Oily African American skin?  I’ve been getting a lot of calls and emails lately asking: “how do I get rid of oily skin?”  I’m hearing everything from makeup meltdown at midday to excess oil when you typically don’t have oily skin.  What’s going on?

Here Are A Few Things To Take Note Of That Could Be Causing You To Experience Oily Skin:

Genetics – You can never over look genetics.  If oily skin is part of your DNA, you’re more likely than not to experience it until your body balances out the production of oil naturally.

While a lot of African Americans have oily skin not all of us do.  If this is the case, you’re likely to have clogged pores and breakouts.  Using a good natural based product will help in minimizing the production of  oil.  Ingredients with activated charcoal will help in minimizing oil production in your skin.

Foods You Eat–  You have to eat foods that are going to feed your skin and your cells.  Fried foods and too much alcohol will not help reduce the production of oil.  Green foods, fruits and lots of water will build healthy glands from a cellular level and minimize the production of oil in your skin.

Using too much of a skin care product – Yes you can actually use too much of a skin care product.  You can over cleanse, over exfoliate and over scrub your face sending your skin into trauma causing more oil to rise to the surface.

Wait there’s more,

Change in Seasons – A rise in the heat and humidity in spring and summer can cause your skin to produce more oil.  In the winter months, the air becomes dry but this can actually dehydrate your skin causing excess oil to occur trying to compensate for what’s missing.

Hormonal Changes – It’s a known fact that women have fluctuations in their hormones throughout life – pregnancy, peri-menopause, menopause and post menopause.  All of these hormonal changes can kick your oil glands into high gear.

Stress – Did you know that stress causes your body to produce more androgen hormones, and this can lead to more oil production?

Skin Care Tools – This is a big one!  A rotating cleansing brush, hand mitts, buff puffs and strips can cause trauma and irritation to your skin.  They can also dry your skin out, causing it to over produce oil trying to compensate for the loss of natural oil from use of these tools.

We all know that you never use these tools with a gentle touch.  You approach your skin as though you’re scrubbing floors or pots and pans.  Even a wash cloth can cause trauma to your face if too much pressure is applied.

Too Much Sun – As a dark skinned person you probably never thought that too much sun would not be good for you.  The sun can actually dry out your skin.  This triggers a response to your brain that reads as an injury.  Your sweat glands begin to over produce oil in order to protect the surface of your skin.

I’ll talk more about oily skin in weeks to come, until then, take care.

As Always …

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel
Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care