OILY SKIN CARE

It feels oily to touch and is prone to blackheads and pimples. The oil producing glands are over reactive and produce more oil than needed which imparts a coarse and a greasy look. The flow of oil (sebum) increases during adolescence and retards with age. At the time of pregnancy and menopause also, the hormonal imbalances can upset the oil balance and increase the sebaceous gland activity. Diet containing excessive fats, carbohydrates and sugar can cause increased secretion of oil.

CLEANSING OF OILY SKIN
Oily skin is prone to blackheads, spots and pimples. Oily skin has a coarse, shiny look and enlarged pores due to the excess secretion of oil hence, it needs special cleansing to keep the pores unclogged. The surface grease tends to attract dirt, and hence, the oily skin acquires a dirty surface film and which needs to be removed daily otherwise various problems can set in. Enlarged pores make the skin prone to blackhead formation and impart the skin a thick texture. The daily cleansing methods helps to lift the dirt and the waste matter, decrease the surface grease and help the skin to function better. The skin, in turn would look fresh and stay healthy.

BASIC ASPECTS OF THE CLEANSING PROCEDURE

• Dirt and the surface film of oil must be removed.
• The accumulated grease that clog the pores must be removed.
• The texture of the skin must improve.

This should be achieved without creating an alkaline environment on the skin as it makes the skin prone to bacterial attacks.

FORMATION OF BLACKHEADS
Due to the coagulation and hardening of oil in the enlarged pores, blackheads are formed. The oily skin is continuously shedding dead cells and these decomposed cells along with the dirt, oil, swear wastes and the stale makeup block the pores, giving the face a dirty appearance. This way the oily skin becomes prone to the blackheads leading to pimples and acne.

IDEAL CLEANSING PROCEDURE FOR OILY SKIN
Thick creams and gels are the products that actually clog the pores. And when the skin is prone to blackheads, the liquid cleansers also become ineffective. The ideal cleansing procedure contains two separate procedures:

• Using lukewarm water, skin should be washed with a medicated soap. This will remove the dirt and the surface oil. Non-oily products such as non-alkaline soaps in cream form can be used for this as these contain herbal ingredients, which help in maintaining the acid mantle.
• After rinsing the skin with water, the pore-cleansing method should be used. This method is based on gentle derm-abrasive actions that cleanses the skin of the dead cells and remove the hardened oil from the pores. For this purpose, rub a mixture of beauty grains and skin tonic on the skin gently in a circular motion and rinse it off after it gets dried up. This procedure when used daily, discourages the formation of blackheads. This helps in removing the dead cells and unclogs the pores and also leds to the tightening of the pores.

The pores shrink with time, improving the texture and it also improves the circulation thus imparting a smooth, translucent and healthy look.