Do you wake with an oily coating on your skin? Do you start to notice a shine in your t-zone come lunch time? Do you think fries are a food group? You’re oily, my friend. 

And that’s not a bad thing! An oily skin type is a great anti-ager! But when your skin starts to feel unpleasant, or dirty, or is weighing on your confidence, it’s time to learn how to work with your skin type. Not against. Which could mean picking up a facial oil. 

“For oilier skin types, facial oils can actually help balance out the oils being produced naturally by the skin. They can be calming, healing, anti-inflammatory, or even work as a spot treatment (depending on the formula). A reminder that oily skin can also be dehydrated, so that’s where a facial oil comes in handy”, explains Dermal Clinician, Founder and Director of Skin Clinic Blyss, Jodie King. 

OK. OK. SO IT’S NOT A MYTH. OILS ON OILY SKIN IS BENEFICIAL. 

We had a ton of burning questions for Jodie, and here’s what we learned. 

How would you best describe oily skin? What are the common characteristics?

“Enlarged pores. Dull, thick and shiny skin. Often associated with blackheads and blemishes too.”

What’s making the skin oily?

“Oily skin is due to the overproduction of sebum within the sebaceous gland. This happens for many reasons, the main being hormones (in particular, testosterone), and genetics (if one parent has oily skin you will be more susceptible to this). 

There are also some external influences at play, such as climate - where you live may make a difference. Humid, tropical climates may leave you suffering with oily skin. 

Or perhaps you’ve gone too hard with products that strip and dry the skin, so the body produces more oil to counteract this.”

And adding oil on oil isn’t going to exacerbate that? 

“Ah, an oily skin type's biggest fear. Facial oils alleviate dehydration and act as a barrier to prevent water loss (TEWL). Amping up the moisture levels in your skin when needed. That, and the facial oils you apply topically are very different from natural oils in the skin. Often derived from plants, seeds, nuts, these products hydrate and soothe, as well as provide antioxidant protection. 

Oil already existing in/on the skin is produced by the sebaceous gland as mentioned earlier, and contains a blend of squalene, cholesterols, triglycerides and wax esters. Their role being to provide a protective barrier that keeps the skin lubricated and healthy.” 

How should an oily skin haver-er go about introducing facial oils into their routine?

“Choose the correct formulation: lightweight and non-comedogenic. Look for hero ingredients like jojoba, evening primrose, tocopherol (vitamin e) and squalene (which is already found within the skin's sebum naturally). And introduce the oil slowly.”

Are there any instances in which oily skin haver-ers should avoid oils?

“Now this is where it gets a tad tricky, because oily skin isn’t always acne-prone or acnegenic skin. If you are someone who is managing more serious skin concerns, like breakouts in the form of cysts or nodules, facial oils are not for you. 

There’s a lot more happening on the surface and within your skin, so this more extreme imbalance is often met with medication instead.”

We recommend crafting a very personalised skin routine in consultation with your trusted dermatologists. Don’t go slathering oils on the skin, uninformed. 

What facial oils do you recommend for your (oily skin) clients?

“I am a lover of Cosmedix REMEDY Oil. It is full of antioxidants and vitamin e, and is great to use on the face and body. My other go-to’s (including Face Hero, Go-To’s face oil) for a lightweight formulation that won’t leave a residue, soaking in super fast is Malin+Goetz’s Recovery Treatment Oil - it contains antioxidants to protect, and jojoba and evening primrose oils. For lacklustre skin and those that like something a little heavier, Eve Lom Radiance Face Oil gives hydration as well as brightening. And for a touch of luxe, something that smells as good as it feels - Elemis Superfood Facial Oil. It's vegan too!"

Do your research, speak to the experts. 

That’s oil for now folks! (Sorry.)