Simple Tips to Control Oily Skin
Oily skin is a real nuisance. It can make you look dirty and it’s a magnet for the germs that cause pimples and blemishes to pop out on your face and body. Yuck! Is there anything you can do? You can try a proactive skin care treatment that you can get over the counter, but why not try some natural solutions first? Here’s some things you can try.
What causes oily skin?
Your skin’s oil content is a combination of genetics, hormone levels, and inflammation. You can’t do much about the first two, sad to say. If oily skin runs in the family, then you’re probably going to have it. You can keep it from getting out of hand by controlling the level of inflammation in your body.
Most people get oily skin in their teen years during puberty. Yes, oily skin comes with the changes, which is why teens are so prone to getting blemishes. The oil on your skin does have its uses. It prevents your skin from going dry, and it also has a benefit of keeping your skin from getting wrinkles too soon!
What does inflammation have to do with it? Inflamed skin is warm to the touch, which means it loses water faster than other parts of your body. To retain moisture, more oil is produced. This creates a vicious cycle for suffers of acne. Even worse, a lot of skin products meant to strip away oils inflame the skin, which makes the body make more oil, and the cycle continues.
Reducing the shine
Too much skin oil can be unsightly and it does make you prone to acne. So what can you do? Control the inflammation! First, don’t pop your pimples. It may get rid of them but that red splotch that appears afterward is more inflammation, and pimple popping can lead to long-term scarring. Instead, clean any oil they’re creating using a gentle cleanser and let them heal naturally.
Be sure to review your cleaning and treatment regimen too. Are you using the right cleanser for your skin type? What about the acne products you’re using? Are they 10 years old and no longer effective? Do you even know whether or not Proactiv products even work? Have you done the research to find out what is likely to work best for your skin, taking into consideration your age, skin type, lifestyle, etc.?
As for the rest of the skin, let’s take a look at your diet. There are certain foods that promote inflammation in some people. Fatty red meat is one, and so is dairy. The reason is the high fatty content. Processing saturated fat can promote oiliness in some people. Instead, eat leaner cuts of meat and skip out on the milk to see if it helps.
Sugar is another thing to look out for, or rather excess sugar. Sugar is fuel for the body, but when there is too much it makes your body get hot trying to process it all. This leads to inflammation. Try reducing your sugar and carb intake and see if that helps as well.
Excess salt is another culprit for inflammation, and is often mixed in with excess fats. Excess salt causes water retention, which puts a strain on your tissues. Guess what, more inflammation. Skip the potato chips if you’ve got skin oil problems.
You don’t have to go all crazy like you’re dieting for summer. Just reduce the amounts of fat, sugar, and salt in your diet and see if it has an effect on your oily skin. Yes, the french fries and potato chips have to go! We think you’ll see an excellent improvement within two weeks if you adjust your diet. You’ll love the results you’ll get!
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