Understanding the causes of oily skin to fine-tune your skincare routine

• Oily skin tends to appear shiny and can resemble acne-prone skin.

• Its principal causes are hyperseborrhea, hyperkeratosis, inflammation, and bacterial overgrowth.

• To properly care for it, we recommend using light, specially formulated treatments and avoiding heavy, rich textures and aggressive scrubs.

Oily skin usually means a shiny complexion and enlarged pores, occasionally accompanied by acne. In order to effectively target these issues using the right cosmetic ingredients, it is important to understand the 3 underlying factors that cause them.

1. Increased sebum production

Sebum, secreted by the sebaceous glands, is a mixture of lipids that helps protect and hydrate the skin. Along with sweat, it forms the hydrolipidic film, an invisible protective layer essential for healthy skin. 

Its production is therefore essential for the skin to combat external aggressors. But excessive production of sebum, or hyperseborrhea, leads to the distinctively shiny look of oily skin.

Hyperseborrhea can be caused by hormones, pollution, dehydration, or a poorly balanced diet.

2. A buildup of cells in pores

This is called hyperkeratosis. Dead skin cells clog pores, resulting in impurities like blackheads. Simultaneously, pores also become more apparent. This phenomenon can be exacerbated by contaminants in the environment that can accumulate over the course of the day.

It should be noted that hyperkeratosis does not only occur in people with oily skin. It also affects people with combination skin and dry or dehydrated skin. But coupled with excessive sebum production, hyperkeratosis can amplify the formation of imperfections and blackheads.

3. Bacterial overgrowth and inflammation

The excess sebum and dead cells mentioned in 1 and 2 form a perfect environment for the development of Cutibacterium acnes bacteria, which are found naturally in our skin microbiota. 

The microbiota is all the microorganisms that live on and in our body. The human gut microbiota is the best-known, and it helps us to digest our food and maintain our immune system. The skin also hosts bacteria that are essential for it to function properly. But problems can arise when the balance of the different species of bacteria is disturbed, such as when Cutibacterium acnes is able to proliferate. This bacterium uses sebum as a source of energy and converts it into irritating fatty acids.

Increased amounts of sebum lead to increased bacterial proliferation, which eventually triggers an inflammatory response that leads to the development of pimples.

As previously mentioned, sebum is essential in protecting the skin from external aggressors. So, it’s important not to try to eliminate it at all costs, but rather to find the right balance in its production. This means:

• Using products that contain cleansing ingredients to regulate sebum production and moisturize the skin without causing damage.

• Using creams with a light texture and mattifying qualities will reduce the shine of oily skin.

• Avoiding treatments with excessively thick textures, which would simply add further lipids to the surface of the epidermis.

• Completely avoiding scrubs or treatments that dry out the skin (like clay masks that are left to dry on the skin for a long time). These will damage the skin and, consequently, cause it to produce even more sebum. Deep pore cleansing several times a week using mechanical exfoliation techniques is therefore not an option.

Our formulation experts have devised the following beauty routine to satisfy the needs of people suffering from oily skin.

• Every evening, cleanse your skin to remove excess sebum using our AGE-PURIFY CLEAN facial cleansing gel.

• Morning and evening, use a light, mattifying version of our creams like HYDRA-HYAL GEL-CREAM to help close pores, and TIME-FILLER 5XP GEL-CREAM or NCEF-REVERSE MAT to regulate sebum production.

• If general imperfections accompany oily skin, use the AGE-PURIFY INTENSIVE serum, which has anti-aging and anti-imperfection properties.

• The benefits of this serum can be further boosted by the AGE-PURIFY fluid, which provides a protective shield against pollution. This serum and fluid will replace your usual day and night creams and are to be applied morning and evening.

These two products from the AGE-PURIFY range feature the DERMO-RESCUE COMPLEX, which contains active ingredients inspired by those used in dermatological treatments that target each phase in the formation of skin imperfections:

• Sebum-regulating zinc to curb sebum production.

• 5 resurfacing acids (gluconolactone, azelaic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, and citric acid) inspired by chemical peels. These eliminate dead cells, restore radiance to the complexion, close enlarged pores, improve skin texture, and smooth out imperfections.

• Achiote extract. Achiote is a plant native to tropical regions of Central and South America, and its extract inhibits the proliferation of Cutibacterium acnes bacteria and reduces inflammation to purify and soothe the skin.

With these ingredients, the DERMO-RESCUE COMPLEX provides a comprehensive response to imperfections and oily skin.