Robert Abuckle et al. Health & Quality Life Outcome, 2008. Oily skin is a common condition affecting men and women, typically between puberty and about 60 years of age. It is characterized by the production of a quantity of sebum which is excessive for the age and sex of the individual.

How to know that your skin is Oily?

Many people think they have oily skin when, in fact, they don’t. One study demonstrated that people are often wrong about if they are oily or not. Often they judge whether their skin is oily just after cleansing, however, everyone feels dry for 15- 20 minutes after cleansing. Any evaluation of your skin’s sebum production needs to be done 20 minutes after cleansing to get an accurate result. Another reason that people may think they are oily when they actually have decreased sebum production is because they might just be using the wrong skincare products.

Incorrect skincare products can damage the skin barrier and without excessive sebum production, this can lead to dehydration of the skin. So your first step is to determine if you are truly an oily skin type. Once you receive the proper diagnosis and are certain that you have oily skin, you should aim to understand more about sebum (oil) and the causes of oily skin. This will make it easier to manage. If your skin is oily in summer and dry in the winter- you may have combination skin

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Role of Sebum:

Oily skin is characterized by abundant sebum secretion from the sebaceous glands. These glands are found predominantly in the T-zone, as well as on the chest and back. While the exact function of sebum is not fully understood, it is known to play important roles in the three-dimensional organization of skin surface lipids, prevention of water evaporation from the skin’s surface, and as an occlusive moisturizing agent. Sebum also protects the skin against free radicals because it naturally contains vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant known to combat skin aging as well as the cellular damage that leads to skin cancer.

Sebum is actually Latin for “fat,” which makes sense because researchers have found that sebum contains triglycerides, diglycerides, fatty acids, wax esters, squalane, and cholesterol. Every square inch of your skin, with the exception of the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and lips, produces sebum. A lack of sebum and its protective vitamin E may be why the lips are more prone to skin cancer.
Although oily skin as such do not cause any major problem, oily skin appears greasy and shiny, contributes to the development of acne. Excessive sebum secretion causes both psychological and social effect in the form of acne and pimples and excessive oil and a shiny face. Various studies have estimated a very high % of adult both male and female suffering from oily skin related disorders. Surveys have also found that sufferers feel ugly, uncomfortable or unkempt and annoyed by the condition. The majority of the time the overproduction of sebum is the cause of oily skin. A normal amount of sebum is necessary to maintain the moisture barrier and protect the skin.

Skin Test:

A simple test can be performed to check whether your skin is oily or not: Take a paper napkin and press it on your face. Specially the T-zone area (the entire forehead down to your nose and chin). Press the napkin for few seconds. The paper will appear translucent with oil when you pull it out.

Role of hormones: 

The sebum production is controlled by hormones, but the functionality of these hormones could be disrupted by poor skin hygiene and many other external factors leading to either dry or oily skin. Fluctuation in hormonal function can disrupt sebum production in the skin and this leads to oily skin, acne, pimples and other abnormalities. If the skin, on the other hand, is too dry may be due to over-cleansing, unsuitable skincare products, the skin may overproduce sebum to compensate.

The outermost layer of our skin is the stratum corneum and it is made of different kinds of proteins and lipids. It plays a large role in the overall health and appearance of our skin, and (along with ceramides!) acts to prevent water loss, which is something else that can cause an overproduction of sebum. Imbalances here, whether caused by hormonal fluxes or external factors, can lead to many different skin irregularities.

Seborrhea (oily skin) an excess release of skin sebum often can be caused by having more androgens in the body. They are a testosterone hormone which is present in both genders. It triggers growth and release in your sebum glands and is the main reason people start getting oily around and after puberty. It is also why some people mainly have oiliness and breakouts around their period. Some people just have more androgens than others (genetics), which triggers the body to produce more oil. It often results in more acne as well, which is why many providers recommend spearmint as a supplement as it has anti-androgen effects. Many other different things can affect androgen levels i.e. diet, stress, etc.

Another thing that is important to keep in mind is the function of sebum. It is meant to protect and lubricate the skin, hold in moisture, protect from invaders and maintain skin ph. This is why some people may experience oiliness only during certain types of weather as the body is altering sebum production levels to protect the skin when exposed to new “threats” or requirements.

This is also why when skin is irritated, overly dried out, has in inaccurate pH, or has high levels of bacteria, etc the body will respond by increasing sebum production as its way of trying to help the skin recover. Skin that is dry or irritated becomes compromised and is at risk for infection/damage. Skin that is not the proper pH is more at risk for invasion as well. This is why some people may find their oil production is reduced when they take on a more appropriate skin care regimen as their skin is no longer pouring water on the metaphorical fire. This is also why people with dry/dehydrated seeming skin can also have issues with oil simultaneously. So really it does depend on the individual. Mitvanastores is providing the best skin care products for oily acne prone skin you can buy it at mitvanastores.com.