Face Care is the most important part of your morning or evening routine. To properly care for your face, you naturally need to know what skin type you have. You can have dry skin, oily skin, mature skin, or combination skin. Today we will focus on face care for men with oily skin.
What is oily skin?
Men naturally have more sebaceous glands than women. When these sebaceous glands are overactive, a shiny skin appears. This is especially visible on the forehead, the nose, and the chin. Large pores, blackheads, pimples, and red bumps can be seen here. Additionally, your face sometimes shines like an oiled billiard ball, feels greasy, and can eventually cause acne if you don't take care of it properly. Not something to be happy about.
You can recognize oily skin by:
- Forehead and nose almost always shine.
- Pores on the forehead, chin, nose, and transition from nose-cheeks are enlarged.
- The skin regularly has impurities, pimples, red bumps.
- Black dots, blackheads are often the skin image.
Many men think they need to wash more to combat oily skin. This is counterproductive. You should not treat the skin more roughly or harshly, as the caveman in you might want. No, the art lies in a different, softer approach. Product choice is very important in this. We will guide you through the process of tackling oily skin, giving it love, and transforming it into healthy skin. Let's go!
How do I know if I have oily skin?
It is useful to know, to recognize whether you really have oily skin or not. Every skin is different, and therefore it is sometimes difficult to determine. That's why you have different ways to find out what skin type you have. Do this once, and you will immediately know what skin type you have.
Bare Face method
- Wash your face with a mild facial cleanser and gently pat your face dry. Wait about 30 minutes and then look in the mirror to see what you see.
- Has your skin started to shine around your forehead, nose, and cheeks? Then there is a good chance that you have oily skin.
- Does your skin feel tight, and have spots or flakes appeared? There is a good chance that your skin is dry.
- If your skin has different characteristics such as dry and oily zones, there is a good chance that you have combination skin.
- Has your skin turned red after using the cleanser and does it feel burning? Or is your skin generally a bit red and blotchy? Then you probably have sensitive skin.
- Does your skin look fresh and healthy, and do you have no problems at all? Congratulations! You are blessed with 'normal skin'.
Blotting Paper method
- Cleanse your face and grab a sheet of kitchen paper or a tissue. Press it firmly on your face half an hour after cleansing and wait a moment before removing it from your face.
- Has the cloth become very greasy? Then there is a good chance that you have oily skin.
- Is there no greasiness to be seen? Then you can label your skin type as dry.
- If you have normal or combination skin, you will see a small amount of greasiness on the cloth.
Why do you have oily skin?
Your sebaceous glands are working overtime. Probably well-intentioned, but the result is oily skin. It is exactly the opposite of people with dry skin, where the sebaceous glands do very little. That shiny layer on your face? Excess sebum. Oily skin can have various causes:
- Genetics: Every skin type is originally genetically determined, you are born with it. This also applies to the oily skin type, which is often subject to the whims of excessive sebum production.
- Hormonal fluctuations: Androgens, such as testosterone, influence sebum production. Due to their fluctuations, regardless of intensity or age, acne occurs. This form of acne disappears once the hormone balance is restored.
- Environmental factors: A humid and warm climate stimulates sebum production, this applies to your living environment, but can also be work-related.
- Wrong skincare products: Using products that dry out the skin can increase sebum production because your skin compensates by producing more oil. Think of an overly degreased cleanser or aftershave containing a lot of alcohol, but also your scrub if you use it too often. This type of face care is not wrong in itself, on the contrary. But as soon as too much, too often, and everything is continuously combined, the chance of dehydration is high.
What you can do as a man against oily skin
If everything so far is recognizable, then we can officially welcome you to the oily skin club. But that's not a drama. There are actually many things you can do so that you no longer suffer from it.
It's all about the right approach. What most men do is combat oily skin by washing it too often and too thoroughly, which backfires. Your sebaceous glands then think that the face is drying out and then, you guessed it: produce extra sebum. This results in even oilier skin. No thanks for that! So it's best to provide the skin with the right nutrition and moisture. This will calm your sebaceous glands.
Additionally, you want to avoid anything that can dry out your skin. So do not use products with alcohol, a lot of fragrance, mineral oils, and sulfates. Always check the ingredient list of a product! You can of course also filter for products specifically made for oily skin.
How to care for oily skin?
You now know what causes oily skin and what you should not do to prevent getting oily skin. Now you can focus on the best grooming for your oily skin. Follow this routine in 5 steps.
1. Use a mild facial cleanser
Cleanse your oily skin every morning and evening to remove excess sebum and prevent clogged pores. A mild cleanser is free of sulfates. These strip the skin too much. Use a mild cleanser like the Doers of London Facial Cleanser. This cleanser gently regulates sebum production, does not irritate the skin, and prevents impurities. Apply a small amount of cleanser with lukewarm water and rinse it off well. Ideal for use during showering. Shaving can be done after cleansing.
2. Use a hydrating serum
If you only cleanse, you actually activate the sebaceous glands again because you dry out the skin. Therefore, after cleansing, apply a water-based serum that contains hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid binds to moisture in the skin, making it more resilient. It keeps your skin supple without clogging the pores.
For slightly oily or dehydrated skin, use the Doers of London Hydration Serum. For oilier skin with impurities, we recommend using the Doers of London Clear Serum. This serum provides the skin with more stability in sebum production and, of course, a significant nutritional boost.
Apply a few drops of the serum over the skin and let it absorb. This step is always after the shaving.
3. Hydrate the skin with a face cream
After applying the serum, you can apply a light day cream or gel without heavy oils. This nourishes the skin without adding another layer of oils on the natural sebum. A good face cream is the Doers of London Hydrating Face Cream. This moisturizer cares for, hydrates, absorbs quickly, and is non-greasy. Apply the Hydrating Face Cream every morning and evening in a small amount.
4. Remove impurities with a scrub
Use a scrub 2-3 times a week to combat pimples, enlarged pores, and hyperpigmentation. We recommend using the Doers of London Hydrating Face Scrub. This hydrating scrub polishes and enzymatically exfoliates the skin and combats impurities. The scrub can be used during showering, applied to damp skin, left to work for a minute, and then rinsed off with plenty of water.
5. Pamper your skin with a mask
Advice for oily skin
If you need advice, please contact our skin specialists at The Alpha Men. That's what we're here for and we love to do it. You know where to find us!
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men