Super, Super, Super, Super Oily Skin! Help! (cold, hairline, dermatologists)

[Forever Blue]

The title says it all...this is what I have, always have. That's just my facial skin type & of course it's worse in hot weather. My skin starts feeling oily/greasy & shining 15-20 min after washing, I kid you not! My skin's also sensitive & acne-prone, so that doesn't help the situation.

I don't really use moisturizer on my face. I only use a mattifying gel under my makeup if I go out that day. At home, my face is bare & I have to wipe it w/ alcohol or just wash my face several times throughout the day. Unfortunately, when I'm out, I can't wash my face all day & start my makeup fresh again!

I've been to several dermatologists throughout the years...my first as early as pre-teen age. Also tried tons of cleansers. I've been prescribed Retin-A & a fw other creams throughout the yrs.

Although I've heard about it before, I don't know if I can bear to put coconut oil or use the oil cleansing method on my already oily face, but I may try a bit of coconut oil on my chin just out of curiosity.

Anyone know any cleansers, masks or skincare line that tends to dry your skin out a little? I'm asking it this way because all my life, I've used products for oily skin, but that's not enough. I need something overly drying. (I've used oil blotting papers for yrs, which is only a VERY short-term solution. I drink lots of water, etc.)

The ONLY good thing is, I won't wrinkle as I age!

[Zelpha]

Look to the foods you're eating. Anything greasy, cheesy, oily, processed, and anything from typical restaurants are poor for the complexion.

Try this: first thing when you wake up in the morning drink room-temperature lemon water. The rest of the day eat only whole earth-centric foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains (say yes to quinoa and brown rice. Say no to bread and pasta), nuts, seeds, berries, eggs, chicken, salmon, mackerel (not all of those meats in one day of course, spread them out over the weeks )

For a radiant complexion eats lots of kale and spinach.

[nightlysparrow]

Castile soap is drying, recommend Dr. Bronners (liquid) Castile Soap, the "Baby Mild" version. Wash with that, then splash with vinegar then rinse well. Castile is high PH, which removes dirt and oil, and vinegar is low PH, which restores the natural acid mantle of the skin. (If you remove oil without this second step, your skin increases oil production to protect the skin.)

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Castile soap is drying, recommend Dr. Bronners (liquid) Castile Soap, the "Baby Mild" version. Wash with that, then splash with vinegar then rinse well. Castile is high PH, which removes dirt and oil, and vinegar is low PH, which restores the natural acid mantle of the skin. (If you remove oil without this second step, your skin increases oil production to protect the skin.)

Forgot to write, rinse after the soap, then splash vinegar, then rinse again.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

How often do you wash your hair? My daughter has oily skin and it's much worse if she goes more than two days without washing her hair.

Also, she uses those sets of Acne Free products and she says if she uses them as often as the package suggests, her skin gets too dry.

[Graywhiskers]

Try eating a 100% gluten free diet. Also eat two eggs a day.

[AnonChick]

1. Stop using alcohol on your face. Every time you do that, you strip your skin of sebum, which triggers more sebum generation. In other words, you're making your skin think it's dried out (which is exactly what you're doing) and makes it make more oil (which isn't really oil, it's sebum) to make up for the drying. Thus continuing the cycle.

Your skin is supposed to produce sebum. But the more you dry it out, the more it will produce. So stop trying to dry it out. Use a gentle face wash - unscented OR scented only with natural essential oils and no "perfume" or "fragrance". Those two buzzwords should be avoided in the ingredients list. So should petroleum, petrolatum, and lanolin - which is a common allergen found in skin preparations.

Use warm - but not hot - water to wash. Rinse well with cool - not cold - water. Do NOT use scrubs. Do allow your skin to air dry OR use a soft towel and pat dry. Don't rub your face with the towel. DO use a moisturizer, one that either has no oil in it, or at the very least, no petroleum, petrolatum, or lanolin. Jojoba oil is okay - unneccessary, but okay. Avoid shea butter because it'll be much too rich for your skin (it's usually an excellent skin fat but not in your case).

Change your pillowcase every couple of days and always wash your face right before bedtime. Splash cool water on it again first thing in the morning.

Do NOT wear a matifying anything. That'll just cake up and dry out your skin and make it produce more sebum again in a few hours (as you've already discovered).

Let your skin breathe, let it relax, let it stop working so hard to re-do everything you keep trying to undo.

And definitely watch your diet, and any products you use on your hair (if it's near the hairline, it'll get on your skin).

[Forever Blue]

Thanks guys & Zelpha & AnonChick, I agree w/ it all, you're right.

Graywhiskers, that sounds logical as well.

Hedgehog_Mom, I wash my hair once a week, so I guess I could wash it more often.

[AnonChick]

Also just as an fyi - unless you want to smell like the side-salad at Denny's, don't splash your face with vinegar.

[Forever Blue]

I've actually given myself facials at night here & there with organic apple cider vinegar poured in my water. The smell doesn't linger for long. I need to return to doing that. I know apple cider vineger (just like coconut oil) have numerous, numerous benefits.