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Tips to Create a Skincare Routine for Oily Skin


Oily skin can be a struggle. From making you look greasy and shiny to leaving your skin feeling congested and your pores clogged (Plus it can also cause your makeup to slip and slide all over the place) If you’re looking for tips to help control oily skin try to create your very own oily skin routine using our products which may help combat excess oil and shine.

What is Oily Skin

First, it’s helpful to identify whether you actually have oily skin. A little shine on your t-zone may just be the result of warm weather or using products designed to provide hydration and give skin a subtle glow. Oily skin can often be identified as skin that:

• Appears greasy and shiny
• Has large pores
• May feel wet, sticky, or slippery
• May be prone to acne1

You may also find that your foundation and makeup has a tendency to separate throughout the day and look extra shiny. Those with excessively oily skin sometimes find that they can actually see the oil their skin has produced just by touching their skin with their fingers or an oil blotting sheet!2

Ingredients for Oily Skin

When selecting products for oily skin it’s a good idea to pay attention to the ingredient lists on your products. A product that is designed for dry skin may not be a great option for an oilier skin type.

Oil-Free and Water-Based Skincare

If you have oily skin the last thing you probably want to do is add more oil to the skin. For oilier skin types, and to help control oily skin, it’s best to look for skincare (and makeup) products that are oil-free. Certain oils can cause the skin to look shiny and greasy in addition to clogging the pores. Look for oil-free skincare and water-based products including cleansers, toners, serums, face masks and face creams.

Non-Comedogenic Skincare:

Non-comedogenic skincare products as worth looking out for especially if you have oily skin. Non-comedogenic skincare is skincare which has been specially formulated and tested to ensure it will not clog pores. This is an important consideration when shopping for skincare as oily skin generally produces more oil in sebum and has a higher likelihood of clogged pores and being prone to breakouts3. Many “occlusive” ingredients, such as Lanolin and Petrolatum, often have a thick and waxy texture that help to “trap” moisture into the outermost layers of skin. However, these ingredients are often greasy and are not considered non-comedogenic, is so you may find they clog your pores.4

Products for Oily Skin

Step 1: Cleanser for Oily Skin

Cleansing oily skin can help to leave it feeling fresh and revived. Whether you’ve just woken up, have been wearing makeup all day, just worked out, or decided to go bare faced – cleansing the skin morning and night and after exercise is an especially important step if you have oily skin.

Our Crème Radiance Cleanser is suitable for all skin types and deeply cleanses skin without stripping or drying. The gentle cream-to-foam cleanser cleanses the pores to dissolve impurities without over-drying the skin. It even gently removes all types of makeup even waterproof products. After use the cleanser reveals purified skin that feels pampered and looks clarified making it an ideal addition to your skincare routine for oily skin.

Step 2: Toner for Oily Skin

If you have oily skin you consider including a toner in your skincare routine. Used after cleansing the face, a toner can help in balancing skin pH, tightening skin pores, and removing excess oil from the skin’s surface5. This makes a toner for oily skin an especially great addition to your skincare routine.

Toners help to balance the pH of your skin is one of their best benefits. Skin pH balance can vary based on a number of factors, including the usage of drying soaps and cleansers (often designed to combat excess oil), which can throw off skin pH balance6. Plus -- over production of oil and pH balance can both be causes for acne on the skin.7 Skin with a higher pH balance has been linked to the occurrence of acne.8 Using a product that is pH balanced can have a direct effect on the pH balance of your skin so it can be helpful in regulating the pH balance of skin after the use of drying of pH disturbing products.9

To tone oily skin try Tonique Doucer. Tonique Doucer is a soothing and cooling alcohol-free toner, which gently tones skin without over-drying, or exhausting the skin’s natural oils. With a pH balanced formula containing skin-softening distilled flower-water, this formula refines skin and leaves it feeling hydrated and comfortable.

Step 3: Serum for Oily Skin

A face serum can be a great addition to your skincare routine and different formulas can help to target different skin concerns. Worn underneath your face cream, serums help to target skin concerns using active ingredients and a potent formula.10 Regardless of your skin type, your skin could benefit from a serum. If you have oily skin, try incorporating a lightweight serum designed to target visible signs of aging, dullness, or uneven skin tone.

Advanced Genifique is suitable for all has a silky light-weight texture and is formulated to help skin defend against external aggressors, including UV pollution, the visible effects of cold and dry weather, both day and night. Better yet, the serum also visibly improves the 10 signs of aging (such as skin texture skin tone fine lines and wrinkles) with just one bottle of use. Apply to your skin both morning and evening daily after cleansing to experience the benefits.

Step 4: Face Cream for Oily Skin

When selecting a face cream for oily skin ensure the product you are using is designed for your skin type. Look out for products containing heavy pore-clogging ingredients and instead opt for oil-free variations when possible. The ideal day and night cream for oily skin should be lightweight, non-comedogenic, and oil-free. Selecting the ideal face cream for oily skin isn’t always easy, so read our tips on moisturizing oily skin.

Hydra Zen Gel Cream is suitable for all skin types and a great option to incorporate into your oily skin routine. The lightweight gel-cream formula gives skin 24-hour hydration without leaving skin shiny or greasy. The product also helps to soothe skin and visibly reduce redness, dullness, and fatigue to reveal glowing skin.

Step 5: Exfoliants and Face Masks for Oily Skin

Beyond your daily skincare routine for oily skin you may like to incorporate some additional products to help improve the appearance of your oily skin, such as an exfoliating treatment or face mask for oily skin.

Exfoliating products for oily skin can help to assist with surface cell-turn over of dead skin cells and deeply cleanse clogged pores.11Clarifique Face Essence is an exfoliating & hydrating treatment with glycolic acid and suitable for all skin types including oily skin. Over time the formula leaves skin feeling purified & refreshed and pores appear tighter. The formula encompasses a variety of ingredients, including BHA Glycolic Acid (exfoliates the skin’s outer surface) and AHA Salicylic Acid (a well-known exfoliator widely used to remove dead cells from skin surface).

Beyond an exfoliating treatment another product to try is a face mask. If you’re looking to give skin a little extra attention and practice some self-love, try using a face mask for oily skin. Rose Sorbet Cryo Mask is a stand-out for oily skin as it leaves skin mattified and cooled. The 5-minute face mask features Salicylic Acid, Rosewater, and Meadowseed Extract and instantly re-energizes skin. It’s also been shown to make pores appear tighter and less visible within 1 week.

Shop skincare products you may use for oily skin at Lancôme.



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1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577631/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577631/
3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025519/#idm140664594790720title
5 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/22/8193
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605222/#__sec3title
7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4828386/#__sec17title
8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605222/#__sec3title
9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605222/#__sec3title
10 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/day-or-night-what-to-look-for-in-a-facial-cream/
11 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-ways-to-exfoliate-your-skin-without-irritation/

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