How to Manage Oily Skin in the Summer
With the summer season hitting its peak, days are getting longer and warmer. And while the temperature rises that won’t stop many of us from enjoying trips to the beach. When you have oily skin you can’t help but worry about looking greasy while trying to enjoy your activities. Summer is supposed to be a time for relaxation and fun! But the warmer season also tends to bring out some unwanted attention to our skin. High temperatures, the blazing sun, and humidity all create a summer cocktail that we’re not too entirely a fan of. These changes stimulate the sebaceous glands in our skin to produce more sebum. More sebum production means that it’s time to stock up on some blotting paper.
But dont feel hopeless just yet! With some proper knowledge and care products, managing oily skin in the summer won’t be something you have to worry about. So get your skin under control this summer and focus on enjoying all your summertime festivities.
What Causes Oily Skin
As mentioned earlier, our skin naturally produces sebum. Due to the warmer climate, our sebaceous glands will overproduce oil ( sebum), resulting in our faces appearing more oily and greasy. Although this oil is needed to maintain the overall health of our skin, when produced in excessive amounts it may lead to unwanted breakouts. However, internal factors such as hormones may also contribute to the overproduction of sebum. This is the body’s natural response to try and maintain the hydration of the skin. And although hydration and moisture are great, people with oily skin struggle with keeping all that oil under control.
Tips To Manage Oily Skin
Trying to prevent your skin from producing any oil at all might be an impossible task to complete. People with this skin type just naturally produce sebum and if you struggle with this skin type it’s important to understand that this is OK! Oil on the skin isn’t all that bad. Remember that sebum helps protect and moisturize your skin. Those who have a long history of oily skin also tend to experience fewer wrinkles and fine lines as they get older. So instead of trying to rid your face of its natural oils completely, managing the amount of oil your face produces is the next best thing!
Here are some useful tips that anyone with oily skin can incorporate into their daily skincare routine this summer.
1. Washing Your Face Less
This might sound a little shocking at first since many people are used to washing their faces at least twice a day. However, washing your face too often can cause more harm to your skin than good. The skin already has a natural protective later that acts as a guard to protect your skin from external factors such as dirt, pollen, etc. Over-washing can strip this layer of its protective properties which includes the oils your skin naturally produces. The skin’s natural reaction is to increase oil production to try and maintain that protective layer for the skin. So try sticking to washing your face at night during the warmer season to avoid excessive oil production throughout the day.
2. Blotting Paper
An oldie, but it gets the job done! Blotting papers are a great beauty product to always keep handy if you have oily skin. The material used for blotting papers is highly absorbent and does a great job to absorb excess oil on the oiliest parts of the skin like the t-zone and nose. This is a much better option than using powders throughout the day. Since the blotting paper doesn’t add additional product onto the face, your pores won’t get clogged and they are easy to slip into any beach bag!
3. Water-Based Products
Most skincare enthusiasts are well aware of micellar water and other similar water-based products. Micellar water helps cleanse the skin and some even acts as a tonner too! Instead of using oil-based cleansers, try swapping it out for a water-based product. Not only can it perform just as well as oil-based cleansers, but it helps prevent your skin from feeling and looking oily/greasy.
4. Sunscreen
Whether you’re going out in the northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere, sunscreen should be a daily part of your skincare routine. Even if the sun isn’t present, UV rays can still damage your skin. Although sunscreen does have a history of leaving an unwanted oily cast on the face, there are a few alternatives to combat this problem. Try using an oil-free sunscreen that still has an SPF of 30 or more. And oil-free sunscreen will still give the same benefits of protection without excessive oil. Sunscreen should typically be the final product applied to the skin, however, if you still want to stay true to your skincare routine try changing out your moisturizer to an oil-free moisturizer to reduce the shine.
5. Exfoliate Regularly
Sometimes the skin just needs a clean slate. Our cleansers might not have the full capability to fully remove all the excess dirty and dead skin that might be sitting on top of your skin. And this is where exfoliating comes to the rescue! Exfoliating regularly will help remove any unwanted extremities that typically may clog your pores and cause unwanted breakouts. Exfoliating aslo helps absorb oil which is helpful to those experiences and an excessive amount of oil production!
Final Thoughts
Sometimes we just have to accept the skin we are in. Whether you are off to summer camp this season or spending your days out on the beach, your focus should be on having fun this summer! Having oily skin has just as many positives as negatives, and with these new tips, you’ll be able to manage oily skin this summer! So touch your face less, keep applying sunscreen, and most of all be safe this summer!
Let us know down below which tip you’re going to incorporate into your routine! And don’t forget to check out our other posts that have other great beauty tips and tricks!
