How to change your skin type from oily to normal
While natural skin oil helps to protect and preserve our skin, too much oil can lead to acne breakouts and a shiny, greasy appearance. It’s important to monitor and maintain healthy oil levels in the skin to prevent those unwanted side effects, but is it possible to change from an oily skin type to a normal skin type? And if so, how is it done? Read on to find out!
What is an oily skin type?
There are five main skin types. These include normal, combination, dry, sensitive and oily. An oily skin type is one that produces excess amounts of oil, resulting in a shiny or greasy appearance on the skin, visible and enlarged looking pore and regular breakouts. To get scientific, oily skin is caused by an over-secretion of sebum, which is the skin's natural oil. Sebum is important for maintaining skin health, but you need just the right amount to get a more ‘normal’ skin type.
How to change your skin type from oily to normal
Skin types can often change over time due to environmental, hormonal, lifestyle or even psychological changes, but getting your skin type to change from oily to normal deliberately can be difficult. A ‘normal’ skin type is one that is not too dry, not too oily, low in sensitivity and has few imperfections. This is, of course, the skin type that so many of us strive to achieve, and there are a few ways in which you can try to change your skin type from oily to normal:
Regular washing
You have to be careful about washing your oily skin, as many are tempted to take it too far and end up with dry or sensitive skin, both of which come with their own complications. Wash your skin twice a day with a gentle, fragrance free soap and warm water, then pat your face dry with a dry, soft towel.
Cleaners
A good cleanser helps to reduce hyperpigmentation, improve skin appearance and, most importantly for those looking to change their skin type from oily to normal, regulate serum production. Ideally, look to use a cleansing oil that uses natural ingredients to prevent skin irritation.
Toners
Skin toners are designed to cleanse your skin, remove oil and reduce the size of pores. This makes them a fantastic addition to your skincare routine when trying to tackle oily skin, as oily skin often results in larger looking pours.
Moisturiser
Many people make the mistake of thinking that oily skin is already well-hydrated, but that isn’t always the case. While skin oil helps to maintain the barrier function of the skin, an excess can mean that your skin is finding it harder to absorb water, so an appropriate moisturising face cream should be used to ensure moisture is successfully absorbed into the skin while still whilst starting to reduce your sebum levels. This will also help prevent your skin from changing from oily to dry as your regular washing and cleansing routine helps to reduce oiliness.
As a general rule, cleansers, toners and moisturisers should be used together, in that order, to tackle oily skin.
What type of cleanser for oily skin?
While it may seem counter-productive, oil based cleaners can actually help to control how oily your skin is and reduce greasiness and breakouts. Our Natural Cleansing Oil uses ingredients such as Ylang Ylang III Oil to soothe the skin and control sebum production.