There are two types of
feedback I get after a client starts an improved skincare routine. One is feeling oily after the experiencing
the routine for a week or two, the other is feeling greasy after application of
sunscreen.
Oiliness after improved
skincare
In my online skincare practice, improved skincare routines are
being introduced very often after
long-time use of products that are so harsh and drying, proper hydration is
actually a completely new concept. The
person has literally never felt what properly functioning skin feels like! New moisture actually feels greasy. Eventually this normalizes, the person gets
used to having hydrated skin, and we’re all happy.
However, a new routine can
often cause an increase in surface oil, because pores are finally being
unclenched and unclogged. This also
normalizes, as the skin gets used to being more free-flowing with its own oil,
which now can be washed away properly without drying the skin out and making
it, well, clench.
The Solution
First order of business is to
inform me of what’s happening and be patient.
Stick with the routine and report any problems.
Second, the first thing I
check when someone reports an oiliness they’re not used to, is whether they’ve
actually purchased the entire routine suggested to them, including treatment
masks, or did they only start with the basic daily routine. I very much understand budget issues, but
trust is crucial if we’re going to be partners in getting your skin clear and
keeping it that way. An investment now will
mean less trial and error, and far less makeup necessary to cover your
acne. Would you rather buy more makeup,
or buy a treatment mask?
The exfoliating, hydrating and clay masks that I recommend for 2 or
3x weekly at-home facials are a very important part of controlling the
oil that has become uncomfortable, albeit temporarily, and contributes to
breakouts.
On a daily basis aside from
your 1-2x weekly clay mask, two remedies are fabulous
for taking away shine and its discomfort.
One is to add a bit of cornstarch to your SPF in your hand (about an eighth
of a teaspoon to a teaspoon of SPF), or take a large makeup brush and apply a light dusting of
cornstarch after SPF is fully absorbed, and then any time of the day.
Another remedy is something I used
to do all summer long when I was much more oily than I am now. I have a policy of not wearing makeup when I
work, in order for people to see what my skin actually looks like. You know, for credibility.
Anyway, this is very much what I was talking
about before, regarding oil vs sweat. When
you’re oily, perspiration can make your skin feel much worse. But it also adds an excellent opportunity for
hydration! One of the functions of our
skin’s oil is to protect the skin from water loss. As people with oily skin, we have a unique
opportunity to take advantage of perspiration that is normally evaporated in
drier skin types.
So, here’s what I used to
do; I would wash my hands in water as
cold as I could find it, barely dry my hands off, and massage my face with my
cold hands while “redistributing” my skin’s oils like a moisturizer. My skin looked great, it cooled me off, and I
was good to go.
Feeling greasy after sunscreen?
In the second case, the
feeling of skin being greasy after application of sunscreen could be from simply
being the wrong formula for your skin type.
Most sunscreens are formulated assuming dryness from a lot of sun
exposure, or simply with ease of application in mind, while hydration doesn’t
even enter the picture.
However, even with a
non-greasy, light feeling, and hydrating sunscreen formula, you can actually experience an “oily”
feeling from perspiration. Chemical
sunscreens (no, they’re not dangerous!!) work by making the skin give off heat
to absorb UVB rays, which is why they actually are not appropriate for people
with chronic redness problems, like Rosacea. But for everyone else, they do a great job
protecting your skin from burning and damage.
This heat causes sweat to
start accumulating on the surface of the skin. Since your perspiration is being mixed with
lotion, it feels like wet grease. A lot. Of wet grease.
The Solution
Interestingly, the solution
to this is similar to one of the solutions to general oiliness on the skin
mentioned above, but is also a solution to the white cast sunscreen leaves on
skin of color!
Sunscreen must be used
generously, no matter what the SPF number.
Always remember, that SPF number was arrived at using a certain dosage,
and that dosage was not the size of a pea.
When you use the right amount, it can really seem like a lot, and if
it’s the wrong formula for your skin, it can seem really gross, actually. When it’s the right formula, it just feels
like a lot of lotion. After a minute or
two, you start sweating and you look a bit like a ghost.
Very simple solution - wait a
minute or two, and simply massage with your dry hands again. Seriously!
Just try it. No need to wash your
hands after applying sunscreen in the first place, just massage what’s left
from your hands into your outer hands and wrists, wait a minute or two and then
just massage your face over again. Sweat
gets put back in your skin for hydration, and any white cast goes away. I’ve seen this with my own eyes with my
darker skin clients at the end of my facials, so I know this works!
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