Taking Care of Your Oily, Acne-Prone Skin

I am obsessed with taking care of my skin. Having acne most of my life, I've tried a million products and been given a TON of (mostly unsolicited) advice.

Currently, I'm in the process of transitioning from commercial cleansers to essential oils, but more on that in another post.

In this post, I want to share with you what I have learned from personal experience about what works (and what doesn't) for oily, acne-prone skin.

Keep it Simple - Just like it's necessary to take a shower everyday, you have got to wash your face, BUT you don't have to go out and buy a fancy, acne-specific cleanser full of ingredients you can't even pronounce. The best cleansers are the gentle ones, like Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Cerave Foaming Cleanser, or my new favorite African Black Soap by Shea Moisture.

Stay AWAY from ingredients you can't pronounce - Ok, Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide are hardly ingredients that you can't pronounce but the point is that these products that claim to be made for acne-prone skin can actually end up causing more irritation. Oily skin is sensitive skin, so you should treat it with the gentlest possible products.

Oil is your FRIEND - This makes no sense at first, but oily skin is actually just thirsty skin. The human body is amazing, and when it's not getting what it needs, it will try to remedy that by producing its own oil, called sebum. What oily skin needs to steer clear of is pore-clogging oils, such as coconut oil. Sweet almond, Olive, and Jojoba oils are all acne-prone-skin-friendly and can be added to your moisturizer or used on their own to keep your skin hydrated.

Exfoliate wisely - Exfoliating, or removing the layer of dead skin that clogs pores, is a necessary part of caring for your skin but you have to be careful in the type of exfoliation that you choose. Physical exfoliators, like the tiny beads that come in many cleansers, can irritate your already-delicate skin. These will exfoliate, but think of it as taking sand paper to your skin...you wouldn't do that, would you? Opt for chemical exfoliators, products that contain AHAs or BHAs (Alpha Hydroxy/ Beta Hydroxy Acids) that react with the skin to exfoliate safely and thoroughly. (FYI: Salicylic acid is a BHA).

(Side Note on exfoliation: There's all kinds of advice out there about how often you should do this. Some dermatologists say that you can exfoliate daily, others say it's a 1-2 times a week event. It really depends on you, how much/little makeup you wear, how sensitive your skin is. In my experience, less is always more so I only exfoliate twice a week.)

Chocolate is not the enemy - Growing up I was taught that chocolate was the source of all of my pimples, but it was also the solution to many an emotional day so I found myself in quite the conundrum. Turns out, I was taught wrong! (Go figure). What you eat does matter, but one fun size Butterfinger won't break your whole face out, which leads me to my final note:

Troubled skin begins from within - Acne doesn't just show up on your face to ruin your life (although it certainly feels that way). Your skin can be affected by your diet, your insulin production, and even your hormones. These are factors that you can't always control (*ahem* hormones *ahem*), but there are things you can do to minimize the severity of their effect on your skin. Only eat greasy food and sweets in moderation, stay hydrated (you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces daily), and if needed, there are supplements you can take to control hormonal acne.

(I should insert a little disclaimer here that I am not a professional by any means and that all of this advice came from years of trial and error with my own skin. I hope you find something helpful!)