[By Clarrisa Koh]
Oily skin woes don’t trouble just teenagers, and any women at any age can face a host of oily skin problems long after her high school prom.If you’re ever plagued with oily skin, be it a transient phase of puberty or an ongoing battle, you would’ve realised that mastering oil control and getting a skincare regime down on pat takes a lot of trying, failing, and learning. While using the right products for your skin type is crucial, investing in good skin care habits and unlearning bad skin mistakes are just as important.
Go easy on pore strips
It is a common misconception that oily skin will inevitably lead to more blackheads and more breakouts, but if you take care of your skin and find the right skincare regime that works for you, this need not be the case. Pore strips are a popular beauty obsession because they offer a strangely gratifying satisfaction from seeing whiteheads and blackheads lifted off from your nose. However, just because you have oily skin does not mean that you have to use them any more often than anyone else. Use them only as directed or your skin will probably dry out and produce more sebum than it did before. To worsen matters, when you remove a dried pore strip from sensitive skin irritated from overzealous indulgence, the pulling motion and extraction can cause inflammation and backfire the best of your beauty intent. To tackle clogged pores, you’re better off with a no frills, fuss-free spa treat such as Aqua.dermabrasion, a hydro-facial that instantly revives stressed, dehydrated and overworked skin. A skin-specific peel primes the skin while three forms of vitamin-enriched saline is delivered to detox, prime and prep your complexion as clogged pores are purged thoroughly with deep yet gentle exfoliation. Followed by an oxygen wrap and vitaminized antioxidant spray, it brightens up lackluster complexions with a gorgeous, bliss branded glow, akin to a breath of fresh air for your face – literally.
Washing once too often
Having an oily skin might make you feel the need to wash your face several times a day, and this is one of the commonest skin mistakes that worsen blemishes. Fact is you should just blot away the oil. An easy way to ascertain over-washing is to take note of how your skin feels immediately after cleansing. If it feels tight or dry in under a minute, you might want to scale back on the washing, or switch out your cleanser for a gentler one.
“Over-washing your face will strip the skin off its protective natural oils, creating micro-breaks that disrupts its integrity and precipitates the seeding of comedone and acne-causing propionibacterium.” Warns Dr. Toby Hui, senior aesthetics physician with the SW1 Clinic (formerly known as The Sloane Clinic). “Furthermore, instead of keeping it squeaky clean as of your intent, washing your oily skin once too often will send your skin cells into overdrive, creating a paradoxical increase in sebum production and worsening of grease.”
Read More: The 10 Beauty Hacks You Need To Know According To Insiders
Skipping the sunscreen and moisturiser
Proper sun protection and keeping your skin well hydrated are cardinal doctrines of Skincare 101 to live by for all skin types. No one is immune against the ill-effects of UV exposure, oily skin or otherwise. Sunscreens only worsen your blemished complexion if you fail to choose a correct one that matches your skin type. Read your labels carefully and go for a broad spectrum sunscreen with an oil-free formulation that doesn’t clog up your pores. Likewise, opt for a suitable lightweight moisturiser that’s specially made for oily skin.Using a moisturiser after washing your face will actually help cut down on the amount of oil your skin secretes, keeping it well hydrated and bolstering the drying effects of harsh ingredients such as salicylates and retinoids that are commonly found in anti-acne products meant for blemish control.
HOLOGRAM Pore Minimizing Skin Primer contains the optimal amounts of vitamins A, C and E in its freshest and most absorbable forms. Illuminating skin primers act as an invisible veil for the skin— lifting, toning and sealing in moisture while protecting skin against pollution and free radical damage. Encapsulated in a skin priming silky base which deflects light to lend skin a diffuse soft focus effect, besides its moisturising and complexion enhancing effects, HOLOGRAM serves as an excellent makeup primer, giving you a polished, matte finish against the dreaded mid-day shine.
Wearing way too much makeup
While we are waging war against comedones and pimples, it’s understandable that makeup plays an important role in restoring part of our lost confidence to face the world.
However, one of the worst skin sin ever is when things are taken a step too far. By applying way too much products that forms an unbreathable mask of warpaint to hide your flaws, not only does it look unnatural and reeks of desperation, it sets forth a vicious cycle of clogged pores and worsening oiliness that sabotages your treatment regime and hinders healing. Looking great while getting your acne cleared isn’t as hard as it seems. When applied correctly with the right products and techniques, makeup will help address blemishes and give you a look that is polished and not “cakey”. You may not fancy adding another layer of product to oily skin, but a primer can mean the difference between a thwack of shine and a smooth complexion. When it comes to concealing spots and splotches, bear in mind that less is often more, and “lighten up” while you are “covering up”.
Read More: 5 Signs your Face looks Fake
Letting it run its natural course
With a rising number of adult onset acne diagnosed over the years, a run in between zits and wrinkles is far more common than what one would expect. Do not be misled by the notion that acne proned oily skin is a self-limiting skin condition that’ll run its own course and disappear a few years down the road. Uncovering the roots of cause and tackling them fast and furious will greatly reduce the chance of acne scarring and lend you many more years of blemish-free complexion and optimal skin health.
Combination therapy works better in the long run for treating acne. A customised skincare protocol that combines oral and/or topical medications with light therapy is now the preferred remedy, with complimentary benefits that offer quicker, better results and long term remission to troubled skins.
SW1 Clinic’s specially designed Purity Program engages the help of V-Beam Perfecta diode laser together with Exilis Lift and I-Clear as the acne-fighting three musketeers, a skin purification trio that work in synergy to refine and clarify troubled complexions for effective long-term acne clearance sans redness and flaking. By targeting the underlying culprit—overactive sebaceous glands producing oil in overdrive, the VBeam Perfecta diode laser achieves a better effect when complemented with radiofrequency waves emitted via Exilis Lift, regulating oil production and purging out both whiteheads and blackheads. A side benefit of these skin clearing lasers is the positive impact on moderate acne scars and fine lines in the long run, secondary to the collagen and elastin boosting capacity of RF waves. Rounding up with I-Clear photobiomodulation against acne-causing P. bacterium, this comprehensive treatment plan is as close to 100% patient satisfaction as one can get, restoring and refining flushed, stubborn blemished complexions with great satisfaction.