What do I do about oily skin?

Oily skin is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin that produce sebum that keeps our skin lubricated. If you look in the mirror and see a greasy shiny face looking back you most likely have an overproduction of oil. Sometimes people with excessively oily skin have large pores and the skin can look quite heavy in texture and blemishes occur more frequently. Women may find that makeup doesn’t stay in place and begins to slide. If you are still unsure, wash and gently cleanse your face and leave to dry for 30 mins. Place a clean tissue on the face and pat down gently. If you look at the tissue and see areas of oil on the tissue, you have oily skin.

What do I do?

Oily skin needs to be treated gently. Often people with oily skin will try to scrub the skin with hot water, harsh soaps and exfoliators to try and remove all the excess oil. This often has the reverse effect and can cause the skin to produce even more oil to try and compensate for the oil being removed. We do want some oil on our skin as this is what causes the skin to be lubricated and comfortable and helps to prevent wrinkles forming. Oily skin needs to be gently cleansed and a minimum of moisturiser applied, making sure it is one that is comodegenic, that is, it won’t block the pores and cause blemishes to form.

Following some of these suggestions below should help ease oily skin conditions:

• Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently, using a cleanser with no harsh soaps or detergents.
• Cleanse the skin morning and night to keep the skin free of built up oil and grime.
• Use lukewarm water and pat dry to avoid stimulating oil production.
• Do not use alcohol based toners and astringents as they can over dry the skin.
• Use a moisturiser that is formulated not to block your pores.
• Use a tissue to blot excess oil during the day rather than over wash your face.
• Avoid fatty foods with a high fat and oil content.
• Use non oil based sunscreens.
• Use non oil based cosmetics.
• Consider visiting a skin specialist or your doctor if these measures don’t help as there may be underlying physical causes.

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What do I do about dry skin?

How do I tell if I have dry skin?

Dry skin is a very common skin condition and is often linked to sensitive skin as well. The medical term for dry skin is xerosis. If our skin is mildly dry we can experience a feeling of tightness and the skin being uncomfortable. Sometimes we will experience dry patches and flakiness that you see and in its extreme form dry skin can crack and bleed. Dry skin often looks dull and lifeless with none of the healthy glow we associate with skin in good condition. It is important to look after dry skin as it often ages more quickly than any other skin type.

What can I do?

Mild dry skin can be easily treated but severe dry skin that has cracked, bled or formed lesions should be seen by a doctor. Dry skin responds well to a skincare regime that includes a gentle, effective cleanser that doesn’t strip away natural oils in the skin and a moisturiser that has emollients and natural moisturising factors such as plant oils and extracts. Dry skin should be treated gently and not subjected to hot and cold winds, too much sun, a central heating and air conditioning. A humidifier and effective skin care products should help in the times you can’t avoid these.

Following some of these suggestions below should help ease dry skin conditions:

• Use lukewarm water to wash your face and pat gently dry.
• Use a cleanser without soaps, sulphates or detergents
• Apply moisturiser immediately after washing the skin to retain the moisture.
• Keep well hydrated throughout the day.
• Use skin care products that are high in moisturising factors and keep the skin moisturised throughout the day.
• Eat a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables – flaxseeds, avocados, salmon, walnuts, virgin olive oil all help lubricate the skin.
• Reduce alcohol, tea and coffee.
• Invest in a humidifier if you are constantly in heating or air conditioning.
• Avoid the sun if you can and always wear sunscreen.

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What can I do to help problem skin?

Can we help problem skin?

There is a lot we can do to help our skin look and feel its best. The good news is all we do to help our skin will also improve our general health as well, so we look and feel better in ourselves.  Some changes can have an immediate effect. However, we may have not been supporting our skin for some time so the changes we make can take a while to show on our skins. If the problem you have with your skin is of a more serious nature such as acne, dry skin that has cracked or bled or eczema or psoriasis, even moles or skin discolouration you may be unsure about it is best to seek professional advice.

What to do to help?

By reading the guidelines below and working out a plan for how you could improve your health and therefore the health of your skin.  If there are a number of changes to be made, start off slowly and make small steps towards changing your lifestyle. Making too big a promises to yourself and taking on too much change at once can set yourself up to fail. For example, if you think alcohol consumption is a problem –rather than saying you’ll never drink again – try having alcohol free days or having a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you drink. Choose mocktails over cocktails, experiment with drinks at the bar that look the part but have no alcohol. Enlist the support of a friend that wants to improve their skin too.

Every small step in the list below will help you on the way to having skin that is less of a problem.

• A well balanced diet with fresh, unrefined foods, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid greasy, fried and fatty foods.
• Avoid overly processed and refined foods including sugar.
• Choose water over fizzy drinks and keep well hydrated.
• Avoid excessive alcohol, smoking and drugs.
• Get plenty of sleep at night.
• Avoid sun tanning and use sunscreen to avoid skin damage.
• Avoid heavy makeup.
• Exercise regularly, walking is fine to increase blood circulation.
• Use  effective skin care products with a gentle but effective  cleanser.
• both morning and night to remove daily grime build up that clogs pores.
• Use lukewarm water to rinse the skin and pat gently dry.
• Use an effective moisturiser that will help support skin function with no harmful ingredients.

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