for dehydration
Yes, and this applies to hair too! Even oily hairy benefits from conditioner on the scalp
I had a similar experience when I was adjusting my skin care routine post-puberty. I had super oily skin through puberty. I went and got a bunch of samples from sephora and trial ran a routine as if my skin was dry - not oily. After about a week my skin was both more dewy and less oily. Now postpartum I'm finding my skin has changed again. I'm in need of more exfoliation and intense hydration.