Many people of all ages suffer from greasiness and shine.
Some people have acne as well, while others feel that their skin is only oily in certain areas.
Recently, more people are concerned about oily and greasy skin.
Even if you wash your face frequently, wipe off excess oil with oil-blotting sheets, or use a refreshing toner, the oiliness never goes away.
Ideally, wouldn’t it be great if you could fundamentally prevent your skin from getting oily and greasy?
In this article, we will introduce the causes and solutions for each age group and gender so that everyone can achieve clean, smooth skin.
Why does my face get greasy?
In reality, oil is necessary for the skin.
That being said, too much oil can cause skin troubles.
It can also cause the skin to look unsanitary.
This does not mean you should jump to solutions such as wiping all the oil off.
There are several causes to oily skin, so keep reading and see which one applies to your skin condition.
1. You’re conducting incorrect skincare that removes too much oil
Regardless of age and gender, one of the most common causes of oily skin is skincare that removes too much oil.
Have you ever washed your face several times in a day to remove the oil?
This can actually trigger the skin’s defense mechanism and lead to a vicious cycle that further stimulates sebum production.
You should only wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
We also recommend using a gel-type cleanser that is less harsh on the skin, or a foaming cleanser that does not require scrubbing, and washing it off with lukewarm water.
After cleansing, make sure to moisturize with the following points in mind.
- Apply water to hydrate the skin.
- Apply oil and moisturizing ingredients to prevent hydration from evaporating out of the skin.
By following these steps, you can prevent excess sebum production and greasy skin.
2. You don’t know your skin type
Some people believe that they have an oily skin type because their face is greasy.
However, if your skin feels tight after washing your face, you may not actually have oily skin.
Instead, you may have inner dry skin, which is so dry to the point where your body produces excess sebum to moisturize the skin.
There are also combination skin types, where some areas of the skin are dry or oily.
If you are not aware of your skin type, it becomes difficult to find a skincare routine that suits you best and it will not be as effective.
Skin types
There are 5 skin types: normal, dry, oily, inner dry, and combination.
Each one has its own unique characteristics.
| Normal | ・Skin is in a healthy state ・Good balance of water and oil |
| Dry | ・Skin lacks water and oil ・Prone to irritation |
| Oily | ・Skin has high amounts of water and oil ・ Sticky to the touch ・Shine and pores are noticeable |
| Inner dry | ・Skin is dry and lacks water ・Excessive sebum is secreted to prevent moisture from evaporating |
| Combination | ・Skin has a mix of areas that are oily and dry ・Skin has high amounts of oil but lacks water |
For inner dry skin, it is best not to wash your face in the morning and simply wet it with lukewarm water.
For combination skin, it is best to use a cleanser only for the areas that feel greasy and sticky.
3. Your hormone balance is changing
Oily skin caused by a change in hormone balance is most common among junior high and high school students, as well as females who are about to start their period.
When you go through puberty (usually during junior high and high school), our body produces more male hormones.
Male hormones are secreted by both men and women.
It affects secondary sex characteristics, but also acts on muscle and bone building, improving energy, and increasing sebum production.
Therefore, it is completely normal that your skin becomes oily during puberty.
Additionally, for women, skin conditions change due to the menstrual cycle.
2 weeks before ovulation, estrogen is released more than progesterone, and the skin tends to be stable.
But 2 weeks before the beginning of the period, progesterone is secreted more, which tends to increase sebum production.
In one month, women will feel many changes in their skin condition.
Apart from the influence of hormones, weather and humidity also affect sebum production.
Rather than assuming anything about your skin type, we recommend assessing the condition of your skin daily and conducting skincare that suits it accordingly.
4. The ingredients in your skincare products cause excessive sebum production
This is especially true for men’s skincare.
Most men’s skincare products contain ethanol.
Although ethanol provides a refreshing feeling to the skin, it can cause skin irritation or aggravate dryness.
If you have been using men’s skincare products by are constantly bothered by sticky skin, we recommend you stop using them and choosing alcohol-free products.
5. You’re using high coverage makeup
Cream and liquid foundations have very high coverage.
However, these foundations contain a lot of oil and are very sticky.
If you are concerned about your making coming off during the day, we recommend choosing a power type that is less greasy and more lightweight.
In fact, if your makeup comes off during the day, it may be because your skin is producing sebum to make up for the dryness.
Even if you think your skin is oily from makeup, it may be very dry underneath.
The bestthing to do is to change your foundation or makeup base to one that contains moisturizing ingredients or is lightweight.
6. Seasonal changes
Sebum production inceases during Spring and Summer, and decreases during Fall and Winter.
We also sweat to regulate body temperature.
When sweat mixes with sebum, it causes the skin to become sticky.
No wonder we all have oily skin in the Summer.
During Summer, one solution is to switch to skincare products that are more refreshing.
However, we also recommend using the same products to stabilize your skin condition.
This is because temperature and humidity differ every year, and skin conditions also differ depending on living conditions and UV exposure.
In addition, if you get used to the refreshing feel, other moisturizers can feel sticky, uncomfortable, and unbearable.
It numbs the skin’s senses and we become too accustomed to skincare products that remove too much sebum.
7. Lifestyle habits
Even if you use skincare products that suit your skin, they will not be effective if you have an unbalanced diet or are under a lot of stress.
For example, eating too much oily food will cause an overproducion of sebum.
Lack of sleep and accumulated stress can also cause hormone imbalances.
While it may be easier said than done, it is important to maintain a regular lifestyle.
4 solutions when your face feels greasy
If your skin starts to feel oily, the first thing you need to do is stop excessive sebum production.
The following four methods will help you stop sebum production that has become overstimulated.
Be sure to identify the cause of your oily skin and choose the method that works best for you.
1. Do not remove sebum on your skin
Removing too much sebum on your skin can trigger the skin’s defense mechanism.
In order to make up for the lost oil and prevent your skin from dryness, your skin will overproduce sebum.
Therefore, you should revise your skincare in the following ways:
- Only wash your face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night
- Use a gentle cleanser that causes minimal irritation
If you use a gentle cleanser that does not remove too much sebum, you can prevent excessive sebum production.
Although sebum may seem like the enemy, it actually acts as a barrier that protects our skin.
Sebum mixes with sweat to form a sebum film on the skin surface, protecting the skin from external irritation and preventing moisture from evaporating from the skin.
This barrier function cannot exist if you remove too much sebum.
When your skin is oily, it is a sign that your skin barrier is weakened, and the body is trying to protect the skin by producing as much sebum as possible to create a sebum film.
This is why it is important that you revise your skincare routine.
2. Moisturize PROPERLY with ○○ and ○○
When you moisturize your skin properly, you can prevent excessive sebum production.
What does it mean to moisturize properly? It is to:
- Apply water to the skin to hydrate it.
- Apply oil to the skin to to prevent the hydration from evaporating.
The most ideal way to conduct skincare is by replenishing water and oil to your skin at the same time.
Therefore, we recommend all-in-one type skincare products.
These products combine toner, lotion, serum, and cream all into one bottle to provide water, oil, and moisturizing ingredients.
3. Take proper precautions against UV rays
UV exposure can increase sebum production because of oxidative damage to the skin.
Therefore, in order to stop excessive sebum production, it is important to take proper UV protection measures.
When it comes to UV protection, many people take measures against them because they cause wrinkles and blemishes.
But for people with oily skin, they tend to neglect UV protection measures because oily skin is tougher.
Apart from causing excessive sebum production, UV rays have the following properties and characteristics.
- They penetrate not only the skin surface but also the deeper layers of the skin, damaging DNA.
- They are always present, even when the sun is not out.
- On cloudy days, they are less likely to be perceived as damaging, even though they are present no matter the weather.
When UV damage piles up, it can certainly cause skin aging and deterioration.
Therefore, even if you do not feel the effects of UV damage, be sure to take proper UV protection measures year-round.
4. Prevent friction and irritation on the skin to protect the skin barrier
Although the skin has its barrier function, it is still very fragile to friction.
When exposed to friction, the skin reacts by breaking the bonds between the cells that make up the skin surface.
This is why it is important to only gently touch your skin and avoid irritation.
For example, after washing your face, do not rub the water off with a towel.
Instead, pat the water off. There is no need to use any force!
Other types of friction can also cause irritation and excessive sebum production.
- Q-tips, cotton puffs, and brushes used to apply makeup
- Makeup remove wipes
- Scrubs and exfoliations
- Scratching
Touching our skin is inevitable, so it is important that we do so with the mindset of ‘being gentle’ and avoiding it as much as possible.
Recommended products to improve oiliness
If your skin’s barrier function is strong, your sebum production will be normal.
If your skin is oily, this means that your body is producing excess sebum because your skin barrier is weakened.
Apart from avoiding friction, moisturizing properly can help reduce your sebum production.
This is why choosing the right skincare is essential for people with oily skin.
There are 2 points to consider when choosing skincare products for oily skin.
- Choose a cleanser that won’t remove too much sebum
- Choose a highly moisturizing product that will protect the skin barrier
Choose a cleanser that doesn’t require ‘double cleansing’
We recommend Earthcare Asia’s Double Cleansing Gel.
Double Cleansing Gel is a 2-in-1 product that:
- Removes makeup and dirt
- Cleanses the skin without removing excess sebum
It has the perfect amount of cleansing power that cleanses your skin without causing unnecessary friction.
If you’re serious about finding a skincare routine that suits your oily skin, please try Double Cleasin Gel!
Choose a highly moisturizing product that will protect the skin barrier
We recommend Earthcare Asia’s Aquatect Gel.
Why Aquatect Gel?
・Contains 16 moisturizing ingredients for high moisturization
・Passed 3 skincare safety tests to ensure that it can be used on even the most sensitive skin
・Is an all-in-one product that has the functions of 7 skincare products
In order to prevent oily skin caused by excessive sebum product, it is important to replenish water and oil to your skin.
Aquatect Gel is formulated with a golden water-to-oil ratio that keeps the skin moisturized for a long time.
It hydrates the skin and prevents that hydration from evaporating out of the skin, so it
It also completes your skincare with just one bottle, so it doesn’t cause unneccesary friction and irritation to your skin.
- If you’ve been struggling with oily skin and sebum…
- If you’re looking for a product that moisturizes your skin properly, but also saves you time and money…
Then Aquatect Gel is the perfect solution for you!
Face washing and skincare tips
Finally, we will introduce some tips on how to wash your face and take care of your skin.
Tips for face washing
- Before washing your face, wash your hands.
- Make sure the water is lukewarm. Water that is too hot can remove too much sebum and dry out the skin.
- Foam up your cleanser and gently massage it on your skin.
- Start by washing the areas that are oily and shiny. Be careful not to overwash the areas that are dry.
- Gently wash the foam off.
- Pat the water off with a clean towel. DO NOT rub harshly.
Wash your face as if you are washing a baby’s skin.
Treat your skin gently and carefully.
Tips for skincare
Have you ever had the following problems?
“My face is oily enough so I don’t need to moisturize.”
“Moisturizing is only going to make my face more sticky.”
If so, we highly recommend you take this opportunity to revise your skincare.
If your skin doesn’t have enough oil, the skin’s water content will evaporate and dry out the skin.
If you are concerned about the shine and greasiness, it is important to maintian a good skin condition by replenishing water, oil, and moisturizing ingredients.
- Your skin is incredibly dry and vulnerable after washing it. It is best to immediately moisturize your skin.
- The correct order of skincare is: water → moisturizing ingredients → oil. In terms of skincare products, it would be: toner → serum → cream.
- For areas hat are especially dry, be sure to moisturize more.
- When applying skincare products, do not use force and harshly rub it into the skin. Gentle massage it instead.
As mentioned previously, skin condition changes depending on the day.
For days when your skin is breaking out and is sticky, apply only a small amount of oil.
If you find it difficult to change your skincare according to the condition, we recommend using an all-in-one product that suits any skin condition.
FAQ
Q: What should I do if my face is greasy and oily?
There are many causes of oily skin, but you will see the most improvement if you 1) stop doing skincare that removes too much sebum and 2) if you maintain the skin’s barier function by properly moisturizing the skin.
If the skin’s barrier function is working properly, sebum production will be normal and will prevent your face from becoming oily.
However, if sebum is removed excessively, the body senses a disruption in the skin barrier and tries to maintain the skin’s barrier function by producing sebum.
As a result, the skin becomes oily.
- Low-stimulus skincare that does not remove too much sebum
- Moisturizing products that maintain the skin’s barrier function
We recommend revising your skincare routine with these 2 points.
Q: Is there anyway to suppress excessive sebum production?
One method is to change your skincare routine.
- Low-stimulus skincare that does not remove too much sebum
- Moisturizing products that maintain the skin’s barrier function
Another way is to change your lifestyle habits.
- Be conscious of your diet
- Use a humidifier to prevent your environment from getting dry
For oily skin, there are several nutrients that can help.
- Vitamin B1: Controls sebum production
- Vitamin B2: Suppresses sebum production
- Vitamin C: Prevents the oxidation of oils
- Pantothenic acid: Breaks down oils
We encourage you to make these changes and to steadily improve your skin condition.
Summary
The causes of excessive sebum production varies from person to person.
“Sebum is bad for he skin so I have to wipe it off frequently.”
“I don’t want my face to feel sticky so I’m not going to moisturize.”
If you continue to make these skincare mistakes, your skin problems can become worse.
After reading this article, we hope that you understand the causes and solutions to take care of your oily skin!
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