At two o’clock in the afternoon, you observe that your face appears shinier compared to earlier in the morning when you left for work or school. Reaching up to feel the glistening patch, you notice that your skin feels oily. Despite following a regular skincare routine, you wonder what else you could do to help control the oily skin that keeps cropping up throughout your day.
Factors that Influence Oil (Sebum) Production
Your skin secrets oil, also known as sebum, from the sebaceous glands. This substance serves a very useful function for the skin. It helps to form a protective barrier over the skin to ward off harmful substances like dirt and bacteria, and it also helps to lubricate and moisturize the skin. The sebum secreted by our sebaceous glands also promotes healthy hair growth and assists in skin temperature regulation.
Unfortunately, excessive sebum production can cause our skin to be overly oily and lead to other conditions such as blackheads and acne.
Sebum production in the skin can be affected by various factors, including:
- Age. The younger you are, the more potential for oily skin you have.
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Pore size
- Diet. Foods high in sugar can influence how much sebum is produced.
- Stress. This can increase our cortisol levels and cause an increase in sebum production.
- Genetics. Oily skin can run in families.
So, what can we do to help lessen the amount of oil that our skin produces?
Tips for helping Overly Oily Skin:
- Use a gentle cleanser twice daily.
- Consider using an exfoliating cleanser with glycolic acid or salicylic acid one to three times per week.
- Continue to use a gentle moisturizer daily to twice-daily.
- Consider seeing a dermatology provider for evaluation for treatment with topical retinoids or oral medications.
- Follow a low glycemic diet.
- Stay well hydrated by drinking lots of water every day.
- Use non-comedogenic and oil-free skincare products.
A helpful suggestion is to challenge the misconception that oily skin does not require moisturizing. When skin becomes dry, the sebaceous glands can overcompensate by churning out more oil, which leads to overly oily skin. By using a non-comedogenic moisturizer formulated for the face twice daily, this can help the skin produce less oil.
If oil production persists and is associated with acne breakouts, seeing your dermatology provider for a consultation for tretinoin treatment can be useful. Prescription-only topical retinoids offer many skin benefits:
- They work by clearing out the pores and helping to control oil production.
- They have anti-aging properties that help by increasing collagen production.
- Topical retinoids have anti-inflammatory properties which are also helpful to treat acne.
- They help to even out skin texture and tone over time.
In addition to topical retinoids, your dermatology professional has several other options that can be considered in the treatment of oily skin, such as oral isotretinoin and spironolactone. When over the counter remedies fail to deliver the results that we seek, it may be time to see an expert.
Prescription Strength Products
When used under the care of a dermatology provider, prescription strength retinoid products like tretinoin are highly effective in reducing oily skin and anti-aging skin care routines. We know that dermatological care is not always accessible because of lack of proximity to a dermatology office, care may not be covered by insurance or there is a high co-pay, or because your schedule makes an in-person appointment difficult. Our practice, The Derm NP, provides exceptional care that circumvents all those obstacles.
The Derm NP provides telehealth dermatology consultations. Our visits are $37 per visit because we want to make exceptional care accessible and affordable.
Contact us at (630) 697-2433 or www.thedermnp.com today to schedule an appointment for tretinoin or other anti-aging skin care products. We are here to help you with your unique skin care or anti-aging needs.