I know how frustrating it is to have an oily skin type because I’ve lived with it basically all my life. The problem isn’t only how it looks, which it’s quite something, but also the sensation, and worse than that, how it’s prone to develop blemishes. Now, to be honest, I’d be content if all my face was oily, but no, it’s a weird combination where some parts are extremely oily while others are seriously dry. So, there isn’t a single product you can buy to help both skin types, which is even more frustrating. What happens is that our sebaceous glands that are supposed to lubricate and moisturize our skin get a little overexcited producing way much more oil than it should. This can be due to many reasons, like genes, hormones, diet, or even the environment you live in.
As I said before, one of the main issues is that this excess of oil can get clogged and eventually lead to serious acne, breakouts, and different kinds of blemishes that can be harder to treat. But don’t worry, fortunately there are ways to deal with this situation, and with a good hygiene and some little tricks, you can control the oil production of your skin. To start with, before going to any of the masks I’m recommending, it’s essential to have a good routine, like applying cleansers, at least every day in the morning and before going to sleep, to remove all the oil and dirt accumulated over the day and night. Then, you’ll avoid your pores from clogging and creating pimples and other horrors. There are tons of really inexpensive products like toners that can help regulate the production of oil, and let’s not forget about moisturizer. I know it might sound weird, since you want to make your skin look a bit drier, but I swear that moisturizer will give your skin a nice natural glow that’s way too different from that oily shine. So, without further ado, let’s see these awesome masks you’ll love after trying them.
Lemon Mask
Lemon is your best friend to combat oily skin. The citric acid it contains is great to neutralize the sebum production. Now, you don’t want to apply it just like that, especially if you’re going out. Lemon and sunlight aren’t the best combination. In this case, you can mix it with natural yogurt, which contains an important amount of lactic acid that will help you clean your pores and get rid of the skin cells accumulated on your skin. Besides that, it will provide a nice texture to your concoction that will make it easier to apply. So, just add equal parts of yogurt and lemon and apply it throughout your skin with a brush or a spatula. Let it sit for five to ten minutes and then rinse with warm water. For better results, you can apply an oil-free moisturizer to set your skin. Do this once a week, and you’ll see how oil will be no longer a major issue. As an extra tip, you can use baking soda instead of yogurt, as it will help you treat the clogged skin while also regulating the production of oil. It’s also great to balance the pH of your skin and to keep your face blemish-free.
Banana Mask
I love bananas, and if they’re great for our diet, they help our skin as well. This awesome fruit is rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as in potassium. This combination, when in contact with the skin, is great to combat blemishes and helps us make our skin tone more uniform. Besides all that magic, it’s will also help you prevent acne and moisturize the skin. If you mix a ripe banana with honey and some lemon, you’ll create an awesome mask that will help you control the production of sebum in your skin and clean your pores, since honey is a natural antibacterial. Prepare the mixture with one mashed banana, one tablespoon of honey and one of lemon. Apply it and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes. This time, you’ll want to rinse it with cool water to close the pores. Use it two times a week, and you’ll be free of blemishes.
Cucumber Mask
Cucumbers can do wonders with our skin. I mean, it’s one of the favorite ingredients in most beauty products, and that’s because it has amazing astringent properties that not only help tighten the skin, but also help clean our pores and remove dirt, dead cells, and oil. Thanks to its natural vitamin C, it also helps control the production of sebum. If we add a tablespoon of lemon juice to this you can imagine the amazing mask we’re going to create. To give it a nice consistency, it’s recommended to add two tablespoons of fuller’s earth clay to absorb the oil of our skin. Leave the mask for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s completely dried, and remove it with cold to warm water. Add a moisturizer afterward and repeat once a week.
Tomato Mask
Like cucumbers, tomatoes also have a natural astringent property that can help remove the excess of oil from our skin. It’s also great tightening the skin and closing the pores that sometimes are way too visible. Mix it with honey until you have an even paste. This will hydrate your skin and get rid of any bacteria on the environment. Apply it, especially on the T zone (which can be the most problematic region) and leave it for fifteen minutes. Use this tomato mask from two to three times a week, and you’ll notice a huge change in the oily production of your pores.
Egg and Yogurt Mask
Finally, we have a quite peculiar mask might look a bit gross when preparing it but that you’ll love when you see the results. For this, you’ll only need the egg white (although you can save the yolk to make a nice hair mask that will also help balance the oils of your scalp), which is a great pore cleanser and quite useful to close the pores and reduce the sebum production. You know the amazing properties of yogurt, so you’ll want to add them as well. Create a paste with a kitchen blender and apply a thick layer on your skin. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, and once it’s almost dry, rinse with warm water. Finally, apply your regular moisturizer. You can use this once a week.
Sometimes we get really frustrated with our skin that we get obsessed getting every single product available to control and balance our oil production and pH balance. But actually, there are tons of natural and low-cost products that can help improve the condition of our skin.
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Here are other tips you might find useful:
6 Effortless Ways To Create Your Own Homemade Exfoliants
How To Know Your Skin Type According To Science
How To Love And Take Care Of The (Imperfect) Skin You’re In
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Images by @anya_panchenko