Happy new year! What goals are you setting for 2022? If you’re in search of some inspiration for self-care goals, we’re sharing a series of skincare self-care goals that take it step further from basic (but still crucial!) resolutions like drinking enough water and applying protective sunblock every time we step out of the house. 

In this piece, we’ve tailored it specifically for people with an oily skin type, but be sure to stay tuned for following pieces in this series for ladies out there with combination and dry skin. 

Understanding Oily Skin

Oily skin is a result of the sebaceous glands under your skin surface producing too much sebum. In ‘typical’ amounts, sebum helps to protect our skin and keep it healthy and moisturised. Overproduction of sebum is what causes a shiny complexion. Too much of sebum settling in your skin pores, along with dead skin often causes acne as it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

It’s also important to understand that there’s no such thing as an ‘wrong’ skin type - oily skin not a defect, but simply another skin care type to take care of. However, with the right skincare habits, this issue can be easily managed. Here’s how we at The First Refresh recommend caring for oily skin.

Don’t skip your morning and evening cleanse.

You might have read skincare blogs mentioning only a once-daily cleanse in order to avoid drying out the skin surface. While it holds true for all skin types, especially people with dry or sensitive skin, people with oily skin types can tolerate more frequent cleansing. 

It’s still important to avoid drying out your skin with over cleansing, or over-masking with strong exfoliators. Over-drying out your skin is actually counter-intuitive to reducing that oily sheen. because this may trigger the production of even more oil.

In fact, doing a complete cleanse at the start and end of your day with an exfoliating cleanser and toner after helps to clear excess oil and dead skin, preventing build up in the pores. Especially in hot and humid Singapore and after a full day of errands such as picking your kids up from school or sweating it out at hot yoga, it’s important to work hard to keep oil and bacteria build up at bay.

Look for products that contain benzoyl peroxide and/or salicylic acid.

Oily skin is often prone to acne, which develops when dead skin and excess oil clog up in our skin. 

Benzoyl peroxide is an acid with antibacterial properties, and helps to kill acne-causing bacteria in your pores. While this ingredient might be harsh on sensitive skin and further exacerbate dryness on people with dry skin, oily skin types would mostly be perfect fine using products with this ingredient - it might even help reduce your skin’s oily shine a little as it is quite a drying product! 

While benzoyl peroxide works by destroying the bacteria that causes acne, salicylic acid works by exfoliating your skin, dissolving the excess oil and dead skin that often form whiteheads and blackheads on people — which makes it especially suited for those with oily skin and acne-prone skin. It is also known to be less harsh than benzoyl peroxide. 

Here’s a key tip: when using acids, be sure not to use too high a percentage of these ingredients when you’re first starting out! Start low and gradually work up if needed.

Don’t fear moisturiser - Invest in a water-based one.

While it might seem counterintuitive as moisturising may be perceived to add more of a sheen to your already oily skin, skipping out this step may backfire. All skin types need moisturising to protect your skin barrier, and what you should do instead is to vary your type of moisturiser to suit your skin type. Look for lightweight, water-based moisturisers to avoid greasing up your skin. 

Commit to a regular facial schedule for a deep detox!

That being said, we all have good days and bad days, and some days (or weeks!) we might find that we don’t stick too well to a skincare routine, which might lead to poorer skin appearance for a while. Not to worry - cleansing facials help to exfoliate your skin surface and do a full detox to help you get your skin back on track. For oily skin types, we’d recommend our Refresh Facial - check it out here!