Oily Skin

It is the skin type characterized by excessive sebum production, easily recognizable by its dull complexion and oily appearance, the presence of comedones (whiteheads and blackheads), and the presence of imperfections, such as enlarged pores, horny thickening, papules, and acne-like manifestations, all very often accompanied d thickening of the stratum corneum ( keratosis and hyperkeratosis).

Oily skin compared to other skin types produces more sebum and in different ways by the sebaceous glands: a normal sebum contains more cholesterol, in practice it is hydrophilic, and therefore is able to emulsify fats with water in an optimal way while keeping the hydrolipid film in balance.

 When, on the other hand, sebum production tends to be low in cholesterol, and therefore hydrophobic, this balance is lacking, fats no longer emulsify harmoniously with water, and the skin appears greasy, oily, thickened,the PH of the skin changes, along with the hydrolipid film and the natural defense barriers against pathogenic bacteria.

All this great sebum production causes the pores to be a little more dilated, promoting the absorption of dead cells and atmospheric dust: under these conditions this type of sebum stagnates causing the characteristics of oily skin.

This skin type requires consistency in cosmetic or drug treatments in order to achieve visible and long-lasting results.

However, it tends to be the type that best responds to skin aging in the formation of wrinkles and loss of tone.

Very important is not to use cosmetic treatments that are too harsh or astringent to avoid the rebound effect-this is the best way to get even oilier skin.

We can distinguish 4 subcategories of oily skin:

Oily oily skin

The sebum produced is visibly fluid, so the skin generally always appears shiny and dilated follicles evident (the so-called "orange peel" skin). For this skin type, it is recommended:

Seborrheic oily skin

The sebaceous glands produce sebum in such abundance that the walls of the follicles ( pores) visibly dilate and appear noticeable (the so-called "orange peel" skin)

Oily acne-prone skin

Excessive hydrophobic sebum production, which stagnates in the follicle, often causes an imbalance in the skin microbiota, promoting the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, leading to the breakout of papules and/or pustules until acne results. In this case, since acne is a pathology, the first thing to do. Is to consult a good dermatologist, for pharmacological treatment. Only in case you have blemishes or otherwise in mild situations, you can consider the route of cosmetic treatments. However, the goal will be joint: to lower the bacterial load to alleviate inflammation.

Asphitic Skin

In this case, the sebum is not fluid, but waxy and dense. It gets trapped in the follicles, and because it cannot escape, the appearance of the skin is not oily, but rather dry and rough, lacking moisture.

TIPS:

• Gentle cleansing: yes even double cleansing, (but watch out for surfactants, they are not all the same);
• Exfoliate the skin: yes to gentle scrubs and chemical exfoliants with AHA, BHA, PHA;
• Moisturize the skin while avoiding occlusive ingredients;
• Always protect your skin from the sun, avoiding the hottest hours and always applying an Spf higher than 30;
• Choose the right cosmetics, specially formulated for oily skin type or all skin types, preferring purifying, antibacterial, astringent, soothing, sebum normalizing ingredients.