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If you’ve ever suffered from oily skin, you’ll be familiar with this nightmare. You start the day a dewy picture of perfection (thanks to a few clever makeup tricks of course), but as the hours tick by you find your complexion getting greasier and greasier by the minute. And by the time you look in a mirror at the end of the day, your face has more oil than the North Sea. So what can you do to stop this from happening?
First, it’s important to get to the root cause of your oily skin. Of course, some people just naturally have greasy complexions and struggle to avoid the dreaded oil-slick appearance no matter how rigorously they stick to a skincare regime. But if you find yourself with dry skin in the morning that turns greasy throughout the day, it could be your body over-compensating for hydration issues. In that case, you’ll need to look into dry skin treatments, even if that might seem counterintuitive at times. It’s also possible that hormone problems could be affecting your complexion, so it’s always best to rule these out first if you have any concerns.
Ironically, you can also cause greasy skin by using too many products. Although it’s easy to get excited about the latest moisturiser or serum from your favourite brand, applying all of them at once can cause your skin to go into panic mode, overproducing oils to act as a defence against these unknown assailants. And in some cases, simply paring back your skincare regime can result in less greasy skin.
If you’ve eliminated all other causes, and you’re still struggling with an oily complexion, there are some things you can do to ease your pain. First, try using a mask designed for greasy skin at least once a week. By soaking up any excess moisture, these will help balance out oil production and combat the appearance of afternoon shine.
Really, though, it’s your choice of makeup that can make the difference between a fresh, matte complexion and a greasy mess. If you’re not using a primer, then start straight away. Applied before the rest of your makeup, these formulas will absorb excess oil as well as perform a number of other tricks, such as smoothing out wrinkles and even out skin tone. What’s more, you can choose products specially designed for those with oily skin, creating the perfect base for a grease-free look.
Next, make sure that you are using the right foundation for your skin type. While powder is great for keeping an oily complexion under control, too much can actually highlight your pores and emphasise wrinkles and fine lines. Instead, it’s a good idea to opt for a liquid base and use a powder to keep any oily breakouts in check as the day progresses.
With these tips, you should be well on your way to fresh, oil-free skin from morning to night, without any nasty mid-afternoon surprises.
