If you are someone who has very oily skin, then unfortunately you are more likely to suffer from acne than if you had drier skin (although people with dry skin can suffer from acne too!). So how do you stay acne free as part of your oily skin care?

First of all, let’s take a look at why people with extremely oily skin can be more prone to suffering from acne.

Everybody has glands under their skin (called sebaceous glands) that produce oil (also known as sebum). This oil is produced all over the body, but particularly on the face, with larger quantities being produced around the nose. The oil comes out of holes in the skin called pores, and the pores tend to be biggest around the nose area. In fact if you are using a foundation for oily skin, this is often where it would be applied most heavily.

When you are a teenager, your sebaceous glans are at their most active and are producing the most oil because they are being stimulated by hormones called androgens. If you want to stop oily skin, you need to reduce the quantity of sebum produced, which can block the pores. Otherwise those blocked pores turn into acne.

So that’s what causes it, but what about oily skin treatment as far as acne is concerned?

Well, the bad news is that you can’t stop the production of sebum, it happens naturally (and if it didn’t happen your skin would dry out completely, which wouldn’t be particularly pleasant either). But the good news is that if you follow the right skin care advice for oily skin, you can do various things to keep things under control and prevent the pores from blocking up and causing acne.

First of all, you should wash your face regularly with hot water and natural soap. You want to avoid dirt and muck getting into the pores in the first place. Then after washing, try using an astringent such as witch hazel or oatmeal to remove excess oil.

If you use cosmetics, make sure they are oil-free. Oily cosmetics can have a very detrimental effect and can make your acne a lot worse if your skin is naturally greasy, so make sure you always use the right make up for oily skin.

Moisturize regularly, but make sure you use an oil-free moisturizer. And don’t use alcohol-based creams or lotions, they will just make things worse.

Finally, avoid oily or greasy food wherever possible. Your diet plays a big part in the condition of your skin.

If you follow these tips, you should be well on the way to clearing up the worst of your acne and then staying acne free over the long-term. But be patient, it won’t clear up overnight!