How to take care of oily skin

Here are nine natural ways to manage oily skin.

It is a pain to have a shiny face.

Excess accumulation of oil on the skin can often lead to whiteheads, blackheads, acne, pimples and other skin problems.

However, fret not for help is at hand.

There are many DIY remedies that one can undertake to keep oily skin at bay in a natural and effective way.

Here are nine great tips for oily skin care:

Eat the right foods

Eat food items that are rich in antioxidants and omega-3.

While antioxidants help in protecting your skin from ageing, omega-3 will keep your skin hydrated, supple and free from inflammation.

Drink lots of water and avoid foods high in sugar and fat.

The high sugar intake will lead to a spike in insulin levels and might irritate skin and lead to acne break-outs. Include salmon, cranberries and artichokes in your diet.

Don't wash face more than twice a day

It is important to keep the face clean, but washing it all the time will just have the opposite effect, especially if you have oily skin.

While cleansing it initially may make it oil and dirt free, doing so again and again will strip the skin of its natural oil that is essential to keep the skin soft and supple.

When you wash your face too often, you force the body to generate more and more sebum, leading to oily skin.

Exfoliate – it is important

Exfoliation is necessary to prevent build-up of dead skin cells and helps in unclogging pores. This in turn will help in preventing acne.

Choosing the right exfoliant is key and products with tea tree oil or salicylic acid are good bets. While tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory properties.

Apply moisturiser

Don't be fooled into believing that applying moisturiser on your face will only make it more oily.

The trick is to pick a moisturiser that suits your skin type. And make sure it is oil free, light on your face and non-comedogenic. You could also look at moisturisers with talcum for that shine-free look.

Pamper your skin with a mask

We are not asking you to visit that salon of yours and splurge on expensive face masks.

Instead, you can make them at home with stuff from your kitchen!

One such mask can be made with three easily available ingredients -- lemon, honey and banana.

Combine one banana (preferably overripe) with two teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey.

Apply the mixture on your face and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash and pat dry.

The lemon dissolves the existing oil, the banana minimises oil production. Besides, it has great anti-bacterial properties as well.

Use a primer

Before you start applying makeup, always make sure that you use a primer. This will not only ensure that your make-up stays in place, but also minimises the shine. It will give your face a matte finish look.

Invest in good cosmetics and blotting paper

If you have oily skin, you should naturally stay away from oil-rich cosmetics.

Get mineral-based and non-comedogenic products.

Also buy blotting paper. It will easily get rid of the excess oil.

All you need to do is dab on your T-zone to give your face a matte-finish look. Besides, they are convenient and easy to store and use.

Keep your hands to yourself

Don't touch your face frequently as you may be transferring bacteria, grime and oil.

Holding our head in our hands also makes things worse for people with oily skin. So it would be best if we control how often we touch our face and of course ensure that we wash our hands well.

Relax

Pamper yourself. Relax and indulge in things that make you happy. It is important that one learns to de-stress.

If you are continuously stressed, it doesn't matter how much you take care of your skin.

It will not have any effect because when your body is stressed, it produces copious amounts of the hormone cortisol, which leads to skin inflammation and acne break-outs.

Use products with green tea or chamomile that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Image: Honolulu Media/Creative Commons

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