Controlling Oily Skin

Consumer Health Digest recently reached out to me and asked if I would make a video on tips for oily skin. I had already been working on this post so it was a perfect fit! After you watch the video, read on for specific product recommendations!

 


1: Prep
A common misconception with oily skin is to try to strip the natural oils and 'dry up' the skin. This is dangerous because the more you try to rid the skin of oil, the more it will produce to over-compensate. It is important to balance the skin by finding a skincare routine that works for you, this will help you makeup-wise in the long run because you will have better behaving skin! While it may take a little while to figure out your perfect personalized skincare routine, always make sure you moisturize before you apply your makeup. Look for items that say 'oil free', 'lightweight' or 'gel' on the bottles. Some of my favorites are:  

Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream-Gel Moisturizer
Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel
Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion for Oily and Blemish Prone Skin

2: Primers
Mattifying primers not only extend the wear time of your foundation and keep you shine-free longer, but they also smooth over the skin and fill in pores and fine lines! My two favorites are the Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector and the
Smashbox Oil Free Pore Minimizing Primer. A word of caution with the Becca one, it is the most matte primer I have ever tried and a little goes a long way, so start out with a tiny amount and thoroughly blend it in to avoid patchiness.

3: Base Products
Some people think that a liquid foundation will just melt off when you have oily skin, but that is not true at all! You just want to look for something mattifying and/or free of added oils. Some of my favorites, in no particular order are:

Hourglass Immaculate- a medium coverage that includes cashmere kaolinite clay (which can absorb 75% its weight in oil) leaving a matte finish and an airy feel.

Make Up For Ever Face & Body- a light-to-medium coverage that is made up of 80% water for an invisible look and feel to the skin. This foundation is good for ALL skin types and it is one of my personal favorites.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Plus- a full coverage foundation providing a silky, breathable matte finish. The color selection has also expanded making color matching much easier.

Becca Ever-Matte Shine Proof- a creamy feeling (perfect for combination skin) medium-full coverage foundation that is great for those with golden undertones.

Urban Decay Naked Skin- medium-full coverage and great for combination skin as well. It leaves a natural matte finish and looks like real skin. 

4: Powder 
This is a crucial step in making sure your face stays as matte as possible, and most people do it wrong! The best way to use powder on oily skin is to press-and-roll it on with a sponge or a powder puff. You don't want to dust powder on with a brush because it will not absorb your oils throughout the day. My favorite high end mattifying powder is the Make Up For Ever Duo Matte and my favorite drugstore mattifying powder is the Maybelline Dream Matte. And remember, press and roll people, press and roll.

5: Setting Spray 
This is a finishing product that is like a hairspray for your face! That might sound gross, but I promise you it's not. My favorites are by Urban Decay, they have a hydrating, oil control, and normal skin version. I use a setting spray on all of my brides because it only takes a few seconds and it works wonders, especially for those with oily skin. It also cuts down on makeup transferring onto your clothes or cell-phone which is always a good thing!

6: Touch ups
When you have oily skin you will need to touch up your makeup throughout the day. The best way to do this without caking on more makeup is to use a blotting product. 

*Blotting Sheets: these are meant to absorb oil without disturbing the makeup underneath. They lift the oil off of the skin while leaving all of your foundation, blush, bronzer, etc behind. Boscia makes my favorites, I love the 'green tea' ones as well as the 'pink peppermint' ones. You can find Boscia blotting sheets at Sephora but you can find other brands at the drugstore as well.

*Blotting Powder: this is different than a regular foundation powder or setting powder because it is not meant to add color or coverage, just to absorb oil and shine without adding heavy layers on to the skin. This means you can re-apply it throughout the day without it getting thick and gross. My favorite is the Becca Blotting Powder Perfector because it it so smooth and finely milled, plus it comes in two colors: 'translucent' for light to medium skin tones and 'tinted' for medium to deep skin tones.

What are your favorite products for oily skin?